A lot of resumes look great.
Clean icons, stylish graphics, skill bars, side columns, fancy tables — visually, they can feel more modern and impressive than a plain Word document.
But when it comes to ATS, the real question is not does it look good?
It is can the system read it properly?
And that is where many resumes run into trouble.
If you are applying through job portals or company websites, your resume will usually be scanned first. So before you focus on design, it helps to know how an ATS scanner or ATS resume checker actually reads your file.
The short answer
Tables and graphics can work sometimes, but they are not always safe.
Modern ATS scanner is better than they used to be, but not every company uses the same system. Some scanners handle structured formatting well. Others still struggle with:
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tables
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text boxes
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sidebars
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icons
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images
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charts
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graphics
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multi-column layouts
So if your resume depends too much on design, there is always a risk that ATS will miss important information.
That is why simpler resumes usually perform better.
Why this matters
Most job seekers assume that if a resume opens properly on their laptop, ATS will read it the same way.
It often does not.
An ATS is not looking at your resume the way a human recruiter does. It is trying to extract information like:
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your name
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contact details
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job titles
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skills
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dates
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education
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certifications
If that information is trapped inside a graphic, hidden in a text box, or split awkwardly across columns, the scanner may not understand it correctly.
And if the scanner cannot read it properly, your match quality drops.
Do tables work in ATS?
Sometimes, but they are still risky.
Tables may look neat when you want to organise:
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skills
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contact details
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project summaries
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educational details
But some ATS resume checker can read table content in the wrong order, skip parts of it, or break the formatting while parsing.
For example, if your skills are placed inside a table, the system might not extract them the way you intended. A recruiter may still see them later, but if ATS misses them first, that can affect your shortlist chances.
Better option
Instead of tables, use:
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plain bullet points
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line-by-line sections
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simple headings
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clean spacing
That gives the same clarity without the parsing risk.
Do graphics work in ATS?
In most cases, no.
Graphics may make a resume look attractive, but ATS generally cannot “read” visual elements the way humans can.
This includes:
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skill bars
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rating stars
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icons
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charts
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logos
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infographics
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profile photos
For example, if you show “SEO” using a graphic bar that says 90%, ATS may only detect the word SEO — or sometimes not even that, depending on the format.
And things like icons for phone number, email, or LinkedIn can also be risky if they replace plain text labels.
Better option
Write information in plain text.
For example:
Phone: 98XXXXXXXX
Email: yourname@email.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourname
Simple is much safer.
What ATS usually likes best
An ATS resume checker generally performs best with resumes that are:
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single-column
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text-based
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clearly sectioned
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easy to parse
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free from heavy design elements
That means standard sections like:
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Professional Summary
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Skills
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Work Experience
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Education
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Certifications
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Projects
These are easier for ATS scanners to understand and easier for recruiters to skim as well.
What happens when ATS struggles with design
If your resume has too many formatting elements, a few things can go wrong:
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contact information may get misplaced
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dates may appear in the wrong place
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job titles may separate from company names
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skills may not get extracted correctly
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keywords may be missed
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sections may appear out of order
This does not always happen, but when it does, it weakens your application without you even realising it.
That is why many people use an ATS scanner before applying — not because their resume looks bad, but because they want to make sure the system is reading it correctly.
Are all modern templates bad?
Not at all.
A resume does not need to look boring. It just needs to be readable.
You can still make it look polished by using:
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clean fonts
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consistent spacing
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bold headings
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simple lines
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enough white space
The goal is to keep the design professional without making ATS work too hard.
So the issue is not “design vs no design.”
The issue is “readable design vs risky design.”
Use ResuScan to Test ATS Compatibility of Tables and Graphics
If you’re unsure whether your resume design is helping or hurting your chances, ResuScan can give you a clear answer. Instead of relying on guesswork, you can check how an ATS scanner actually reads your resume—especially if it includes tables, icons, or graphics.
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Scans resumes across 40+ ATS factors: ResuScan checks formatting issues like tables, images, font size, keyword placement, measurable impact, and repetition—areas where design-heavy resumes often fail
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Real performance insights from data: Out of 7 lakh+ resumes scanned (716,778), around 64% score below 50, often due to formatting and ATS readability issues
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Highlights hidden parsing problems: It shows if your content inside tables or graphics is being skipped or misread by ATS resume checker systems
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Helps improve ATS score effectively: Only 5% of resumes cross 80+, and those are more likely to get shortlisted faster
With 3.8 lakh+ users (381,713), ResuScan helps you optimize your resume for both machines and recruiters. Since recruiters spend just 6–8 seconds per resume and over 90% of companies use ATS, testing your resume format becomes essential—especially if you’re using modern templates with tables or visuals.
Safer alternatives to tables and graphics
If you want a resume that still feels polished, here are better options:
Instead of skill bars, use a simple skills list
Instead of icons, use plain text labels
Instead of tables, use bullet points
Instead of side columns, use one clear main column
Instead of graphics, use strong wording and clean structure
A well-written resume always performs better than a stylish resume that ATS cannot read.
Final thoughts
Tables and graphics do not always fail ATS, but they are not the safest choice either.
If you are serious about getting shortlisted, it is better to choose a resume format that an ATS scanner can read easily. A simple, clean, text-first layout gives you fewer risks and better compatibility across different systems.
So yes, your resume should look professional.
But it should also be readable by machines before it is admired by humans.
That is why when in doubt, plain and clear usually wins.