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How To Beat Applicant Tracking System And Make ATS Friendly Resume

You may or may not have heard the term application tracking system before. This is a tried and testing method that many large employees use to improve the efficiency of their recruitment process.

Large corporations and well-known companies must sift through hundreds and even thousands of job applications and resumes when creating a job listing. This takes time and effort – it also pulls staff members away from other important duties. Therefore, things like application tracking software are used. To improve efficiency, and to sort through large volumes of job applications with minimal time and effort involved.

In this article we look at how an application tracking system test your resume, and why this software is used. Furthermore, and more importantly, we look at how you can beat such a system and greatly improve your chances of a successful job application.

What is an applicant tracking system?

An application tracking system is a piece of computer software that has many function. Its primary purpose is to server as a recruitment aid – helping companies pick the best possible candidates for their roles. It effectively emulates the process that a real recruiter or member of the HR team would take.

The main benefit is that it performs its functions at a fraction of the cost and time that a relative human employee could do.

What is the primary purpose of an applicant tracking system?

The primary purpose of an applicant tracking system is to filter out unsuitable candidates for jobs, and improve a company’s chances of selecting the best possible candidate for a job. This is achieved via a complex set of rules and algorithms based on various criteria relating to resumes and job applications.

In addition to this primary purpose, ATS software also provides the following benefits:

• Allow recruiters to keep the recruitment process organized
• Allow recruiters greater control and insight over the process
• Allow improved statistical analysis of recruitment

These systems offer a wealth of information that recruiters can use to their advantage. For example, a recruiter could look at an individual applicant through the system to see if they have applied for previous roles in the company, and how they progressed through the process.

Furthermore, recruiters can also read notes and stats that other recruiters have posted about applicants. For example, they could list the responses to different questions answered, and even aptitude test results.

Moreover, recruiters can use such a program to check on simple statistics like the total number of applicants for a job, and applicants in specific geographical locations.

Essentially, it is an advanced tool that has multiple uses.

How is ATS software used?

Now that you have greater insight into what tools like this are used for, you must understand how it is specifically used to sift through resumes and job applications. It works much in the same way as a recruiter would when sorting through resumes.

Instead of reading in-depth the whole resume, the software simply scans the document for phrases and words. These phrases and worlds have been pre-determined by the recruiters based on their requirements, the job role, and the company structure.

For example, a manufacturing company looking to hire a new production manager could set the ATS software to scan for words relating to management in a production environment.

The software can scan through hundreds of documents in a fraction of the time that a human could perform the same task. Moreover, it does not have an empathetic brain – it looks for specific words and phrases only – this can of course be turned to your advantage.

What is ATS compliant resume?

As you can see, ATS software follows certain patterns – we can use this to our advantage to create an ATS compliant resume.

An ATS optimized resume has been formatted and written in a certain way to maximize its chances of being successfully pulled by ATS software.

Out of the hundreds of job applications submitted, only 30% may be used and read by a recruiter using an ATS system. You could have a standout resume that would certainly earn you an interview or further consideration for a job role in any other company. However, if that resume wasn’t written and formatted in the correct way for a company using an ATS system, it would be discarded.

Therefore, an ATS compliant resume is an absolute must when dealing with this type of application process. If you produce a resume that is formatted correctly, includes relevant keywords, and utilizes the tips listed below, your chances of success are greatly improved.

How to beat applicant tracking systems?

This information might sound alarming to you – knowing that your resume and job application is being automatically processed without human interaction. You may also feel that this puts you at a disadvantage – how can computer software truly understand you as a person and see the things that could make you stand out as a candidate?

Fear not! There are many ways that you can overcome this issue and improve your chances of a successful job application, even when dealing with an automated system like this. The main three tips we can provide are how to write a resume, templates you can use, and standard formatting that is expected. We have described each pointed in greater detail below:

1. Writing – How to Write an ATS resume

Before even writing your resume, you must consider the following:

1. Identification of applicant tracking system.
2. Understand the common language used by the business.
3. Understand why you are qualified for the job.

Firstly, you must ascertain if the company is using such a system. In most instances, if an ATS is being used, you will be asked to login to a portal and create a unique ID and then upload your resume digitally using this portal. The main point is if you must create a unique ID – unique ID’s are by the software to identify each individual applicant.

Once you have confirmed usage on an ATS, you must then look at the business itself and what language it uses. A great starting point for this is the initial job application. Look at the words and language they have used to try to emulate this to a certain degree. It is likely the similar language and phrases are used to program the ATS software.

After this, you must look at your own qualifications and suitability for the role. Identify the specific qualities they are looking for. Moreover, identify any skillsets they require. For example, if the job requires someone who is proficient using Microsoft Excel, it is advisable to mention this in your resume – it is likely that Microsoft Excel is a key phrase for the ATS system.

Finally, ensure that your resume is complete and that you have filled out each section that is requested. If, for example, there is a section about your relevant skills, or interests – fill it out. The worse thing you can do is leave sections blank. If you leave a section blank, you risk the chance of the ATS system discarding your resume immediately.

2. Templates – ATS friendly resume template

Once you have done the above, you must then create a basic template for your resume. There is a host of useful templates available that you can use for free. As standard, we advise the following:

1. Use a reverse-chronological template
2. Save the resume as a PDF file
3. Use a simple layout and standardized template

A reverse-chronological template is widely used and recognized as one of the most effective for ATS applications. This type of template places emphasis on your work experience and places this first in your resume.

Unless stated otherwise, always save your resume as a PDF. PDF is the common file format for this type of software, and the file format that is most easily read.

Finally, try to keep your template simple and ensure that it has clearly defined sections with the correct headings and titles. We have given an example resume template below:

===========================================

John Doe
Business Development Manager
Professional business developer with 10 years’ experience in the development of manufacturing businesses. Involved in development of new business opportunities and product testing.

*Contact Details*

Skills

*Short one or two-word skill list most relevant to the role*

Work Experience

Job Role
Business
Dates worked
List of 4-5 main responsibilities relevant to the role

Job Role
Business
Dates worked
List of 4-5 main responsibilities relevant to the role

Education

*List of qualifications and educational institutes*

===========================================

This is a basic template and a potential layout that you could use – obviously we have not filled out the complete details. The important parts are the opening statement, and the skills – in these sections you can add keywords and utilize language that you think could be used in the ATS software.

In addition to the above, also consider the following sections after education, if applicable:

– Organizations
– Honors and Awards
– Conferences & Courses

3. Formatting – Resume format for ATS

Finally, formatting is extremely important. You must find a balance of utilizing the correct formatting, but not going overboard. Formatting your resume too much can prove detrimental and reduce the effectiveness of your documents. The following are some basic formatting tips you must utilize:

1. Do not use charts, boxes, and graphs – computer software find these difficult to read.
2. Use a simple font that is easy to read like Verdana, Tahoma, or Calibri.
3. Use a standard font size – ideally between 9-12pt.
4. Do not use headers, footers, or indents – information like this can easily be missed
5. Ensure your document has 100% perfect spelling and grammar
6. Use clear line breaks and breaks between different sections

Follow these formatting techniques and you have a much greater chance that your resume will be read successfully by the tracking software. Don’t forget that you can use our free resume review service to ensure that formatting and grammar are correct too!
We hope you have found this guide enlightening. The key to a successful job application is to create an ATS optimized resume. Moreover, you must understand exactly what this software is, how it works, and the implications it can have on your own resume etc.

Remember that you can use our free ATS resume scan if you are not confident that your own document will live up to the test. It is completely free to use and will check for common features that would be expected in a resume being processed by an applicant tracking system.