Resume Tips: Beat the Software, Explain the Gap

Your Resume Meets Software Before a Human

Nearly 99% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a person ever sees them. If your resume is not machine-readable, it may never get read at all.

Keep it simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, graphics, or fancy fonts. Use clean fonts like Calibri or Arial at 10–12 point. Mirror keywords straight from the job posting in your skills and experience sections — the software matches on those words. Save your file as a DOC, which these systems read more reliably than PDFs, and never as an image file.

• No tables, text boxes, or graphics
• Mirror keywords from the job posting
• Save as DOC — not an image, not fancy formatting
• Simple fonts, 10–12 point

A Gap in Your Work History Is Not Disqualifying

Careers are not always linear, and employers know it. What matters more than the reason for a gap is what you did during it — courses, certifications, volunteering, caregiving, part-time or freelance work. Lead with that.

If the gap was health-related, you owe no private medical details. 'Medical leave' or 'recovering from a health issue' is a complete explanation. Consider a functional resume format: open with a summary of your strengths and accomplishments, then list your work history — so readers see what you bring first.

Writing Your First Resume

No paid work history does not mean no resume. Build it from three things: skills from school, volunteering, or everyday life; any training or certifications; and the strengths people already see in you. Put those on paper and you have started.

Free Resume Help Through ACO

ACO's Ticket to Work employment team reviews resumes, helps you tailor each application, and practices explaining your history with confidence — free for SSDI and SSI recipients in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin via phone and video.