Small details in a job application influence a recruiter’s perception of a candidate. Attention to professional formatting and grammar signals a commitment to quality work. This article clarifies when the ampersand (&) symbol should be used on a resume and when it should be avoided.
The Standard Rule: Avoid Ampersands on Your Resume
The definitive best practice is to avoid using the ampersand (&) in nearly all professional descriptions and bullet points. A resume is a formal business communication document requiring a high level of written formality. The preferred alternative is always to spell out the conjunction “and” completely. Using the full word maintains a formal and structured appearance throughout the document, applying universally whether describing responsibilities, skills, or achievements. This simple choice reinforces the professional tone you want to convey to potential employers.
Why Ampersands Undermine Professionalism and ATS Compatibility
The use of the ampersand compromises the professional tone of a resume, suggesting shorthand or lazy writing. This symbol is associated with informal contexts like text messages or internal company memos, not a formal application for employment. Substituting a symbol for a word can be interpreted as a lack of attention to detail.
This symbol also introduces a technical risk when a resume is processed by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). ATS software parses a resume by converting the document into a searchable text profile and mapping the data into specific fields. Although modern ATS platforms have improved capabilities, special characters like the ampersand can still cause parsing errors or misinterpretation. If an ampersand is used in a key skill or job duty, the system may fail to index the entire phrase correctly, potentially filtering the resume out of a recruiter’s search results for that specific term. The system might recognize “Project Management & Budgeting” but only index “Project Management” or simply fail to include the entire string in its keyword search, meaning your application does not appear when a recruiter searches for “Budgeting” expertise.
Key Exceptions: When the Ampersand is Necessary
There are specific circumstances where the ampersand is required to maintain accuracy and context. The primary exception is when the symbol is an official part of a formal, legally registered entity name. Examples include company names like “Procter & Gamble” or “Johnson & Johnson,” where changing the spelling would be incorrect. The symbol is also acceptable when it is a universally recognized component of an industry term or a formal department title. This includes standard abbreviations such as “R&D” for Research and Development or official department names like “Marketing & Communications.” In these specific cases, the ampersand should be preserved exactly as it appears in the official title or name.
Broader Punctuation and Symbol Mistakes to Clean Up
Beyond the ampersand, job seekers often make other punctuation and symbol choices that detract from a resume’s professional presentation. Inconsistency is a common mistake, particularly with the use of periods at the end of bullet points; the best approach is to choose whether to use them or not and apply that choice uniformly across all sections. If a bullet point is a complete sentence, a period is grammatically correct, but if it is a sentence fragment, a period should be omitted, so many writers choose to remove all periods for a cleaner look.
Another area that requires careful attention is the use of acronyms and abbreviations, which can confuse an ATS if not handled properly. To ensure keyword compatibility, terms should be spelled out in full the first time they appear, with the acronym placed immediately after in parentheses, such as “Certified Public Accountant (CPA)”. The percent sign (%) should also be used with discipline, as it is occasionally misinterpreted by older ATS versions, though it is generally safer to use when stating a precise, numerical metric. Finally, extraneous symbols, such as ellipses (…), excessive dashes, or non-standard quotation marks, should be removed entirely, as they clutter the document and add no value to the professional narrative.