How to get your resumes beat the ATS software

Applicant Tracking System commonly known as ATS, this software helps the recruiters to automate the recruitment process. ATS software makes the recruitment process fast and straightforward for the recruiters by maintaining the candidate database, posting job requirements, parsing their resumes.

Nowadays, recruiters are using free applicant tracking system to make their efficient hiring .95% of Fortune 500 companies currently use an Applicant tracking system to manage their recruitment process.

This software is helping hand for the recruiters to receive hundreds of applications per job posting. While ATS can also used for sourcing candidates, scheduling interviews, sending email alerts to candidates, maintaining database & candidate pipeline.

How ATS work?

ATS collect and store resume pieces of information in a database. Some Applicant tracking software automatically rank the applications based on the job description. Or recruiter can search for a resume using the required skills. Even when searching manually, the hiring manager will use keywords to find the relevant resume. If your resume is not optimized for keywords, HRs will never know how deserving candidate you are!

If your resume is not ATS optimized, it will never reach to recruiters in the first place, let alone your fancy presentation.

How to make your resume ATS optimized?

To make your resume pass all the ATS algorithm, you need to keep the following points in mind.

Use proper keywords

ATS software ranks applications based on specific algorithms and search query.

Analyze some job descriptions for the interested job posting and find the standard and repeating keywords. You can include the keywords in Qualification, skills and the previous experience section on the resume.

Replace “Career Objective” with “Qualification Summary.”

Using career objective in your resume is not a good idea, neither it makes sense because no one will read the boring paragraph and it’s a waste of space in resume. So instead, use a qualification summary which has essential keywords that suits the job role you are applying.

By adding the essential keywords, your resumes will pass the ATS and recruiter will also get to know your value.

Don’t display essential details in the header and footer

ATS generally don’t consider the header and footer and focus on the resume body. Some people place contact information in the header and footer, which will typically be ignored by the Applicant tracking. So, please avoid this and put your essential information like- contact number, Email ID, Name, etc. outside the header and footer.

Create a simple resume [avoid images or graphs]

The images, graphics, or charts in a resume look pleasant to human eyes, but ATS is unable to read or identify them. In case, if you have placed them, ATS will neglect them, and all this knowledge will also get ignored. So skirt using images and graphics and make your resume look easy.

Resume should be properly formatted

The content of your resume should be very well-formatted throughout the resume. Formatting is essential. Select a format that will make your title stand out.

Use spelling check

Spelling mistakes in your resume is not only a major turn-off, but an ATS will also neglect the resume if the software doesn’t understand the content.

Also, a spelling mistake can lead to quick rejection, even if your resume did passes the Applicant tracking system. Using Grammar check tools would be recommended.

Use text format

Many free applicant tracking system won’t parse PDF or other file formats of resume such as JPEG, etc. So, your entire resume will be neglected by ATS software. Using word (.doc or .docx) or text (.txt) file formats are highly recommended.

Do not over-optimize your resume for ATS

Using keywords in the resume is a useful optimization technique which helps your resume to pass the ATS and to the recruiter directly.

But using the same keywords in resume multiple times will make your resume spammy to ATS software and the recruiter.

Use basic fonts

Many ATS software does not understand fancy font and would reject them if present on the resume. Using basic system fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, etc. are recommended.

All these tips will help you to make your resume to beat ATS and look professional.