Your resume looks great. Clean fonts, clear sections, good experience. And yet — it never reaches a recruiter. The problem usually isn't what you wrote. It's how the file is structured.

ATS software doesn't read resumes the way humans do. It parses them — extracting raw text and sorting it into fields. When the formatting gets in the way, the content gets scrambled, skipped, or scored as incomplete. These 10 mistakes are the most common reasons it happens.

10 formatting errors that confuse ATS — and how to fix each one

1. Using a two-column or multi-column layout

   Very commonEasy fix

   ATS parsers read left to right, top to bottom — like a single column of text. A two-column layout causes the parser to mix content from different columns together, turning your work history and skills into scrambled nonsense.

   Fix: Switch to a single-column layout. All content flows in one vertical stream.
2. Putting contact details in the header or footer

   Very commonEasy fix

   Most ATS software cannot read content placed in Word's header or footer areas. Your name, email, and phone number go into the void — meaning the recruiter who does see your resume has no way to contact you.

   Fix: Place all contact information in the main body of the document, not in a header/footer field.
3. Using text boxes and tables for layout

   CommonEasy fix

   Text boxes and tables look clean in Word or PDF, but ATS parsers either skip them entirely or extract the content out of order. Skills listed in a table are often completely missed.

   Fix: Use plain paragraph text and line breaks. No tables, no text boxes, no shapes.
4. Saving from a design tool like Canva or Adobe

   Very commonEasy fix

   Design tools export PDFs where text is embedded as vector paths or images — not selectable text. To an ATS, the file is blank. Your entire resume scores zero because no content can be extracted.

   Fix: Build your resume in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and export from there.
5. Using unusual or creative section headings

   CommonEasy fix

   ATS systems are trained to recognise standard headings: "Work Experience," "Education," "Skills." Creative alternatives like "Where I've Been" or "My Toolkit" confuse the parser — it doesn't know where to file the content that follows.

   Fix: Use conventional headings only. Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Summary.
6. Including photos, logos, or icons

   CommonEasy fix

   Images are invisible to ATS. Worse, they can disrupt the text flow around them, causing nearby content to be parsed incorrectly. In Canada, photos on resumes are also generally discouraged to avoid unconscious bias.

   Fix: Remove all images, icons, and logos. Text only.
7. Using non-standard fonts

   ModerateEasy fix

   Decorative or uncommon fonts can cause character encoding issues during parsing, turning your carefully written bullet points into garbled symbols or missing text.

   Fix: Stick to system fonts — Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, or Times New Roman.
8. Writing dates in inconsistent or non-standard formats

   ModerateEasy fix

   ATS software uses date fields to calculate tenure and sort work history. Mixing formats (Jan 2022, 01/22, 2022-01) or using vague entries like "Recent" confuses the parser and can result in your timeline being read incorrectly.

   Fix: Use a consistent format throughout — "Month Year" (e.g. January 2022) or "MM/YYYY" works reliably.
9. Listing skills only as a visual chart or rating bar

   CommonEasy fix

   Skill bars — those horizontal graphic indicators showing "90% proficiency in Excel" — are images. The ATS reads nothing. Your skills section effectively disappears, costing you all the keyword matches those skills would have generated.

   Fix: List skills as plain text, comma-separated or bulleted. No ratings, no bars, no graphics.
10. Not tailoring the resume to the job posting

    Very commonHigh impact

    This isn't a formatting mistake in the traditional sense — but it's the most impactful one. A generic resume doesn't match the keyword profile of any specific posting. Even a perfectly formatted resume scores low if the language doesn't reflect the role.

    Fix: Mirror the job posting's exact language for skills, tools, and job titles in your resume.

Does any of this differ in Canada?

Mostly no — ATS software works the same way regardless of which country the company is in. But there are a few Canada-specific things worth knowing:

CV vs. resume: In Canada, "resume" and "CV" are often used interchangeably, but the standard for most jobs is a 1–2 page resume, not a full academic CV. Use the term the job posting uses.

Bilingual requirements: If a role is posted in both English and French — particularly for federal government or Quebec-based positions — submit separate versions optimised for each language. One bilingual document does not rank well in either language's keyword search.

No photos or SIN numbers: Never include a Social Insurance Number or a photo on a Canadian resume. This applies both to ATS systems and human reviewers.

ATS formatting checklist for Canadian job seekers