Hiring managers and HR professionals are busy people, especially those who work for larger organizations and hire for multiple roles at once. That’s why many now rely on application tracking systems (ATS) to streamline the hiring process.
These automated screening tools can quickly review applications and help hiring managers find the most relevant and qualified candidates.
Although this can be extremely useful for busy companies, with an average job receiving 118 requests, it also means professionals looking for their next job need to tick a few more boxes. You’re no longer writing just for the recruiter, now you have to pass your applications to the bots first.
So, if you haven’t been on the job hunt in a while or you’re finding that you’re not having much luck with your existing applications, here are five insider secrets to making sure your resume passes the ATS test.
Use keywords
One of the key tips for writing a solid resume is to use keywords throughout. This is because an ATS will scan and examine your application for predefined keywords and phrases related to the role or industry.
But rather than just listing the key skills that are described in the job description, you need to make sure that these keywords are found throughout the text.
It’s also a good idea to give content to your keywords and elaborate on them whenever possible. For example, instead of simply listing “project management” or “delegation,” you could say:
Manage the company’s ‘Learn by Doing’ project, overseeing a team of 15 employees and delegating tasks to ensure all targets are met or exceeded.
This is because an ATS is more likely to approve a resume that includes keywords throughout the text. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a core skills section, but don’t let that be the only place you include those important keywords.
Expand acronyms or abbreviations
Following on from this first tip, it’s important to explain what acronyms or abbreviations mean when they first appear on your resume.
So, let’s say you’re an SEO expert, the first time you mention it on your resume it should say search engine optimization (SEO), followed by the acronym in parentheses. Then, if you mention it again later in the text, just use the acronym.
By doing this, you will increase the chances of your resume hitting all the necessary ATS keywords.
Before you get to the recruiter, you need to get your applications past the bots.
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Think about the header and footer
When creating your resume, you need to make the most of every inch of precious space. Because of this, many professionals will include information in the header and/or footer, such as their name, contact details or social media profiles.
While this may work when applications are being reviewed by people, it does not work for an ATS. Some platforms will have difficulty reading and parsing any information placed within the header and/or footer. This could mean that important information is not visible, so it is better to leave them blank or minimize the information in these sections.
Make your resume easy to read
Remember that your resume should appeal to both bots and humans, and it should be easy for both sides to read and digest. So while you should still use catchy language to grab the recruiter’s attention, it’s also a good idea to use concise and direct language that a machine can quickly scan.
In addition to focusing on making your text readable, you should limit the amount of unique formatting you use. So think carefully before using charts, tables, boxes, charts or other design elements, as they can confuse the ATS and mean it misreads or ignores important details.
The final tip to make your resume easier to read is to save and send it in the right format. PDFs and Word documents are the most common types of documents used, so it’s best to keep them to preserve the format of your resume.
It’s also worth checking if the job description or platform specifies what file type is used, as this can be very helpful. So please read all information carefully before submitting.
Tailor your resume to each job
Last but not least, it is very important that you tailor each resume to the specific role and company you are applying to. For one thing, recruiters can spot a generic resume a mile away and it doesn’t look very professional.
But more than that, you need to customize your resume for each post to make sure it gets through the ATS. This is because, as we said above, the company will program the ATS to look for specific words or phrases in the job description.
If you didn’t include enough of these keywords and phrases in your application, you could be passed over for a role you’re more than qualified for, just because you submitted a generic resume.
So there you have it, five insider secrets that could be the difference between losing your application in cyberspace or securing your next interview.
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