Fixing a resume that ATS parsers reject
Most rejections are structural, not editorial. The parser is looking for predictable headings and a single-column reading order, and a design that reads beautifully to a person can be unreadable to it.
What breaks parsing
Two-column layouts are the biggest offender: the parser reads left to right across the page and interleaves your sidebar into your job history. Text inside images or icons is invisible. Tables are read cell by cell, which scrambles dates. Non-standard section names — “Where I have been” instead of “Experience” — mean the parser finds no experience section at all.
Check this first
Every template in the builder marked ATS-safe is single-column with standard headings. If you want a designed version for humans, keep both: export ATS-safe for applications, designed for direct sends.
Checking your own file
Upload it under My CV → Parse preview. You will see exactly what a parser extracts, field by field, with anything it could not read listed separately. Fix whatever appears in that second list and re-check; the score updates immediately.