New Grads: Get Your Resume Past ATS
Without Years of Experience
Entry-level postings often use specific skills and role language. Our tools show which recognized terms are present or missing so you can make an informed, truthful revision; they do not predict a recruiter's decision.
9 free AI tools — keyword extractor requires no account
Why Entry-Level Resumes Fail ATS
It's not your qualifications. These are the specific reasons new grad resumes get filtered before a human reads them.
No work experience means fewer ATS keywords
ATS scores by keyword density. Internships, coursework, and projects use different vocabulary than full-time job descriptions. Without the right terms explicitly stated, your score stays low — even if you have the skills.
College resume formats fail ATS
Objective statements, multi-column layouts, decorative lines, and photo headers all break ATS parsers. The resume template your career center gave you may look professional but score zero in ATS systems.
Entry-level JDs still demand 10+ requirements
"Entry-level" doesn't mean ATS is lenient. Job descriptions for new grad roles still list 10–15 specific skills, tools, and qualifications. Missing 5 of them drops your score below the cutoff automatically.
3 Free Tools Built for New Grads
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Find recognized terms in the entry-level job description
Paste an English job description. Our NLP engine identifies taxonomy skills, tools, certifications, and role-specific terms — including ones you may genuinely have from coursework and projects but forgot to list.
Extract Keywords FreeTurn your coursework into ATS-friendly language
Our AI Summary Generator takes your experience — internships, projects, activities — and writes a professional summary using the same vocabulary as your target role. Paste your bullets and the job description, get a scored summary in seconds.
Generate SummaryFix the 15 formatting mistakes college resumes make
Run 15 text-based formatting checks on your resume. Columns, objective statements, tables, image headers, and inconsistent dates are flagged. Get a pass/fail on every rule with specific fix instructions.
Check ATS ComplianceFrequently Asked Questions
Can a new grad with no experience pass ATS?
Yes — ATS scores keyword match, not years of experience. A resume with the right keywords from coursework, internships, projects, and certifications can score above 70% even without full-time work history. The key is extracting the exact terms from each job description and ensuring they appear in your resume naturally.
What should I put on my resume if I have no work experience?
Relevant coursework, class projects with outcomes, internships (paid or unpaid), part-time jobs, extracurriculars in leadership roles, volunteer work, certifications, and academic competitions. ATS doesn't distinguish between job experience and project experience — it only looks for keywords. Describe your projects using the same vocabulary as the job description.
How should a new grad format their resume for ATS?
Single-column layout, standard section headings (Summary, Education, Experience or Projects, Skills), no tables, no graphics, no columns, no text boxes. Font size 10pt or larger. Contact info at the top. Consistent date formatting. Our ATS Compliance Checker runs 15 of these rules automatically and tells you exactly what to fix.
Should I include GPA on my resume for ATS?
GPA doesn't affect your ATS keyword score — ATS doesn't filter by GPA. But recruiters look for it manually if they're hiring from specific schools or programs. Include it (3.5+) under your Education section with a clear label. Don't put it in a header or sidebar where parsers might miss it.
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