ATS Tips

If you’ve applied to a job online, you’ve probably encountered an applicant tracking system (ATS). With so many applicants, almost all organizations use some type of ATS to vet resumes. 

An ATS can help employers narrow down viable candidates based on resume keywords. Ultimately people (not software) will hire an employee. So, if you’re applying to jobs online, it is important that your resume appeals to both an ATS and a human.

Contact Information

Place your name and contact information within the document. Do not put your name or contact information within a header section because some ATS do not scan header content. 

Caution: a resume scanned by an ATS that does not have a name or contact information may be discarded.

Formatting

Most font styles are compatible with ATS. Using bold, italics, and shading can be read by ATS. An ATS can read the content within a table. However, it is best to use a table with only one row because the ATS may jumble multiple column content.

Caution: ATS will ignore charts, graphs, and text box content within a resume. 

Keywords

Include keywords within the resume content to match job description keywords. Some ATS systems will search for keywords in the experience section to validate the number of years of experience a person has been using a particular skill. 

Caution: Use keywords in context with your experience and accomplishments. Loading keywords into a resume to get through an ATS will typically result in weak content that will be disregarded when read by a hiring manager. 

Resume Submission

If an online application only accepts one file to be uploaded for a job, and you could not upload your cover letter, then create one file that starts with the resume content first, followed by the cover letter. Leading with the resume content can boost keyword matching.  

Need assistance with your resume development or job search process? Contact me.