You can have the best experience in the world, but if an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) cannot read your file, you effectively do not exist in the eyes of the company.
1. Multi-Column Layouts
While they look modern to human eyes, many older ATS systems read from left to right across the entire page. This mixes your first column with your second column, creating a jumbled mess of text that the system cannot categorize.
2. Skills in Graphic Bars
Never use "80% proficiency" bars or star ratings. An ATS cannot "read" a graphic. To the system, you have zero skills in those areas. Use plain text lists instead.
3. Headers Inside Images or Shapes
If your contact information or section headers are inside a shape or a text box, they are often invisible to the parser. Keep it simple, keep it clean, keep it text-based.