{"id":326,"date":"2026-06-13T05:24:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T05:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T03:56:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T03:56:50","slug":"awards-and-honors-on-resume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/","title":{"rendered":"How to List Awards and Honors on Your Resume"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many resumes get rejected by ATS software before a human ever sees them, not because of missing qualifications but because of formatting choices that prevent the system from reading the file correctly. Here is how to format your resume for maximum ATS compatibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Why_ATS_formatting_matters_as_much_as_content\" >Why ATS formatting matters as much as content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#File_format_PDF_versus_Word\" >File format: PDF versus Word<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Structure_your_resume_simply_and_logically\" >Structure your resume simply and logically<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Typography_and_visual_elements_to_avoid\" >Typography and visual elements to avoid<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#How_to_use_bullet_points_correctly\" >How to use bullet points correctly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Test_before_you_submit\" >Test before you submit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Read_next\" >Read next<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#How_long_does_a_recruiter_spend_looking_at_a_resume\" >How long does a recruiter spend looking at a resume?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#What_do_recruiters_look_for_first_on_a_resume\" >What do recruiters look for first on a resume?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Should_I_include_a_summary_at_the_top_of_my_resume\" >Should I include a summary at the top of my resume?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#How_many_bullet_points_should_each_job_have\" >How many bullet points should each job have?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/#Get_your_free_resume_review_from_a_real_recruiter\" >Get your free resume review from a real recruiter<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_ATS_formatting_matters_as_much_as_content\"><\/span>Why ATS formatting matters as much as content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applicant Tracking Systems parse your resume by extracting text and categorizing it into fields like job titles, dates, employers, and skills. When your formatting confuses the parser, information gets lost, miscategorized, or dropped entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A resume with tables, text boxes, graphics, or unusual formatting may look beautiful in Word or PDF, but an ATS often reads it as garbled text or skips sections entirely. The recruiter never sees the full picture, even if you are the most qualified candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that ATS-friendly formatting is simple and clean. You do not need design skills to create a resume that scores well. You need to avoid the common traps that cause parsing failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"File_format_PDF_versus_Word\"><\/span>File format: PDF versus Word<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most ATS systems handle both PDF and Word documents, but Word files are generally safer for ATS compatibility. Modern PDF parsers have improved significantly, but certain complex PDFs, particularly those created with design tools rather than Word, still cause parsing problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the job application gives you a choice, submit a Word file unless the company has specified PDF. If you are submitting through a portal that previews your resume, check how it looks after uploading. If the formatting is broken, resubmit in the other format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Never submit an image-based PDF, which is a scanned document or a PDF created from an image. ATS systems cannot extract text from images, which means your entire resume is unreadable to the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Structure_your_resume_simply_and_logically\"><\/span>Structure your resume simply and logically<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use standard section headings: Contact Information, Summary or Professional Profile, Experience, Education, Skills. Custom headings like &#8216;My Story&#8217; or &#8216;Career Highlights&#8217; may not be recognized by ATS systems, which are programmed to look for standard category names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use a single-column layout. Two-column resumes are popular in design, but most ATS systems read across the page left-to-right and then down, which means two-column content often gets merged together or read in the wrong order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avoid placing important information in headers, footers, or sidebars. ATS systems often skip or misread content outside the main body of the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Typography_and_visual_elements_to_avoid\"><\/span>Typography and visual elements to avoid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use standard, widely supported fonts: Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Unusual fonts may not render correctly or may not be readable by older ATS systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avoid using images, logos, charts, infographics, or icons. These elements cannot be read by ATS software and take up space that could contain parseable text. A bar chart showing your skill proficiency levels is invisible to a machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not use text boxes or tables for your content. ATS systems often extract text from tables incorrectly, reading across rows rather than down columns, which can jumble your job titles, dates, and descriptions into incoherent strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_use_bullet_points_correctly\"><\/span>How to use bullet points correctly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simple bullet points, either round dots or dashes, are fine and well-supported by ATS systems. Avoid decorative bullet characters, check marks, stars, or other symbols, which may be parsed as unrecognizable characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep your bullet points to a single line where possible. Extremely long bullet points that wrap multiple times can sometimes confuse certain parsers, though this is less of an issue with modern systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be consistent with your bullet point format throughout the document. Mixing bullets with dashes with numbered lists signals formatting sloppiness and may cause the ATS to miscategorize the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Test_before_you_submit\"><\/span>Test before you submit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copy the text of your resume and paste it into a plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. If the text reads logically from top to bottom in the correct order with no stray characters, your resume is likely ATS-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several free tools including Jobscan, Resume Worded, and Resumy will analyze your resume against a specific job description and flag formatting issues. These are worth using before submitting to roles where ATS screening is likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If in doubt, submit a simpler version of your resume for online applications and reserve your more visually polished version for networking situations where a human will view it directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Read_next\"><\/span>Read next<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list atr-read-next\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/how-to-list-education-on-resume\/\">How to List Education on Your Resume<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/how-to-list-certifications-on-resume\/\">How to List Certifications on Your Resume<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/sales-resume-guide-2\/\">Sales Resume Guide: How to Write a Resume That Proves You Can Close<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_does_a_recruiter_spend_looking_at_a_resume\"><\/span>How long does a recruiter spend looking at a resume?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recruiters typically spend 6-10 seconds on an initial scan. They look for job title relevance, company names, and whether the most recent role is at the right level for the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_recruiters_look_for_first_on_a_resume\"><\/span>What do recruiters look for first on a resume?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most recruiters look first at your most recent job title and company, then check dates for gaps or progression, then assess whether the experience level matches what they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_include_a_summary_at_the_top_of_my_resume\"><\/span>Should I include a summary at the top of my resume?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, for experienced candidates. A 2-3 sentence summary that speaks directly to your target role helps recruiters understand your value instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_bullet_points_should_each_job_have\"><\/span>How many bullet points should each job have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3-5 bullets for recent roles, 1-2 for older ones. Each bullet should describe an accomplishment or outcome, not just a task or responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_your_free_resume_review_from_a_real_recruiter\"><\/span>Get your free resume review from a real recruiter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At AskTheRecruiter.com, every review is done by a human recruiter with real hiring experience. You get honest, specific feedback on what to fix, not a generic score. Most candidates hear back within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No automated tools, no templates. Just a real recruiter reading your resume and telling you what works and what needs to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"\/get-your-resume-reviewed\/\">Get My Free Resume Review<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"atr-schema-jsonld\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long does a recruiter spend looking at a resume?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Recruiters typically spend 6-10 seconds on an initial scan. They look for job title relevance, company names, and whether the most recent role is at the right level for the position.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What do recruiters look for first on a resume?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Most recruiters look first at your most recent job title and company, then check dates for gaps or progression, then assess whether the experience level matches what they need.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Should I include a summary at the top of my resume?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, for experienced candidates. A 2-3 sentence summary that speaks directly to your target role helps recruiters understand your value instantly.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many bullet points should each job have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"3-5 bullets for recent roles, 1-2 for older ones. Each bullet should describe an accomplishment or outcome, not just a task or responsibility.\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Resume Writing\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/category\/resume-writing\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to List Awards and Honors on Your Resume\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/awards-and-honors-on-resume\/\"}]}]}<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ATS systems filter out resumes based on formatting as much as content. Here is what not to do and how to format for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[25,27,16],"class_list":["post-326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resume-writing","tag-job-application","tag-recruiter-tips","tag-resume-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9064,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326\/revisions\/9064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asktherecruiter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}