Stop trying to trick the ATS - What actually matters with your resume

Let me guess - you’ve spent hours tweaking your resume template to sneak in a few keywords in white text because some online forum said it would “beat the ATS” and get you past “AI filters” that companies are using.

Stop. 

The white-text keyword trick died years ago, and recruiting teams are spotting that immediately. The “ATS-optimized” templates you find online are usually just someone’s guess at what works. There’s no secret code that gets you past the gatekeeper. The real trick is just writing and formatting in a way that’s clear. So let’s move on from these tactics and focus on how you can make a great first impression with your resume. 

For the skimmers - if you read nothing else:

• ATS “hacks” are outdated and ineffective. Clarity, clean formatting, and a modern design are what actually get your resume seen.

• A strong resume feels human: clear voice, focused achievements, and a polished presentation that shows you understand today’s professional expectations.

I can tell more about you from your resume formatting than you think. Before I even read a word, I can usually guess if you’re early in your career, you’ve been using the same resume since 2008, or if you found your template on the first page of Google. Fonts, layout, and spacing all tell a story. Whether you realize it or not, that story is often saying more about your awareness of the professional world than your words ever could.

First, your font choice matters. Not because hiring managers sit around critiquing typography, but because your choices show how tuned in you are to modern presentation. Times New Roman screams dated. Arial is hanging on by a thread. But when you choose something current, clean, and readable (think: Calibri, Helvetica, even something like Source Sans or Georgia) it signals that you understand how people consume information today. Layout and spacing also influence how your resume lands with reviewers. There’s a difference between modern and messy. A good resume looks clean, current, and human. Consistent font sizes, enough white space, no color overload. You want the formatting to disappear so the focus is on your substance: your achievements, your skills, and your story. When I open a resume that’s easy on the eyes, it immediately earns credibility. It tells me this person is intentional. They care about detail. They respect my time.

But readability isn’t just about structure, it’s about voice. Even the cleanest design won’t help if your resume reads like a buzzword soup. I can feel immediately when a resume was built by ChatGPT or some builder that cranks out “results-driven professional” in every other line. A good resume still feels human: written by someone who knows their work, understands their value, and can express it naturally. It has rhythm, energy, and a point of view. Your resume should feel like a conversation starter, not a compliance document. It’s not supposed to be your entire professional biography; it’s your highlight reel that should leave them wanting to hear more. 

So yes - font matters, format matters, and clarity matters. If your design is clean, your content is focused, and your story is told in a way that sounds human, you’re already ahead of most of the stack. No gimmicks needed. Fonts evolve, industries evolve, expectations evolve, and so should the way you present yourself. Keep it modern. Keep it readable. And above all, keep it real.

If you’re not sure your resume strikes the right balance between human and hireable, let’s find out. I’ll show you exactly what recruiters see and how to make sure your story actually lands. Get in Touch!