Tables, graphics, icons and images – Page 3

They can. Photos, logos, background images and high-resolution graphics can make a resume many times larger than a text-only file, and some portals set upload limits or struggle with large files.

How to keep the file small:

• Remove images that do not add information.
• If a photo is required, compress it before inserting.
• Export as a standard PDF rather than a "high quality print" version with embedded images.

A text-based, single-page or two-page resume is usually small and uploads quickly. Check the portal's stated limit if you are unsure.

Yes. Screen readers, used by people with visual impairments, read text aloud. Icons, skill bars, charts and images usually have no description, so the information they carry is lost, and decorative symbols may be read out as confusing words.

A text-based resume is easier for everyone:

• Recruiters who use screen readers can hear all your details.
• The same clarity helps software that reads text.

If you include an image for a reason, such as a photo an employer requested, add a short description (alt text) if your tool allows it. But the simplest accessible resume is one where everything important is written in words.

They might. Many recruiters print in black and white, where light colours fade, coloured shapes turn grey, and white text on a coloured background can become hard or impossible to read.

To check:

• Print a copy in black and white, or use your printer's greyscale preview.
• Make sure every word is still clear.
• Check that headings still stand out through bold or size, not only colour.

A resume that relies on colour for meaning, such as coloured skill levels, loses that meaning in print. Plain words survive any printer.

Light shading applied as a paragraph background is usually fine, because the text stays in the main body. The risk comes when the "box" is actually a text box or a drawn shape with text placed on it, which software may read separately.

How to tell:

• If you can click the text and type normally within the document flow, it is likely paragraph shading.
• If a frame or handles appear around it, it is a text box or shape.

Keep shading light so the text remains readable in print, and test the PDF with a copy-and-paste check.

The single-column templates, such as ATS Classic or ATS Professional, are the safest default for applicant tracking systems. Two-column layouts are labelled as more complex.

Other things that help in the builder:

• The PDF is text-based, so the text can be selected and copied, with standard headings.
• Photos are not supported in the PDF, keeping the header simple.
• All templates are free to use and preview, so you can compare before choosing.

After choosing, preview the resume and, once downloaded, try copying the PDF text into a plain editor to see how it reads. The free ATS-readiness check gives an internal estimate of structure and completeness, not an employer's score.

They can be. Skill tags, where each skill sits in a small rounded coloured box, are often made with shapes or tables. The text may still be readable, but it can come out jumbled or with extra spaces and symbols when extracted.

Plain alternative:
"Skills: Figma, Adobe XD, User research, Wireframing, Usability testing"

If your template creates tags automatically, test the PDF by copying the text into a plain editor. If each skill appears cleanly, separated by spaces or commas, the tags may be fine. If not, switch to a plain list.

Write the client names instead. Logos are images that software cannot read, and using clients' logos in your own document may not be appropriate without permission.

Text version:
"Selected clients: [Hotel Group], [Retail Brand], [Real Estate Developer]"

Also check that you are allowed to name clients; some contracts include confidentiality terms. If so, describe them instead: "a leading UAE hotel group". A portfolio site, with client permission, is the better place for logos and visuals.

No. A full-page background colour or texture uses printer ink, can reduce contrast, and may come out oddly when the file is converted or previewed. It does not help software read your content and can make text harder for people to read.

Stick to a white background with dark text. Add personality through a single accent colour in headings or lines, a good font and clear layout.

If you have used a background image or colour, remove it and check that the PDF still looks balanced.

Yes, for two reasons. First, the sidebar is often a shape or table, which software may read out of order or separately from the main content. Second, if the dark background is lost in a plain text preview, a black-and-white print or a conversion, the white text can become invisible.

Safer options:

• Move sidebar content, such as contact details and skills, into the main single column.
• Use dark text on a white background throughout.

If you keep the sidebar, test it with a copy-and-paste check and a black-and-white print before applying.

Decorative footer graphics, such as coloured bars or patterns, add nothing and may be read oddly or ignored. Some systems also handle headers and footers differently from the main body, so do not put important information there.

Keep the footer simple:

• A page number and your name on multi-page resumes, if you like.
• No images, patterns or contact details that appear only there.

Make sure your contact details are in the main body at the top of page one, so they are read even if the footer is skipped.

No. Saving as PDF keeps the layout, including tables, text boxes and columns. The text is still arranged in the same structure, so a system reading the PDF can face the same reading-order issues.

What does help:

• Remove tables and text boxes in the Word file first.
• Then save as a text-based PDF.
• Check by copying the PDF text into a plain editor.

Also make sure you use "Save as PDF" or "Export to PDF", not "Print to image" or a scan, which would turn the whole resume into a picture.

Write it in your summary instead. A large number inside a graphic may be read as a stray number or not at all, and it is more convincing in context.

Example: "Facilities manager with over 10 years running maintenance for commercial towers and hotels in the UAE."

Some applicant tracking systems estimate experience from your job dates, so make sure those dates are clear and consistent. A graphic cannot replace them.

Use simple lines of text with a label and a colon. They look just as tidy and are easier for software to read.

Example:
"Personal Details
Nationality: Indian
Visa status: Employment visa, transferable
Driving licence: UAE light vehicle
Notice period: 30 days"

Only include details that are relevant and that you are comfortable sharing. Many international employers do not expect items such as marital status or date of birth, so check what the employer or country expects.

Re-export it as a PDF with real text, or rebuild it in a text-based template. An image-only file cannot be read by applicant tracking systems at all, so your application may arrive looking blank to the software.

How to check and fix:

• Open the PDF and try to select a word. If you cannot, it is an image.
• In the design app, choose the standard PDF export option rather than PNG, JPG or a flattened PDF.
• Re-check by selecting and copying the text.

If the app cannot export real text, move your content into a resume builder or word processor.

Opinions vary, but many recruiters prefer clean, easy-to-scan resumes. They want to find your current title, key skills and results quickly, and heavy graphics can slow them down.

What most recruiters appreciate:

• Clear headings and plenty of white space.
• Readable fonts and consistent formatting.
• Results written in words and numbers.

Some creative employers enjoy a well-designed resume, but even then the content matters most. A tidy, single-column resume with one accent colour usually satisfies both readers and software.

No. Program logos, such as those for Excel, Photoshop or Python, are images, so the skill names may not be read by software. A recruiter searching for "Photoshop" would not find a logo.

Write the names instead:
"Software: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma"

Logos also raise questions about using trademarks in your own document. Plain names are clear, searchable and look professional.

No. A Gantt chart is an image that software cannot read, and a recruiter will not study it on a resume. Describe your planning skills and results in words.

Example bullet: "Planned and tracked a 14-month fit-out programme in MS Project, managing 120 activities and delivering on schedule."

If you want to show your planning work, bring a sample to the interview (with confidential details removed) or describe it in a portfolio or case study.

A simple list or grouped lines work better than a table. Tables can be read out of order, separating the equipment from the hours or licence details.

Example:
"Equipment
Excavators: CAT 320, Komatsu PC200 (5 years)
Wheel loaders: CAT 950 (3 years)
Licence: Heavy equipment operator licence, [Issuing Authority], valid until 2027"

This keeps each machine and its detail on one line, which is easy for recruiters and software to read. List only equipment you can operate safely without supervision.

Elements that do not hold information and do not change the reading order are generally safe. Keep design simple and let text carry everything that matters.

Usually safe:

• Bold, italics and slightly larger headings.
• One accent colour for headings or lines.
• Thin lines under headings, made as paragraph borders.
• Standard round bullets.
• Consistent spacing and margins.

Risky:

• Tables, text boxes, columns and sidebars holding content.
• Icons, logos, badges and photos.
• Skill bars, charts and infographics.
• Text inside shapes or images.

Products and employer settings differ, so the safest test is your own: copy the PDF text into a plain editor and check everything is there in order.

A simple rule of thumb: if removing an element would lose information, that information belongs in plain text. If removing it would only change the look, it is decoration, and a little decoration is fine.

The import reads the text in your PDF or Word file, in your browser, and you then check each imported section. Content held in graphics may not come through, so review carefully.

What to expect:

• Text in normal paragraphs usually imports well.
• Text inside images, logos, skill bars or charts cannot be read.
• Content in tables, text boxes or sidebars may arrive in the wrong section or order.
• Scanned, image-only PDFs have no text to read, and password-protected files cannot be imported.

After importing, compare with your original and re-type anything missing, such as skill levels as words. Files can be up to 5 MB.

Sometimes not. Many applicant tracking systems show recruiters a parsed text version of your resume or a profile built from it, alongside or instead of the original file. In that view, graphics, icons and colour usually disappear, and only the text remains.

What this means:

• Anything you show only through graphics may never be seen in that view.
• If text was in the wrong order, the parsed view shows it in that order.

Recruiters can often open the original file, but you cannot count on it. Make sure the text alone tells your full story.