All about ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

“Up to 75% of resumes do not pass the ATS."

What is ATS?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment and hiring needs. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online at the enterprise- or small-business levels, depending on the organization's needs; free and open-source ATS software is also available.

The Benefits of ATS:

1. ATS is not limited to data mining and collection; ATS applications in the recruitment industry include the ability to automate the recruitment process through a defined workflow.

2. ATS is analyzing and coordinating recruitment efforts – managing the conceptual structure known as human capital. Candidates may be identified via pre-existing data or through information garnered through other means. This data is typically stored for search and retrieval processes. Some systems have expanded offerings, including off-site encrypted resume and data storage, which are often legally required by equal opportunity employment laws.

3. ATS may also be referred to as talent acquisition and management products and are often provided via an application service provider or software as a service.

4 Steps to Create an ATS-Compliant Resume:

1. Keep it simple

A) Could you make sure your resume format is straightforward? The ATS software cannot read and understand images, graphics or borders. These will confuse the system, and your resume is likely to be rejected as a result.

B) Avoid special characters and fancy fonts, likely confusing the computer program.

C) Standard fonts (Arial, Tahoma, and Verdana are safe choices) of a reasonable size are best. Non-standard spacing can also throw off the ATS.

D) Templates must be avoided, as many are not compliant with ATS systems.

E) Standard Word documents are recommended as many ATS systems cannot read PDF and JPG formats.

F) The same applies to tables, columns and text boxes; any information included in these will not be read.

G) Traditional bullet points are acceptable but creative symbols like arrows can cause a problem for the ATS.

2.?Stick to the standard resume headings

A) Some ATS programs cannot read header and footer information, so do not include your contact information in those sections.

B) List your contact information at the top of the document. Some ATS systems use geographical areas as a filter, so include your zip code in your contact details.

C) Stick to standard resume headings, including Profile, Summary, Objective, Work Experience, Education, Skills, and Certifications. If you use unusual or creative headings, the ATS may miss the information in that section.

D) Start with your profile or summary, then your work experience. Present the information for each previous employer in the same order. Organize your work experience with the most recent job first.

3. Include the right ATS resume keywords

A) ATS searches for specific, job-related keywords that the employer has chosen.

B) Your resume needs to contain enough of these keywords to get past the robots.

C) These are usually keywords that were used in the job posting, job description and applicant requirements. Please take a look at these documents and highlight the essential keywords to include in your resume.

D) Keywords can be nouns or short phrases describing skills, abilities, knowledge, education, training and work experience.

E) If the job posting does not provide sufficient detail to determine the relevant keywords the ATS might use, analyze listings for the same job title on different job search sites.

F) Refrain from over-stuffing your resume with keywords, as the ATS will see this as spam. Could you create a resume that works by adding the right keywords organically to your resume?

D) Contextualize the keyword by demonstrating its relevance to your work history or education.

E) The system analyzes the keyword's depth and type of experience.?For example, if a keyword is "Excel," this word needs to be framed by a description that clearly articulates your expertise with Excel.

F) Include only relevant information, listing only those job skills, qualifications and achievements that apply to the job you are applying for.

G) This highlights the need to customize your resume for each job opportunity.

4. Include job-specific terminology

A) The ATS is set to search for professional and industry-specific terminology, buzzwords, abbreviations, and acronyms.

B) Go through the job listing to identify the types of terminology and jargon that have been used.

C) Could you include these, where applicable, in your resume? I think this should be done naturally and should make sense within the context of your resume information.

Why are resumes rejected by the ATS, even if the candidate is well qualified to do the job?

A) The ATS cannot read your resume correctly because you have included graphics, images, fancy fonts, or tables. Keep your fonts and format clean and simple. Use a WORD or TEXT FILE rather than a PDF format.

B) The ATS reads your resume according to the information it finds under a specific heading. These include profiles, skills, work experience, qualifications, and certifications. Use these standard headings rather than creative headings, or that section may need to be read.

C) The ATS searches for keywords related to the specific job opportunity. To pass this screening, the resume must contain sufficient keywords. Could you study the job posting to determine the keywords likely to be used by the ATS?

D) The ATS looks for a job and industry-specific jargon and terminology. Include job-relevant jargon and industry lingo, and abbreviations in your resume. When using acronyms, spell them out in full and include the acronym at the end; for example, Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

- Nastaran Sadeghi, HR Professional