Professional Experience
Use Experience, Work Experience, or Professional Experience for employment history.
ATS Resume Section Headings
Use familiar resume section headings such as Summary, Skills, Professional Experience, Education, Projects, and Certifications so software and recruiters can classify content quickly. Learn the practical rules, common mistakes, and a clear checklist you can use before applying.
What you get
- A direct answer without ATS myths
- Examples and tradeoffs you can apply immediately
- A final pre-submission checklist
The short answer
Start with the rule, then use the detail below for edge cases.
Use familiar resume section headings such as Summary, Skills, Professional Experience, Education, Projects, and Certifications so software and recruiters can classify content quickly.
Headings ATS tools recognize
Creativity adds little value when a conventional label is clearer.
Education and credentials
Use Education, Certifications, Licenses, or Training as distinct sections when relevant.
Skills and projects
Use Skills, Technical Skills, Projects, or Publications rather than branded phrases.
Headings to reconsider
A heading should tell the reader exactly what follows.
My journey
Replace narrative labels with Professional Experience or Relevant Experience.
What I know
Use Skills or Technical Skills and support important items in bullets.
About me
Use Professional Summary when brief context genuinely helps the target application.
Your pre-submission checklist
Run through these checks on the final exported file, not only inside the editor.
- Standard section names
- Headings formatted consistently
- Experience clearly separated from projects
- Certifications and licenses labeled
- No heading conveyed only by color
- Sections ordered for the target role
Use the complete ATS workflow
Good formatting protects the content. Tailoring makes the content relevant.
Start with ATS-friendly resume templates, check structure with the ATS resume checker, then compare your evidence to the posting with the resume job-match tool.
Frequently asked questions
Keep exploring
Free tools that show you exactly where your resume stands before you apply.
Check the resume, then check the match
Review structure first, then compare your real experience with the role before you apply.