An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the software companies use to collect, store, and search job applications. When you apply online, your resume almost always lands in one of these systems first — not on a recruiter's desk.
Why formatting breaks parsing
ATS software reads the text content of your file. Multi-column layouts, text inside images, tables, headers/footers, and unusual fonts can scramble that text or drop it entirely. The result: your experience gets mangled or misfiled, even if it looks great to you.
What actually works
Use a single-column layout, standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills), a common font, and real selectable text. Save as PDF only when the text stays selectable. That's exactly what Resume Lite produces by default.
The goal isn't to trick the software — it's to stay legible so your accomplishments survive the trip to a human reviewer.