A resume in this format eschews formatting like bolding, italics, underlines, tables, and special characters. It uses only standard ASCII characters, ensuring compatibility across various computer systems and applicant tracking systems (ATS). A sample might include contact information followed by sections for work experience, education, and skills, each separated by clear line breaks and consistent spacing.
This simple approach offers several advantages. It maximizes compatibility with ATS software, which often struggles to parse complex formatting. This unformatted style also guarantees the document will render correctly regardless of the recipient’s operating system or software. Historically, before graphically rich word processors became commonplace, this was the standard way to submit resumes, and its continued relevance speaks to its fundamental utility.