Most common root cause
It’s usually not rejection—it’s broken parsing or “invisible” keywords.
If the system can’t reliably extract your job titles, dates, and skills, you won’t show up well in search and filtering—even if you’re qualified.
Fast diagnostic: paste your resume into Notepad (or save as
.txt). If text is missing or out of order, fix formatting first.1) Columns and sidebars
Why it fails
Columns can merge content into the wrong order when converted to plain text (titles, dates, and bullets get scrambled).
Fix
Use a single column with clear headings and consistent spacing.
2) Graphics, photos, and skill bars
Why it fails
Many parsers ignore images and decorative elements, so the data inside them is lost.
Fix
Replace bars/ratings/icons with plain text (example: “French — Fluent”).
3) Header/footer contact info
Why it fails
Headers/footers are stored separately and can be skipped by parsers—so your email/phone might not extract.
Fix
Put name, email, phone, LinkedIn in the document body at the top.
4) Tables and text boxes
Why it fails
Tables and text boxes can break reading order and field extraction.
Fix
Replace layout tables with simple line breaks; keep everything in the main text flow.
5) File type problems (PDF vs DOCX)
Why it fails
Some PDFs are image-based (scanned) or export text in weird layers, which parses poorly.
Fix
Keep a clean DOCX version for portals. If PDF is required, ensure it’s text-based (not scanned).
6) Non-standard headings (the parser can’t “find” your sections)
Why it fails
Many parsers look for conventional section names like Experience, Education, Skills.
Fix
Rename creative headings to standard ones (“Work Experience”, “Education”, “Skills”).
7) Keyword/terminology mismatch (you don’t show up in search)
Why it fails
Recruiters search the same words used in the job description. If your resume uses different wording, you can miss the search.
Fix
Mirror exact terms (when true) and include acronym + full form once (example: “Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”).
ATS-safe checklist
Copy/paste this
- Single column; no sidebars.
- No tables, text boxes, shapes, or icons that replace words.
- Contact info in the body (not header/footer).
- Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
- Consistent dates (Month YYYY – Month YYYY).
- DOCX backup for portals; PDFs must be text-based.
- Keep file size reasonable (e.g., Greenhouse parsing fails above 2.5MB).
Sources
- Greenhouse Support: “Unsuccessful resume parse” (official list of parsing failure causes incl. 2.5MB limit, spaced letters, columns, tables, headers/footers, graphics). View source
- MIT CAPD: “Make your resume ATS-friendly” (avoid images/text boxes/tables; use plain-text test to spot missing or out-of-order text). View source