Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market at breakneck speed, relying on AI to craft your resume for some appears to be the solution, however it could be the silent saboteur derailing thousands of careers and plunging qualified candidates into financial ruin.  

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Sadly, a large number of applicants are turning to AI in order to attempt to ATS optimize their resume. This has proven disastrous. To learn more about this, click here.

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In an economy where a single career gap or missed opportunity can spiral into a personal financial crisis, failing to fix this is a recipe for long-term unemployment and literal bankruptcy.

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If you are looking for an ATS certified resume, you will need a resume writer that follows Resume Resort’ (the firm to launch the first ATS resume in 1999) and RigBoyz' annual ATS compliance and compatibility guidelines, located below. 

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These rules are global standards, that when adhered to, ensure that all resumes that go into an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) are compatible with the program. Without compatibility being ensured, applicants may get flagged as a bot or data may fail to extrapolate properly. When this happens, candidate profiles are set up inaccurately and greatly diminish the chances of the applicant’s success, or worse, triggering an auto-rejection.

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February of each year, Resume Resort / RigBoyz, author the below ATS compatibility and compliance standards to assist both professional resume writers and candidates (that embark on creating their own ATS compatible resume).

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What is an ATS?

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An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software program used by Human Resources departments, recruiters and employers during the recruitment and hiring process, to advertise for, collect, scan, prioritize, and rank the job applications (candidates) they receive via their online portals.

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2026 RIGBOYZ / RESUME RESORT ATS COMPLIANCE GUIDELINES​​

 

For resumes to stand out and perform well within application tracking systems, focus on creating original content that truly reflects your unique experiences and capabilities.

 

While it may be tempting to use templates, AI-generated content, or borrow descriptions from other sources, ATS systems are designed to identify and prioritize distinctive, personalized resumes.

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Modern ATS platforms employ sophisticated detection methods that can identify content duplicated from job descriptions, other resumes, or AI-generated text. The risk in this is being confused with a bot or artificial candidate. When these systems flag potential inauthentic applications, you may be automatically filtered out of consideration - often without notification. This means you could be missing out on opportunities simply because of how your resume content was created, even if your qualifications are excellent.

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Your individual story and accomplishments are your greatest assets - showcase them by crafting custom descriptions that highlight your specific contributions and achievements. Each position you've held has its own unique context and impact. By investing time in developing clear, genuine descriptions of your experiences, you'll create a more compelling resume that not only passes through automated systems but also resonates with hiring managers.

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Remember, your goal is to stand out, not blend in with identical language found across multiple applications. Taking the time to write original content demonstrates both your communication skills and your genuine interest in the role.

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The Resume Must:

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• ​Use industry-specific context to provide a "High Signal" for semantic analysis

• Feature original, non-repetitive descriptions of unique personal achievements

• Be written in a professional tone that is defensible during a Trust Gap Check

• Pass as "100% Human" on AI-detection and bot screening software

• Match keywords to real-world experience rather than generic bot patterns

• Be loaded in either a .doc. .docx or .txt (plain text) file type

• Be designed with as many keywords that match the candidates core competencies as possible, (covered in multiple presentations, such as commonly used abbreviations, etc.), NOT copied from AI, other resumes or job descriptions or overly utilized.

• Have contact information located on the top of the resume, in the body of the document

• Have all content in text format - NOT images

• Have all content organized in the body of the document and NOT in tables, multiple columns, textboxes or charts

• Use commonly used headings to articulate the content in that section, such as, "Employment History", "Education", "Certifications", etc.

• Use common fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia) and NOT custom fonts, etc.

• Use the "bullet feature" for bullets, and not images or other icons in place of common bullets

• Be read from left to right, top to bottom

• Use for visual appeal only: bold, CAPS, italics, bullets and color, no other formatting or graphics

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The Resume Must NOT:

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• ​Use "PhD-sounding" AI language or overly formal robotic sentence structures

• Feature repetitive AI transition words like "moreover" or "furthermore"

• Rely on machine-generated summaries that lack an authentic human voice

• Include "hallucinated" metrics or data points created by a bot

• Use keyword density that lacks natural, human-written context

• Display "Uncanny Valley" markers that trigger recruiter distrust

• Be submitted in a .PDF, .jpg, .png, or any other file type other than .doc, .docx., or .txt

• Be written primarily using AI tools, like ChatGPT, or contain any content located in other documents, resumes, job descriptions, etc. 

• Have content in the header or footer

• Have content in a table, chart, multiple vertical columns, textbox, or graphs

• Include any images, graphics, photos, charts, logo's, etc.

• Use unusual headings in place of common resume headings

• Use fancy or custom downloadable fonts

• Contain any content on the page hidden in white text

• Use fancy bullets instead of standard MS Word bullets

• Attempt to fit all pertinent content into two pages by decreasing font size

• Contain a copy and paste of any published job description, third party or other copy-written material

• Be organized in any other layout to be read other than left to right and top to bottom

• Include hyperlinks

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