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Ankush Singh Gandhi
Ankush Singh Gandhi

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Build an ATS-Friendly Resume That Gets Seen (with Free LaTeX Template 🚀)

#resume #career #programming #webdev

Most resumes fail before a human even reads them.

Why? Because Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) – the software recruiters use to filter applications – can’t parse overly designed templates. So no matter how pretty your resume looks in Canva, if the ATS can’t read it, your application goes straight to the rejection pile.

That’s why I built and shared a plain, single-column, ATS-friendly LaTeX resume template → ASG ATS Resume Template

In this blog, I’ll cover:

  • ✅ Why plain templates are essential
  • ✅ Actionable resume writing tips
  • ✅ How to structure your resume effectively
  • ✅ The LaTeX template I created (and why it’s optimized for ATS + recruiters)
  • ✅ Step-by-step guide: How to use the template from GitHub in Overleaf

Why Plain Templates Work Best

Recruiters spend 6–8 seconds skimming your resume.
Fancy graphics, two-column layouts, and headshots only make it harder for both ATS software and humans to parse your resume.

The reality:

  • ATS reads resumes line by line, left to right → two columns confuse parsing.
  • Logos, icons, and tables often get skipped or jumbled.
  • Even recruiters don’t have time for visual clutter – they just want keywords, skills, and impact.

A great resume should be:

  • Plain and single-column → ATS-friendly
  • Keyword-rich → Matches job description
  • Skimmable → Recruiters can pick impact in seconds
  • One-page → if you have ≤5 years of experience

Resume Writing Tips 🔑

Here are the tips I’ve followed and baked into the template:

Structure

✅ Start with Work Experience (or Projects if fresher)
✅ Add a Summary section with job-relevant keywords
✅ Use bullet points for all achievements
✅ Place Skills section at the end – prove them earlier in projects/experience

Bullet Points

✅ Keep them one line (70–180 chars)
✅ Don’t end with a period
✅ Show impact with numbers (“Reduced API latency by 40%”)
✅ Don’t overuse action verbs – mix clarity + metrics

General Rules

✅ No photo on your resume – ATS doesn’t process images
✅ Skip 10th/12th school details if you have higher ed or experience
✅ Deployed projects? Add a hyperlink
✅ Only add relevant achievements & hobbies
✅ Use bold smartly – to catch the eye in 2 seconds

Why I Built the ASG ATS Resume Template 📝

When I started experimenting with resumes, I realized most templates online were either:

  • Too flashy → not ATS-friendly
  • Too plain → didn’t highlight keywords or impact

So I built my own LaTeX template:

Features:

  • 📄 Single-column design for ATS parsing
  • ✒️ Uses Tinos font (ATS-safe + clean for recruiters)
  • ─── Thin dividers (no heavy graphics)
  • 🔑 Bold project titles, plain descriptions underneath
  • 📌 Bullet points optimized for readability
  • 📍 Works 100% on Overleaf, GitHub, or local LaTeX install

👉 Try it here: ASG ATS Resume Template

Technical Deep-Dive: How the Template Works ⚙️

If you’re a developer (and especially if you’ve never touched LaTeX before), here’s what you’ll appreciate:

  • Minimal packages → No bloat, just geometry, enumitem, hyperref, and fontspec.
  • Exact alignment → Uses tabular* for job/project alignment (role left, date right).
  • Custom Section Command → A \Section{} command renders uppercase titles + thin horizontal rule.
  • Consistent spacing → parskip + tuned margins for a 1-page layout.
  • Font control → \setmainfont{Tinos} ensures ATS-readable + modern look.

Here’s a small snippet that makes section headers neat:

% Section command: UPPERCASE bold heading + thin rule
\newcommand{\Section}[1]{%
  \vspace{6pt}\noindent{\large\bfseries\MakeUppercase{#1}}\\
  \noindent\rule{\textwidth}{0.4pt}\vspace{6pt}}
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And here’s how jobs/projects are aligned perfectly:

% Job line helper
\newcommand{\JobLine}[2]{%
  \noindent\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{@{}l@{\extracolsep{\fill}}r@{}}%
  #1 & #2\\\end{tabular*}}
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That’s the power of LaTeX → precision control while keeping the output clean and consistent.

🚀 How to Use the Template from GitHub on Overleaf

This template works out of the box on Overleaf, so you don’t need to install LaTeX locally.

Here’s the step-by-step:

  1. Go to the GitHub Repo → ASG ATS Resume Template
  2. Download as ZIP → Click the green “Code” button → Download ZIP.
  3. Open Overleaf → Log into overleaf.com.
  4. Upload Project → New Project → Upload ZIP.
  5. Switch Compiler → In Overleaf menu → Menu > Compiler > XeLaTeX.
  • ⚠️ Important: The template uses fontspec, which only works with XeLaTeX/LuaLaTeX (not pdfLaTeX).
    1. Edit main.tex → Replace name, work experience, projects, etc.
    2. Recompile → Click “Recompile” and download your PDF.

✅ That’s it – your ATS-optimized resume is ready.

Who Should Use This Template?

  • 🎓 Students/freshers → Swap “Experience” with “Projects”
  • 👨‍💻 Software developers → ATS loves tech keywords, this layout handles them well
  • 📈 Early-career professionals (1–5 years) → Perfect for a one-pager resume
  • 🚀 Anyone applying online → ATS parsing guaranteed

Final Thoughts

Your resume isn’t about looking pretty – it’s about getting seen and understood quickly.
With a plain, ATS-friendly template, you instantly improve your odds of making it past the automated filters and into the hands of a recruiter.

That’s why I built the ASG ATS Resume Template → Grab it here

💬 I’d love to hear from you:
👉 What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen people make on resumes?

✍️ PS: This template is free to use and customize. If it helps you land an interview, let me know!

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