If your resume is scoring in the 50s or 60s, you can usually reach the competitive 80–90 range in a single focused editing session. This is a practical, step-by-step playbook to increase your ATS score — no guesswork.

Keep the free ATS score checker open so you can re-scan after each step and watch the number climb.

First, Get Your Baseline

Before you change anything, scan your current resume against the exact job description using the ATS score checker. Note:

  • Your overall score
  • Missing keywords
  • Formatting warnings
  • Weak sections

This baseline tells you which steps below will move the needle most.

Step 1: Fix Formatting First (Biggest Easy Win)

If the parser cannot read your resume, nothing else matters. Replace complex layouts with a clean structure.

  • Use a single-column layout
  • Remove tables, text boxes, columns, icons, and images
  • Use standard headings: Summary, Skills, Experience, Education
  • Keep all key info in the body, not headers/footers
  • Export as a text-based PDF or DOCX

Start from a proven ATS-friendly template to skip this entirely.

Typical gain: +10 to +20 points.

Step 2: Match the Job Description Keywords

Open the job posting and list every skill, tool, and qualification it mentions. Add the ones that genuinely apply to you, using the exact wording.

Place keywords naturally in your:

  • Professional summary
  • Skills section
  • Experience bullet points

Include both acronyms and full terms — "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)". For a deeper method, read the resume keywords guide and ATS keywords to boost your score.

Typical gain: +10 to +25 points.

Step 3: Strengthen Your Skills Section

Create or expand a dedicated skills section that mirrors the role's requirements:

  • Technical skills and tools
  • Industry-specific terminology
  • Relevant certifications
  • A few high-value soft skills

This directly improves your skills-alignment score.

Step 4: Quantify Your Achievements

Rewrite weak bullets into measurable results. The ATS — and recruiters — value impact.

  • Before: "Responsible for managing social media"
  • After: "Grew social media engagement 47% and added 12K followers in 6 months"

See how to quantify resume achievements and best action verbs for your resume.

Step 5: Align Your Job Titles and Summary

  • Make sure your professional summary names the target role and top keywords
  • Where accurate, use standard job titles instead of internal labels
  • Lead your experience with the most relevant roles

Step 6: Re-Scan and Repeat

Run the ATS score checker again. Compare to your baseline, apply any remaining suggestions, and re-scan until you are at 80+.

Edit Typical Impact
Fix formatting / template +10 to +20
Add missing keywords +10 to +25
Strengthen skills section +5 to +10
Quantify achievements +5 to +10

A Realistic Before-and-After

A typical journey from 52 to 88:

  1. Switched from a two-column template to single column → 52 → 66
  2. Added 9 missing keywords from the posting → 66 → 81
  3. Rewrote 6 bullets with metrics → 81 → 88

Three steps, one session, into the competitive range.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to improve an ATS score?

Usually under an hour. Formatting and keywords produce the fastest, largest gains.

What is the fastest way to raise my score?

Fix formatting (use a single-column ATS template) and add the exact keywords from the job description. Those two steps account for most of the improvement.

Should I aim for 100?

No. 80–90 is the sweet spot. Pushing for 100 risks keyword stuffing that hurts readability for human reviewers. See what is a good ATS score.

Do I repeat this for every job?

Yes. Re-tailor and re-scan for each role, since the score is specific to each job description.

Conclusion

Increasing your ATS score is a repeatable process: fix formatting, match keywords, strengthen skills, quantify results, and re-scan. Follow the steps in order and you can move from a failing score to a competitive 80–90 in one sitting.

Check your ATS score for free