How to Get Your Resume Past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

You’ve spent hours crafting your perfect resume, but now it’s time to send it out into the universe. The problem is, that every company has its own unique application tracking system (ATS), and they don’t always play nice together. How do you get your resume past these pesky ATSs?

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are software programs designed to scan resumes and match them against job descriptions. They automate the entire hiring process, from screening applicants to sending offers to candidates.

A good way to get around ATSs is to create a custom resume template. This allows you to customize your resume to fit specific requirements without having to retype or rewrite your whole document.

Let’s talk about the applicant tracking system

An applicant tracking system (ATS), sometimes called a resume robot, is a tool used by employers to screen applicants’ resumes.

An ATS collects information from job seekers’ resumes and matches them against open positions within an organization. Once the ATS finds a match, it sorts the candidate’s resume into one of three piles: “no match,” “match,” or “best fit.”

This sorting process takes place behind the scenes, so you don’t see the final outcome. Afterward, the recruiter or hiring manager reviews each candidate’s resume and selects the best candidates for further consideration.

How do they work?

An applicant tracking system is a tool used by businesses to screen applicants. These tools allow recruiters to quickly find qualified candidates without having to manually sift through piles of paper resumes.

They do this by scanning and reviewing resumes and CVs, accepting job applications, and managing candidates looking for a suitable job within a company.

The following are the main features of an applicant tracking system:

• Candidate Sourcing

This feature allows recruiters to automatically source job seekers based on keywords and criteria selected by the employer. For example, a recruiter could set up an algorithm that looks for resumes containing specific terms such as “JavaScript developer” or “Python developer.” If the algorithm finds a match, it sends out a notification to the recruiter.

• Resume Storage

Once a candidate applies for a job, his/her information is stored in a database. When a recruiter needs to look for additional candidates, he/she simply accesses the database and pulls out the relevant resumes.

• Job Application Management

Recruiters can also upload a list of desired qualifications into the application management module. The system will then send out notifications to those who meet the requirements.

• Managing Candidates

After receiving a notification about a potential job opening, a candidate must log in to apply. He/she can either submit a CV directly or attach a document like a cover letter and resume.

The importance of optimizing your resume to get past ATS

Your resume is up against a ton of competition. When you submit a résumé to a hiring manager, there are hundreds of others vying for his or her attention. If you want to stand out among the crowd, you’re going to have to do something special.

Focusing only on adding keywords in an attempt to optimize a resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) won’t be enough to improve your chances of landing a job.

So what gives? How does an ATS know if your résumé is good enough to be considered for a job?

You might think that formatting your resume for the ATS is just like formatting your resume for a human reader. But there are some differences.

For example, the ATS doesn’t care about font size, spacing, margins, or indentation. All those things matter to humans. Also, the ATS ignores bullets, tables, headings, and graphics. 

Here are the three basic types of resumes:

1. Functional Resume

This type of resume focuses on skills and accomplishments. It lists professional experience and education, followed by a list of duties performed during employment.

2. Combination Resume

This type combines both functional and chronological information. It includes work history, education, and training. It also provides contact information.

3. Chronological Resume

This type contains only work history, education, training, and contact information. It does not include professional experience or accomplishments.

Which one is best for you depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re applying for a position where you’ll be working directly with people, then a combination resume is probably better.

On the other hand, if you’re applying for a technical role, then a functional resume is likely to help you stand out.

It’s important to make sure that your resume includes everything that you need in order to get hired. Fill it with all of the relevant information about yourself. Include every single item required by the employer.

How to write an optimized resume for ATS

The average time it takes recruiters to review a candidate’s application is about 10 minutes. If you want to increase your chances of getting hired, you need to make sure your resume stands out among the thousands of others that are submitted each day.

ATS systems use different criteria to determine whether or not they want to interview candidates further, including things like education, work history, skills, references, etc.

A good resume includes keywords that match the position you’re applying for and makes use of bullets to break down your experience into short paragraphs. Avoid including too much unnecessary information unless it directly relates to the job description.

Here are some tips to help you craft a winning resume:

• Use keywords. Make sure your resume contains words that match the job posting. For example, if you’re looking for a marketing manager position, include “marketing,” “social media,” “email campaigns,” and “advertising.”

• Include keywords within your bullet points. This helps readers quickly scan your resume and find relevant career highlights.

• Don’t overuse adjectives. Instead of saying something like “responsible,” say “responsible for managing projects.”

• Keep your text concise. Your resume shouldn’t contain more than one full paragraph per section.

Conclusion

Your resume can be your most powerful tool when you apply for new opportunities. However, many applicants struggle to put together a resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers.

In this article, we’ve explained how to make sure your resume can get past ATS to help you stand out from the competition. We hope this guide has helped you improve your chances of securing the next great opportunity!

If you find yourself struggling with using keywords to properly optimize your resume, our team of experts can definitely help you with crafting an ATS-friendly resume.