There seems to be much confusion about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), specifically about how to format a resume so it doesn’t get lost in the digital abyss. Most people I’ve spoken to about ATS applications don’t know why they’re used or what they’re intended to do. The overall impression I’ve heard is negative and, in some cases, it’s seen by applicants as gatekeepers that block their resume or miss important skills and experience. What if I told you that an ATS can improve your chances of getting noticed by a hiring manager?

This week I want to talk about these systems and see if I can remove some of the confusion around their use and more importantly, help you to understand what an ATS-compliant resume is. 

What is the purpose of an ATS?

ATS applications were created to make it easier and faster for hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters to find qualified candidates for a job. These systems often help manage the entire hiring process from the creation of the job description to rejection or offer letters. Once integrated into an organization they can free up time for HR personnel and hiring managers to focus their attention on the top-rated applicants.

How does an ATS work?

The concept itself is quite straightforward. When an organization needs to hire an employee, a job posting is written (either within the ATS or separately) and placed on various job boards. When an application for the job is received, it’s uploaded into the ATS database and the ATS would then compare the skills and experience of the applicant as outlined on their resume and cover letter to the qualifications of the job. The hiring manager would then review these qualified applicants and arrange for interviews. This all seems simple right? Well, not quite, there’s a lot of workflow and configuration that needs to be set up in the system for it to really work well but that’s going to depend on a lot of other factors that are not relevant here and let’s be honest, most of you don’t really care about the details. What you really want to know is “How do I format my resume to get through this evil beast?”.

What information does an ATS look for?

An ATS scans your resume and cover letter, looking for key information that has been flagged as required within the job application it has on file. It looks for the appearance of keywords and key phrases, experience, job titles and other relevant requirements for the job. It will review the number of occurrences and where they occur in a resume and create a score based on a particular job description.

It sort of sounds like AI, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. AI in the form of workflow management and document scanning and review has been around for years. ATS applications use this technology to help reduce the number of tedious and repetitive tasks that a hiring manager must perform, freeing them up to spend more time with each one that meets the requirements.

What format should a resume be in to optimize the capabilities of an ATS?

An ATS resume should:

• Be text-based.
• Use a common font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
• Have standard font sizes, nothing overly small or overly large. 10-16pt is common.
• Use a black font colour. Coloured fonts may not be read properly.
• Avoid using headers. Instead, for the different sections, bold and capitalize them. This will help the system identify it as a section. Additionally, use standard labels for each section such as “WORK EXPERIENCE”, “PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE”, “SKILLS”, “EDUCATION”, Etc.
• Exclude images. An ATS can’t interpret images and certainly cannot read text embedded within an image. If you use a graph to show your experience, it won’t be read. Instead, if you want to show off your creative side, include a URL to your portfolio of work.
• Exclude tables or columns. There are some ATS applications that can in fact recognize a table or column, but some don’t and it’s better to be cautious and not include them. Instead, use bullet or numbered lists.
• Use full URLs instead of hyperlinks. Hyperlinks may not be interpreted properly by an ATS. A URL of anything you want to include such as a portfolio link, a product page or a company link will be uploaded as text and can easily be referenced later.

Does the length of my resume matter?

It does. Ideally, you want to keep it to 2 pages but if you need to go longer, you can. Keep in mind however that your resume is being uploaded into a database which may have some size limitations. The longer it is, the more chance of an ATS missing out on information due to the length.

Do soft skills matter?

Yes, they do, provided it’s a requirement of performing the job. I’ve read a lot of opinions about soft skills and whether they should be included in a resume. The bottom line on this is that you should include them. Jobs require them and hiring managers want to see them.

How does this help me get noticed?

If you’ve been following me and reading my previous newsletters, you may recall that I told you your resume is initially seen for about 15 – 20 seconds by a hiring manager. That’s not a lot of time and it’s easy to miss a qualified candidate. Additionally, with sometimes hundreds of resumes to go through, hiring managers often stop when they think they’ve reviewed enough to find someone good enough to fill the position. By including all the relevant information from the job description, in a clear, consistent and concise manner, an ATS application will be able to scan your resume and match your skills and experience properly with the job. That will help ensure that when the hiring manager pulls 10 resumes from the system to review, it won’t matter if yours is the 2nd or 200th application they received. If you’re one of the most qualified for the job there’s a better chance of them seeing it.

Summary

ATS applications don’t get a lot of love from job applicants. They’re often blamed for an applicant not getting an interview but the truth is that with a little understanding of how they work, what to include and how to include it, they can help you get noticed.

If you need help with your resume or want to understand more about ATS applications, feel free to contact me.