ATS SUCKS! MY RESUME WINS

ATS SUCKS! For those that aren't familiar with ATS, let me explain. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. This is the evil entity that views (and rejects) your resume before a human ever sees it. Whoever came up with this technology is simply, the devil!

For those that may need help optimizing their resumes (you know, to beat the ATS), I am going to give you some free pointers. These are likely things that “resume writing service companies” charge for, but I am giving away, for free. This may not make them very happy but it's unfair to take advantage of the folks that need help, the most.

Before we begin, it's important to understand how these systems work.

Once a resume is submitted into the "system", the ATS scans the uploaded document against the advertised position. If the system can't read or process the resume (due to poor formatting), then it is rejected immediately and your application process ends there, without a human ever viewing your qualifications. You may or may not ever hear from them again, not knowing whether or not you were even considered. How rude!

Now, if you happen to be lucky enough to pass the first hurdle, your resume then goes onto ranking (or scoring). Your resume is matched against the job description and the more keywords (in your resume) that match the actual job description, the higher your score will be.

Note: Before the job is ever posted, a human determines the eligibility score for “human” interaction (Oh lucky you). That’s right, just because you made it past the first hurdle does NOT mean a human will view your resume.

For Example: The ATS, at the direction of a real, live human being is directed/instructed to qualify everyone that obtains a score of 80% and higher. This is basically a “secret” algorithm that qualifies your resume and then assigns it a score, generally as a percentage. Now, let’s say your resume got through the first hurdle but only received a score of 60%. You would still be rejected without a human ever seeing your resume. Imagine that, road-blocked again...

So, armed with that above knowledge, let’s begin to optimize that resume so you at least don’t get kicked out of the dance before your date arrives!

Follow The Below Steps To Improve Your Chances

• KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Remove all of that fancy formatting. This includes cute fonts, tables, text boxes, columns, symbols, charts, borders, lines, images.
• KEYWORDS ARE KING - The days of writing 1 resume and submitting it to 100 companies are over. Because the keywords are so important, you must adjust your resume EVERY time you submit it (to match EXACTLY) the position for which you're applying. Use keywords and/or phrases found in the actual job posting! This is absolutely a MUST! (What a pain in the ass...yeah, I know…but now you do too!)

Example: The job description states, “The successful candidate will use a variety of inspection techniques, mechanical knowledge, and design experience to drive consistent and productive solutions.”

So, in your resume, you would want to repeat that phrase as much as practical. Like below.

“Used a variety of inspection techniques and mechanical knowledge to drive consistent and productive solutions.”

If you can copy it exactly, then do so! This is about getting your resume in front of the hiring manager.

MAKE SENSE NOW?

• Do not place important information (your name, phone number, email address) in the header or footer of your resume. The ATS simply cannot locate it and/or process it.
• Do NOT use abbreviations in your resume. 
• For the love of God, use spellcheck. I realize it will not always "catch" usage and other grammar mistakes but make an effort to ensure your resume is presentable. 
• Save resume in Word (.doc & .docx) format. Sadly, some ATS platforms still cannot process .html, pdf, and a variety of other formats.
• When listing your work experience, use the "Reverse Chronological Method". That is, list your most recent work experience first then work your way backwards.
• Keep your resume to 2 pages and under. Be direct and concise. Under no circumstances should your resume ever exceed 2 pages...DON'T DO IT!

And Maybe The Most Important Part - The Test/Verification!

• Save/export your resume in .txt format. That's right, .txt format. If you have formatted your resume correctly (in Word), you should be able to easily read your resume in text format. If you see strange symbols and crazy spacing, then the chances are very high that you have missed something. Go back and re-read this post until you have it nailed.  

There are also plenty of sites out there that will "test" your resume for proper ATS compliance...just Google "Test ATS Compliance". Some will charge and some are free.

There you have it. ATS Compliance is at your very fingertips. How nice would it be for us all to score a 90% or above so humans would have to view ALL resumes again...it's nice to dream!

By the way, I will upload an ATS Complaint resume for everyone's use shortly. Pass this along and check back from time-to-time.

UPDATE: As promised, I have included a link to an ATS compliant Resume Sample. Feel free to use, at will!

ATS Compliant Resume Sample