ATS — Making it A Touch Simpler

Authored by: Erin Nourijanian (in collaboration with: Zeke Hughes and & We Rally)

Let me start by saying: I am by no means an “ATS expert.

Let me follow with: I'm certainly not an “HR expert.

With that said, however: 

• I am one of the many millions of people that have been laid off due to this worldwide pandemic.
• I am a firm believer that it’s incredibly important to understand where a person has been in order to best understand where they’re going.

This is — unfortunately — not my first time being laid off. In 2017, I was laid-off due to a company buy-out. Not an ideal situation, but I managed through it.

I have observed two major differences between my experience a few years ago and now:

Network:

I have vastly expanded my network since 2017. I realized just how important this element of the search was when I didn’t have it available to me during my first turn. I saw it as an area for growth and development, and decided to focus much of my time and energy over the past few years on strengthening my connections. This has helped me in so many ways — I now have a team of people looking out for me and willing to connect with me when I need it most. It also has forced me to continuously think of the exchange of value in each of my relationships: “what value can I offer to my network?” 

This has helped me to grow my career, my discipline, and my mindset, which has helped me to feel confident in this current search.

The Marketplace:

The single biggest difference for me this time has been the marketplace. Once the land of opportunity (read: a candidate’s market), the market has now shifted. Jobs have become scarce and there is a major imbalance on the scales of supply & demand.

There are significantly more candidates out of work and far less potential job opportunities. To the untrained eye, navigating this landscape would seem impossible.

I have broken down this article into two parts:

1. Making ATS "A Touch Simpler"
2. Other tips that have made my search "A Touch Simpler"

1. Making ATS "A Touch Simpler"

Over the past few weeks, I have spent time addressing my “new normal” head on. I wanted to see how I might optimize my own search process. With a strong(er) network in place, and a tremendous amount of confidence in my experience and skill-set, I wondered:

What can I learn this time around that can help better address my search?

What am I missing?

ATS stands for Application Tracking System

Sounds simple enough. I wish it was as simple as it sounds - a system that tracks applications for hiring managers. Instead, this simple sounding tracking system has confused me, kept me up late nights trying to figure out its algorithms, and has developed me into something of a professional resume writer.

So, I decided to take this process into my own hands. Over the past few weeks, I decided to research ATS in hopes of uncovering some hacks to the system and identify ways I could give myself an advantage for my own search.

Below is a short list (according to Jobscan.com) of the most popular ATS systems:

Workday; Jazz HR; Greenhouse; Breezy; Jobvite; Ultipro; Taleo; iCIMS

Considering the vast number of systems in the marketplace, and the rules one needs to follow to optimize your resume for it, I thought I would share what I’ve learned.

ATS systems automatically parse your resume , so follow these rules:

Format matters more than design.

• Don’t use a complicated font (Arial or Times New Roman work best)
• Don’t use a multi-column format (Most systems cannot tell the difference) 
• Use classic headings (now is not the time to be quirky with formatting)
• Avoid headings that are not traditionally found on resumes
• Don’t use icons or emojis
• Avoid acronyms as much as possible (i.e., Bachelors of Science; not: B.S.)
• Have a clear, easy to read, document title (i.e., FIRST NAME_LAST NAME.doc) 
• Ensure it is a .doc (only some ATS can read PDF; many don’t read JPEG)

Tailor your resume.

• Use keywords from the job description so they match up in the ATS
• Make sure your resume highlights key metrics (example below)
• “Drove the strategy that created x% revenue growth year over year”
• Metrics are picked up throughout the ATS and scored favorably

Knock outs.

• If the job description requires 10 years of experience and you only have 8 years of experience, ATS may knock you out of contention
• HR has the ability to determine specific knock outs foreach posted role, so if you don’t meet the specific qualifications (or, if HR decided to include knock out questions within the actual application), that may be the reason you are getting a computerized automated rejection. So if you’re going through an ATS, try to apply for roles you are qualified for.

Rankings.

• My understanding is: “Yes, some ATS systems can rank candidates based on their alignment with a role”
• A member of the HR team would then need to determine what to do next; it seems the ranking aspect of the ATS is manual

Can I “pass” or trick the ATS?

• From what I am learning, no. Not really. 
• I recommend following the above rules to aid you in the ATS submission process

I hope the breakdown above offers a little clarity around the ATS process — perhaps even A Touch Simpler than when we started. 

Ultimately, if you will be submitting your resume through online systems and portals, I would absolutely recommend rethinking your approach to your current resume. Having ATS compliant versions are incredibly important for the process, but I do believe you should have more than one version of your resume: (1) an ATS-friendly version, and (2) a people-friendly version. 

The ATS version should take the above evaluation criteria into consideration. The other should be one that you would feel comfortable handing to someone in your network, or a hiring manager. This “2nd resume” should show off your style and creativity. Perhaps this second version also speaks to the additional headings that you may have left off your ATS version (i.e., your “non profit work” or “guest speaking”). In many ways, the personal nature of these additions can actually work in your favor to showcase some of the skills that you’re proud of, but not not have been suitable to include through the ATS version.

2. Other tips that have made my search "A Touch Simpler"

Because ATS isn’t everything (and I may even argue it’s probably one of the least important parts of the job search), I thought I would offer some other tips that have increased my own job prospects. I’ve used the below outline to (at the very least) establish initial conversations with hiring managers of companies I’ve been most interested in:

Network, network, network.

• Reach out to your existing networks — this is an obvious one. But, I really encourage you to think about everyone you know (both in your professional network as well as your personal). Reach out to those old vendors you had done business with, partners from your old firms, and don’t forget to think about your friends and family (many times people forget just how many great connections could come from their aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.).  

Remember also that when someone vouches for you and submits your name (or resume) to a member of their network, it naturally provides a layer of credibility that no ATS system could offer.

• Find the right person — apply for a role you like, and make sure you’re a match for that role. Dig around a little to identify the main contact for the role you’re seeking. This could be the hiring manager, someone in HR,or it could be the person you think the role reports to. In many cases, asking for “informational meetings” with people from companies you're most interested in...WORKS. It’s a non-threatening way to ask questions, meet new people, understand the company direction and interworking, and generally acquire new knowledge (and potentially an internal champion). Informational interviews/meetings make too much sense. 
• Know what you want to say — upon scheduling that meeting, say something like:

“I think I can knock this role out of the park. Here is why — (X, Y, Z)"

I see you’re seeking a candidate with an (ABC) background. During my time at [My Last Company], I accomplished that by doing (123)”

• A strong close — a strong close is important and always includes something like: 

“I appreciate all the time you spent with me today. I found the information you shared on (name specifics) to be helpful and it supports my thesis of why I want to work at [Company]. Would you be able to connect me with [X Person]? Any direction you can provide, or an introduction, would be so appreciated?”

Use your voice on LinkedIn.

• Interact — the Interact with company pages, LinkedIn posts made by hiring managers (and others within the teams/organizations you are looking to join). Don’t let yourself be silent. Ask yourself: how can I add a valuable contribution to this post/conversation?
• Thoughtful responses — If you see a post made by someone you’ve identified as a possible future colleague, take a few minutes to write a thoughtful response to their post that will either give them a new point of view on the subject. If they’ve posted an article, write your thoughts on the article and summarize why you feel it’s important to the conversation they’re employing.

Position yourself as an expert.

• Strategize your search — I cannot emphasize enough: spend A LOT of time strategizing your job search. Now is the time to position yourself as an expert and an asset to any company you’ll be speaking with. 
• Remove #OpenToWork circle — this was recommended by many of my HR friends and colleagues. I am assuming it is due in part to look more valuable. 
• Build a simple website — the website can display the content you’ve created; this can be a great resource to tell your story and display your mastery.
• Create content — You could author a piece about your experiences, pursuits, career journey, a topic of interest, industry. (You can publish on Linkedin, Medium, etc.)
• Find speaking opportunities — Find a few podcasts that you like and ask the creator to jump in! Say something like

“Hey, I see you have an incredible podcast. I would love to be featured, as I think I have a lot to add to the conversation about XYZ. During my time at [Company] I did a lot of work relevant to XYZ and that’s why I think I have something to add. Also, here is a relevant blog post I wrote on the subject.” 

Optimize your resume.

• LinkedIn profile — Your LinkedIn profile should look polished and complete like a piece of marketing. (YOU are the product. Sell yourself.) 
• Resume — Your resume should be a highlight of your experience, not a list of bullet points of everything you have done or completed while in your last role. Your resume (and LinkedIn profile) should be quantitative and metrics-focused as much as possible. 

Sell them with your cover letter.

• Cover letters are often overlooked — they are a great opportunity to showcase your personality and really sell yourself as a valuable asset. 
• Point out specifics from the job description — this will help you show that you have a proven track record of doing what is being asked. As a hiring manager, they should be saying to themselves “Ah ha! This is just the person we were looking for.”

The hidden job market.

• Research — Seek out companies that are doing / building new things. Read news & articles around advancement in the industries you’re interested in.
• Stay on top of news — This approach shows you are on top of news and what their business is doing. There may not be a role for you when you reach out (but there may be). Either way, it is worth the chance of sending an email with your thoughts regarding where you might fit. 
• This could pay off in a big way — you may be the one person to show initiative in reaching out. Even if they’re not hiring, this is the type of initiative people appreciate. Even if they aren’t hiring, they may know someone else who is.
• Here's an example of a message — I have sent this previously:

“I saw your post about the creation of XYZ. It looks wonderful! Should you be seeking a local Marketing hire when the time comes, I would love to chat more. I have experience in hospitality / venues and a proven track record of success. I have 10 years of marketing experience and have done everything from materialize and lead a team, media plan and media buy all our ads (Digital, OOH, print, TV etc.), brand marketing, email marketing, socials and more. Best of luck with the new space and let me know if you are interested in chatting more.”

And Finally.

• Stay Positive — Gratitude, positivity, and resilience have been the most powerful elements of each of my job-searches. Stay encouraged, build your network and trust in your ability.
• Don’t worry too much about the ATS — while a fairly complex process, ATS is only one piece of the job-search puzzle.

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