Why was a section I have not detected?

The heading text has to be on its own line and match common wording closely. A heading merged into a paragraph, or an unusual label, will not be picked up.

Does section order matter to an ATS?

Most modern ATS software parses by heading, not position, so it rarely affects whether a resume is read. It matters more to the person reading it right after.

I am a career switcher with unrelated old experience - where should Education go?

This tool does not have a category for that case. Common advice is to lead with whatever is most relevant to the job you want, even if that means leading with a recent certification or project section instead of either Education or Experience.

Resume section order checker

Section order is a small thing that still shifts what a reader sees in the first ten seconds. Freshers usually lead with education, because it is their strongest evidence; experienced candidates lead with the work itself.

This looks for standard section headings - Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Projects, Certifications, Achievements - written as their own line, and reports the order it finds them in.

Sections detected

Paste your resume to check its order.

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

A line counts as a section heading if it is short (under 40 characters) and matches one of seven standard headings, such as "Experience" or "Work Experience".
The order shown is the order these headings appear top to bottom in what you pasted.
For a fresher, Education is expected above Experience. For someone with relevant work history, that is reversed.

What this does not cover

This only recognizes standard heading wording. A creative heading like "My Journey" instead of "Experience" will not be detected.
It checks the two sections most people ask about - Education and Experience - and does not have a strict opinion on where Skills, Projects or Certifications belong.
Section order is a convention, not a rule any ATS enforces. Treat a mismatch as a suggestion, not an error.

Questions people ask

Why was a section I have not detected?: The heading text has to be on its own line and match common wording closely. A heading merged into a paragraph, or an unusual label, will not be picked up.
Does section order matter to an ATS?: Most modern ATS software parses by heading, not position, so it rarely affects whether a resume is read. It matters more to the person reading it right after.
I am a career switcher with unrelated old experience - where should Education go?: This tool does not have a category for that case. Common advice is to lead with whatever is most relevant to the job you want, even if that means leading with a recent certification or project section instead of either Education or Experience.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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