Why do well-qualified candidates fail the ATS?

The two biggest reasons are Formatting Issues and Missing Keywords. Complex layouts, tables, and images cannot be read by ATS parsers—they extract blank pages. Likewise, if the job requires "Search Engine Optimization" but your resume only lists "SEO", the bot won't recognize the skill.

Other common pitfalls include using obscure job titles, inconsistent date formats, and failing to include standard section headers like 'Experience' or 'Skills'.