How To Make Your Resume Ats-Friendly

Recruiters handle hundreds or even thousands of resumes every time there is a job hiring. A resume is a document that contains your credentials that will be used to convince the hiring managers to let you in a job interview. This is a struggle, especially for big companies. Even if they have large manpower, reviewing the resumes manually is still a very tiring and time-consuming job. Now that society is more exposed to the internet, there is software that solves this problem. The ATS is the software that recruiters use to go through the resumes.

What is ATS?

ATS is an acronym for Applicant Tracking System. As the name suggests, this software allows the user to track the applicants. There are a lot of things you can program the ATS to do. You can program it to send automatic rejection emails to those who did not pass. It can also analyze and rank the resumes that match the keywords you set. It even has an onboarding feature that presents the new recruits with everything they need to know, like the personnel, contracts, and rules. 

However, since the ATS is automated software, meaning that lapses and errors are still possible. There are disadvantages that you, as the job seeker, may encounter impediments with this software. There are some things that ATS cannot read, so you must make your resume ATS-friendly, so your resume will not automatically end up in the rejection pile. You can search for ATS resume formats to keep you guided. The following are the things that you can do to make sure that the ATS will read your resume.

Do not use tables or charts

Though tables, charts, and columns make it easier to read for humans, this might not be the case for the ATS. Using tables and the like may cause errors within the process. 

Pay attention to keywords

Since the ATS are programmed to sort and take resumes based on keywords, put a lot of thought into it. Make sure that you put the right and relevant keywords in your application. Review the job advertisement and make a list of the keywords and phrases you are to incorporate into your resume. Include keywords that match the qualifications that were on the job advertisement. Add keywords of the implied thought for better chances.  Mention the most important and relevant keywords but do not overdo it. Twice should be enough, thrice at most.

Use standard fonts

The ATS may not be able to recognize fonts that are cursive or have codes in them.  You can try using serif or aerials fonts. It may look boring and basic, but it will help ensure that the ATS won’t change fonts they do not recognize. If this happens, your resume design may change.

Use traditional section headings

Use the standard section headings to make sure that the ATS will not be confused. Avoid using headers like “My Experience in Work” or “Here’s What You Need to Know About Me.” You can personalize your resume but ensure that they won’t hinder the scanning process of the ATS.

Do not use any graphics

Using pictures or any graphics will cause an error in the applicant tracking system. The ATS is programmed to read characters; the graphics will not be interpreted by the ATS, and this might affect the other parts of the process, leading to more errors.

Check your file format

If possible, save your file as a PDF or .docx. These file formats are the ones that are most compatible with the software. ATS can only interpret texts; using the Canva format may cause errors, or they may not be able to read your resume at all. So to be safe, pick between the two.

When making your resume, make sure that it is ATS friendly. Always study and look for ways to beat the ATS. Keep in mind that it is important to personalize your resume but always check if the parts that you are personalizing will not hinder the processes.