What is an ATS & why does it matter?

An APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM — or ATS, for short — is a type of software used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for their open positions. The ATS will scan your resume for keywords, experience, and education before the document is ever seen by human eyes.

95%+ of all large companies have gone to some kind of ATS to help streamline their recruitment process. These systems include: ? Taleo ? iCIMS ? Greenhousem ? Jobvite ? BrassRing ? Lever ? JAZZHR

Why Do Companies Use an ATS?

The relative ease of submitting an online job application has created a challenge for hiring companies.

Online job postings can elicit hundreds of applications, many of which are from under-qualified job seekers who figured “it was worth a try.” 

Instead of crowded email inbox, recruiters and hiring managers use ATS to keep themselves organized and efficient.

The ATS is especially critical for larger companies that are hiring for multiple positions and departments simultaneously.

Finally, Compliance & Auditing.

Let’s face it, technology is making the job search easier… and harder… for both, candidates and companies

About 60% of employers admit such tools cause them to miss some qualified candidates, according to a 2016 survey of 1,200 job seekers and managers by CareerArc, a human-resources technology company, and Future Workplace, a research firm. 

Why is an ATS a Problem for SOME Job Seekers & the Companies?

The ATS will automatically extract or “parse” information from an applicant’s resume to import and build a digital “TEXT” applicant profile that can be searched, filtered, and sorted. Often times, this doesn’t happen well.

Test Your Resume:   

Ideally, you should make certain that your resume will look okay in an ATS. You will need to know how to "Craft" a resume that wows the ATS robot:  It’s better to simply learn how to write resumes with both resume robots and human readers in mind.

First, you may want to test the readability of your resume in something like NOTEPAD, which removes all special characters, and strips out the formatting and images:

Why you need an ATS-friendly resume.

If an ATS can’t accurately parse your resume, your chances of getting picked for an interview are low ... even if you’re perfectly qualified.

That’s because your resume content is garbled or your candidate profile is incomplete based on poor formatting. And, if your profile doesn’t reflect that you’re a strong match for the job, you won’t rank as a viable candidate.

ON RIGHT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A RESUME THAT WILL NOT SCAN WELL ->

Unfortunately for job seekers, many ATS are not able to search and filter candidates reliably because of a few key factors.

Some candidates fall through the cracks and are wrongfully eliminated from the applicant pool because their resume has formatting issues or lacks the correct search keywords.

The trick is how to stand out and get noticed, and not get passed by.

There are a number of factors that go into the optimal ATS resume template or format.

Here are the 10 most common issues with many or most ATS:

1. They cannot handle tables, columns, text-boxes, and headers/footers jam the algorithms.
2. Hyperlinks, graphics, or special characters will not import in a clean manner.
3. ATS cannot handle images/jpg’s. These will not import and that space will be left blank; Essentially, resumes embedded with fancy graphics, images, tables, and logos confound and choke resume filtering software. Confounded robots reject resumes.
4. Often the ATS cannot read unusual or less common headers/sections titles; so you will need to label sections on your resume correctly using standard headings such as work experience, education, and interests. The ATS will sort the content of your resume into individual categories to create a digital applicant profile:  Contact/Education/Experience/Skills ... it’s programmed to look for specific headings and formatting structures.
5. Stick to traditional format and layout since getting creative and veering away from these norms could cause a parsing problem for your ATS resume: (1) Format your resume correctly for ATS; Only use the reverse chronological. This is the most popular resume format and is ideal for someone who has a good work history and is staying in the same line of work. (2) Layout; If your layout is not done properly, the ATS may have trouble identifying where you worked, what you did, and how long you were there.
6. Use a popular and professional font for ATS scanning, Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Veranda, Helvetica. This is not only important for enabling the ATS to process your application correctly but is also vital for retaining a recruiter’s interest. You have to remember that if a recruiter reviews your resume, it will be a major turn-off to see a font like Comic Sans.
7. Avoid fancy designs, colors, and images.
8. Avoid spelling and grammar errors like the plague! 58% of resumes contain spelling and grammatical errors, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Spelling errors can cause a resume to be automatically rejected, and many recruiters will also dismiss a resume even if it contains only a single error.
9. Spell out all abbreviations. Be cautious about abbreviating words, titles, or certifications on your resume. If you do abbreviate, make sure you spell out the abbreviation as well. EXAMPLE: CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
10. Replace the career objective section with a bulleted qualifications summary. 

Resume Check-Up:

Rejection is part of the job search, not every resume and job application is going to result in an interview or job offer. However, there are proven ways to increase your interview chances. Creating a strong ATS friendly resume is one way to shift the odds more in your favor…here is a snapshot of what to look for:

The Brand of YOU - TAKE YOUR TIME WHEN APPLYING! Your resume is representative of your brand; it is the first ‘work product’ your prospective new boss will see.

First impressions: Your resume needs to tell the hiring manager concisely what you do, upfront, within 5-10 seconds. 

Make sure that the manager doesn’t have to dig through the resume to find those skills, they should be first on the list.

Mirror wording from the actual job description in your resume.  

Make sure you are qualified for the job and make certain that your resume matches the job you are applying to. Review the verbiage of the job opening you are applying to, making certain that if the posting is asking for XYZ, and you have that XYZ skill, that it is featured prominently in the resume, and/or it is included in the summary up top.

Dare to go long on your resume. Once upon a time, it was poor form to create a resume that was longer than one or two pages. The new normal is to create longer resumes that allow you to include the keywords you need to get noticed.  Nail your keywords. There is a unique lingo in every profession.   

Sometimes RESUMES actually do come across as blank.  

This example was an import from an actual application from a third party site and was completely BLANK. This will occur if either the resume and/or profile was not completed properly and/or a resume was not uploaded to the third-party system such as indeed, LinkedIn, etc. If there was nothing there, there is nothing to import.

Sometimes we will also get a 'blank' resume for other reasons, like in this case when the resume was actually one big IMAGE / JPG.

This is an example of what happens when there are all special characters, or uncommon fonts used. What will import is completely unreadable and there was no contact information.

Sadly, because we have 100’s of resumes to go through, we do try, but often can’t reach out to ask every candidate to fix this error!

Once you have an "ATS Friendly Resume"- Enter your profile:

You can import from your resume, Or enter manually (cut & paste).

Be sure to include the best and/or all phone numbers to reach you at, as well as the best email you will check frequently.

CAUTION - IF YOU CHOOSE TO IMPORT YOUR PROFILE:

? The system will let you import your resume to create your profile.

? You can choose to use Word, PDF, or Text (recommended).

? Submit resumes in text format rather than PDFs or MS Word. Word causes all manner of parsing errors and PDFs have caused problems in the past with application tracking systems. It’s wiser to stick with text, which has no known parsing problems with screening software.

? If you apply or import from other sites such as INDEED, LINKED-IN, FACEBOOK - Be certain that your profile is COMPLETELY filled out and/or a resume on file with them, otherwise it will be BLANK when it populates in our system.

More Resumes and Files.

• You can add up to 5 resumes and 5 cover letters, as well as other documents, like references, certifications, etc.
• You can also log in later, and add to these items, change, or update them at any time.
• Remember to use your SAME email and password each time to avoid creating multiple profiles.

Final Application Check:

Do take the time at the end of the application process to review everything, when the system asks 'would you like to review' before clicking on the SUBMIT button:

• Check the resume format – does it look okay here…
• Check everything for: Grammar, Tense (1st person / 3rd person), Spelling, Consistent font, and format.
• Cover Letter – Yes, they are good to include – especially if you are relocating, you can explain why!
• Lastly - Make certain that your Linked-In profile matches your resume for jobs/dates/etc.