How to write an ATS-friendly resume in 2024
Charlotte Brown
Certified Professional Resume Writer ● Career Coach ● Executive Resume Writer ● CPRW ● CPCC ● Top-10 Resume Writer on LinkedIn ● Professional C-suite Resume Writer ● Interview Coach
You don’t have to be in a constant battle with the ATS during your job search – if you have an ATS-friendly resume!
Are you one of those job seekers who spend hours customizing their resume and cover letter for a job application to still get rejected in the end? We understand your frustration. Better yet, we might even know the reason behind those rejections! Have you considered the possibility that your resume is not ATS-friendly?
75% of job applications don’t get seen by an employer because they fail the ATS test. One of the biggest reasons why you don’t get through the ATS with a tailored resume is that your resume is not in an ATS-friendly format. So, without further ado, let’s look at how you can write an ATS-friendly resume for your job applications:
Use a lot of keywords
ATSs scan your resume for a specific set of keywords to decide whether you are a right fit for the position. If your resume lacks one or many of these important keywords, you may end up getting rejected from the competition. Read and review the job description carefully to spot all the right keywords for the position and include them in your resume.
Include a headline
One of the best ways to improve your resume for the bots as well as the humans is to write a catchy resume headline. Your resume headline can be a personal branding statement that highlights your biggest selling points. Include important keywords in your resume headline and keep it concise. You can also mention your target job title in the resume headline.
Be careful with the header and the footer
Do you have a habit of putting down your contact information in the header or the footer of your resume? That might explain why you never get called back for interviews. ATSs have trouble parsing information contained within headers and footers. Therefore, not adding important information in the header or the footer is your best option.
Write simple bullet points
Take a good look at your resume bullet points. Are they long-winded and complex? Then, hiring managers won’t be able to grasp the true impact of your achievements and neither would the ATS. Write concise bullet points using simple and professional language to improve the readability and ATS compatibility of your resume.
Avoid the fancy stuff
Do you enjoy filling your resume with graphics, charts, and tables? No wonder you keep getting rejected! ATSs have trouble parsing information contained within graphics, tables, charts, images, icons, etc. Modern resume are more on the minimalist and clean side of things, so forgoing these elements will make your resume visually appealing to hiring managers as well.
Select the right file type
Many job seekers are under the false impression that PDF is the best file format for the ATS. On the contrary, plain text files are the best file format for an ATS. However, a plain-text resume looks very unprofessional and you will not be able to complete other modern resumes with one. So, your safest bet is to go with a Word file. But in cases where the employer has specified a file type in the job description, use that file format for your resume.