Applicant tracking systems (ATS) eliminate over 70% of applicants before their resume even reaches a hiring manager. Make sure your application makes the cut by learning how to write an ATS-friendly resume with our expert tips, examples, and ATS resume templates.<\/p>\n
What is an Applicant Tracking System?
\nAn Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a type of software companies use to quickly determine if an applicant is qualified for a job opening.
\nATS software automatically scans and processes each job application sent to a company, and then disqualifies applications that don\u2019t meet the requirements the company set. Such requirements usually include things like job-related technical skills, certifications, and work experience.
\nIf your resume doesn\u2019t get past the ATS, your application will likely be rejected before it ever reaches the hiring manager.
\nWhat is an ATS-friendly resume?
\nAn ATS-friendly resume is designed specifically to receive a thumbs up from a company\u2019s Applicant Tracking System.
\nUsing an easy-to-read resume format, removing things like tables or images, and including resume keywords from the job description all help make your resume more ATS-friendly.
\nIf you create your resume with ATS software in mind, your application stands a better chance of getting into the hands of an actual hiring manager, which is one step closer to landing an interview.
\nHow to make an ATS-friendly resume
\nHere are six ways you can make your resume more ATS-friendly.
\n1. Use the chronological resume format
\nThere are three primary resume formats job seekers use when applying for work.
\nHowever, the chronological resume is the most compatible with ATS software, because it best emphasizes and organizes your work experience (from most recent to oldest). If you have a normal work history with no large employment gaps or career changes, definitely make sure you use a chronological resume.
\n2. Correctly label your sections
\nApplicant Tracking Systems organize your qualifications based on common resume headings like \u201cWork Experience\u201d and \u201cSkills\u201d.
\nTip
\nCheck out this outline of a resume if you\u2019re unsure how to label your own headings.
\nPlayful headings like \u201cWhy I\u2019m Great\u201d will confuse ATS software. So don\u2019t use them.
\nHere are some good and bad examples of resume headings:
\nATS Friendly Resume Headings
\n\u2022 Work Experience
\n\u2022 Skills
\n\u2022 Education
\nATS Unfriendly Resume Headings
\n\u2022 Jobs I\u2019ve Done
\n\u2022 Major Abilities
\n\u2022 Where I Studied
\n3. Include job-related keywords
\nTo determine whether your qualifications are relevant to the position, ATS software scans your resume for specific job-related resume keywords. Although newer ATS software uses AI to understand whether your resume fits the job requirements, many companies still use older software that searches for resume keywords.
\nTo increase your chance of getting into the interview pool, look through the job listing for these words to include on your resume.
\nFor example, a software company hiring a new front-end developer might use these words in the advertisement to describe the hard and soft skills they\u2019re looking for in a candidate:
\n\u2022 CSS
\n\u2022 C++
\n\u2022 Javascript
\n\u2022 Collaborative
\n\u2022 Innovative thinker
\nTake note of these skills and include them in your resume core competencies section or resume skills section to ensure that the ATS knows you\u2019re qualified for the job.
\nThe images below contain a real example of a sales associate job description. We\u2019ve highlighted the important keywords applicants for this job opening should include on their resume to pass the ATS:<\/p>\n
4. Use an ATS-friendly resume template
\nMany job seekers dress up their resume to make their application stand out from other candidates. However, resumes with graphic elements, tables, or unique fonts are difficult for ATS software to read.
\nTo make your life easier, simply download an ATS-friendly resume template and fill it out with your own information.
\nHere\u2019s an example of an ATS resume template that still looks professional and eye catching
\nATS Resume Template Free Download
\n5. Use a common resume font
\nThe best resume fonts to get past the ATS are common and easy to read. When in doubt, stick to basic fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Georgia.
\n6. Save your resume as a PDF or .docx
\nSome older ATS software has trouble understanding resume PDF files, but if the job listing doesn\u2019t specify what file format to save your resume, then PDF and .docx should both work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) eliminate over 70% of applicants before their resume even reaches a hiring manager. Make sure your application makes the cut by learning how to write an ATS-friendly resume with our expert tips, examples, and ATS resume templates. What is an Applicant Tracking System? An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a type […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74065,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions\/74065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writemyresume.in\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}