ATS Section Detection Explained: How Your Resume Sections Are Identified
After extracting text from your resume, the ATS must identify which section each piece of information belongs to. Is this paragraph your work experience or your education? Is this line a skill or a certification? Section detection determines how your information is categorized and scored. Using the right headings is critical to this process.
How ATS Identifies Resume Sections
ATS parsers use a combination of heading detection, pattern matching, and contextual analysis to identify resume sections. The simplest method is heading detection—the parser looks for text that matches known section names like 'Experience,' 'Education,' 'Skills,' and 'Summary.'
The parser checks for formatting cues that indicate headings: larger font size, bold text, ALL CAPS, or underlined text. When it finds a recognized heading, it categorizes all subsequent content under that section until the next heading is detected.
If the parser can't find recognized headings, it falls back to pattern matching. It looks for date ranges (indicating work experience), degree names (indicating education), or lists of technical terms (indicating skills). However, this fallback is less accurate and more prone to misclassification.
Best Section Headings for ATS Compatibility
Using standard, widely recognized section headings dramatically improves parsing accuracy. The ATS has a dictionary of expected headings and their variations, and using a recognized heading guarantees correct categorization.
For work experience, the most recognized headings are: 'Work Experience,' 'Professional Experience,' 'Experience,' and 'Employment History.' For education: 'Education,' 'Academic Background,' and 'Educational Qualifications.' For skills: 'Skills,' 'Technical Skills,' 'Core Competencies,' and 'Key Skills.'
Creative or non-standard headings like 'My Journey,' 'Where I've Been,' or 'What I Bring' are not in the ATS dictionary and will likely be misclassified or ignored.
| Section | Best Headings (ATS-Friendly) | Avoid These |
|---|---|---|
| Work history | Work Experience, Professional Experience, Experience | My Journey, Career Path, Where I've Made an Impact |
| Education | Education, Academic Background | Learning, Knowledge, Academic Journey |
| Skills | Skills, Technical Skills, Core Competencies | Toolbox, What I Know, Expertise |
| Summary | Professional Summary, Summary, Profile | About Me, Who I Am, My Story |
| Certifications | Certifications, Licenses, Professional Certifications | Credentials, Achievements, Badges |
Section Order and Its Impact
The order of sections on your resume can affect both ATS parsing and recruiter scanning. The most common and ATS-friendly order is: Contact Information → Professional Summary → Work Experience → Education → Skills → Certifications.
Some ATS systems give slightly higher weight to content that appears earlier in the resume. If your work experience is your strongest asset, place it before education. If you're a recent graduate with limited experience, leading with education and skills may be more effective.
Regardless of order, consistency is key. Each section should have a clear heading, and the content within each section should follow a predictable format. The parser uses the transition between sections (one heading ending and another beginning) to categorize information.
Common Section Detection Failures
Section detection fails most commonly when headings are embedded in graphics, tables, or unusual formatting. A heading that looks bold and prominent to a human reader may be invisible to the parser if it's inside a text box or formatted as an image.
Another common failure is merged sections. If you don't include clear headings between sections, the parser may group your education data with your work experience or mix skills with certifications. This misclassification can significantly hurt your ATS score.
Split sections also cause problems. If your work experience is broken into two separate areas of the resume (perhaps splitting it by type of work), the parser may only capture one section and miss the other. Keep each section type in one continuous block.
Pro Tips
Use one of the recognized heading variations listed above—don't get creative with section names
Format headings consistently: all bold, all uppercase, or all with the same font size increase
Keep each section in one continuous block rather than splitting it across the resume
Include at least these core sections: Contact Info, Experience, Education, Skills
Use a blank line between sections to give the parser a clear signal of section transitions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using creative section headings like 'My Toolbox' or 'Career Highlights' instead of standard names
Formatting headings as images or text boxes that the parser can't detect
Missing section headings entirely, relying on the parser to figure out what content belongs where
Splitting a single section (like experience) into multiple non-contiguous areas of the resume