Choose a clean, professional template that highlights technical leadership and project delivery. Use a reverse-chronological layout so your most recent geophysical projects and leadership roles appear first.
Keep length to one page if you have under 10-12 years experience. Use two pages only when you have many directly relevant projects, publications, or multi-year field programs to show.
Pick ATS-friendly fonts like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond. Use 10-12pt for body text and 14-16pt for headings. Keep margins at least 0.5 inches and add white space between sections for quick scanning.
Structure your document with clear headings: Contact, Summary, Experience, Projects, Technical Skills, Education, Certifications. Use bullet lists under roles to show measurable outcomes, like survey size, budgets, and team counts. Start bullets with strong verbs and include numbers where you can.
Avoid fancy layouts that use multiple columns, text boxes, or heavy graphics. Those often confuse ATS and slow reviewers. Keep color minimal and use bold or small caps for section titles instead.
Common mistakes include cluttered headers, vague job descriptions, and inconsistent date formats. Don't mix fonts or use special characters for bullets. Check alignment and run a plain-text test to see how an ATS reads your file.