How to Create an ATS-Compliant Resume?

This piece is part of a series of informative articles on resume writing on our website. If you are looking for tips on resume writing, searching for an ATS-compliant resume template, or you just want to check if your resume is ATS-compliant and hack the hiring process, then come read more at tailoredresume.com!‍

As a job hunter, you’ve probably heard all sorts of advice on crafting the best resume. Advice such as:

• “Include colorful graphics.”

• “Organize all your information into tables.”

• “Write down as many skills and experiences as you can.”

They all involve giving your resume a little visual spice or an outstanding aesthetic quality—something, anything, to make you stand out in the crowd.

But here’s the hard truth. This advice—well-intentioned as they may be— is way past their heyday. Actually, not only are they outdated, but they can actually hurt your chances of scoring an interview and landing a job!

So, what exactly has changed in the hiring process? More importantly, how can you adapt to this brave new job market?

What is Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

According to www.jobscan.co, applicant tracking system software provides recruiting and hiring tools for companies. Among other functions, these systems collect and sort thousands of resumes. Furthermore, an applicant tracking system (ATS) is software used by companies to assist with human resources, recruitment, and hiring needs. While each system offers a different package of features, applicant tracking systems are primarily used to help hiring companies organize and navigate large numbers of applicants.

In short, Applicant Tracking Systems are resume bots. Since recruiters and Hiring Managers receive a lot of application each day, they use Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS to peruse all applicants’ resume and shortlist candidates for interviews. With this, it is very important that your resume or any application documents are ATS-compliant and buzzword-heavy.

If you want to learn more about Applicant Tracking System, please visit the following link: https://www.jobscan.co/blog/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-system/

Enter the Digital Age

Before computers, most hiring companies had to sift through stacks of resumes. This explains the outdated advice of making visually stunning or content-heavy resumes. Impress the HR manager going through the mound of resumes, and you’ll be fished out of the slush pile and scheduled for an interview!

However, the world has changed. The old process burdened companies with way too much workload, as their HR teams had to check the resumes of hundreds of applicants physically. With the advent of advanced computing technology and the upsurge of sorting algorithms, companies use a software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  

The ATS Revolution

What sorting machines did for factory workers, the ATS did for job recruiters. It streamlined the process of finding suitable applicants.

Instead of going over resumes one by one, the Applicant Tracking System searches for keywords. To put it simply, these keywords are inputted by the hiring company, and the ATS scans for these keywords in hundreds of resume in mere minutes (if not seconds). The resume that ticks the most keywords makes it through the system and into the hands of HR.

This essentially lessens the role visual elements play. Forget about quirky graphics, stylized fonts, or even a stunning ID picture. This is a new system, and a new system needs a new strategy.

Crafting an ATS-Compliant Resume

Fortunately, there are ways to adapt to this new paradigm. Don’t worry, and it’s not as hard as you might think. In fact, you can open your document right now to check if your resume is ATS-friendly with the tips below in mind!

While writing your resume

Use the most relevant keywords in your resume.

For writing an ATS-compliant resume, keyword optimization is king.

To ensure that the ATS software prioritizes your resume, you need to know the correct keywords to write in your skills and work experience section.

To know these keywords, read the job listing carefully.

The job description of your potential employer includes the keywords and phrases that are recognized by the ATS software. Terms among job descriptions vary. It’s essential that you tune your resume’s words according to how the description names the company’s wanted skills and positions.

Identify the terms they use to describe their desired skills.

If the job description uses “computer competent” over “computer literate,” then use “computer competent” instead. If the description repeats specific skills like “programming” or “advertising,” then make sure to include that Word in the skills section of your resume. However, don’t lie in your resume. Only use skills that you have.

Identify the terms they use to describe their desired positions.

Companies might use different names for the same positions. That means, even if your position essentially matches what the company is looking for, you still have to match the company’s terminology to pass their ATS software. If their job description uses “coding expert” instead of “coding specialist,” then use the former for your resume.

1. Simplify your format.

For the ATS software to do its work, it takes your resume’s format into account to parse relevant information more quickly and effectively. Moreover, not all companies absolutely rely on the ATS. An actual HR professional might still check your resume after being filtered through the ATS. That in mind, keep your resume’s structure clean and simple.

Use conventional headings.

Most ATS software will seek out specific headings to help smoothen their search. This means that you should keep your headings as straightforward as possible: “work experience,” “previous positions,” “experience,” “skills,” etc. Try not to use flashy but unusual headings: “expertise,” “repertoire,” “proficiencies,” “list of relevant experiences,” etc.

Avoid headers or footers.

While some ATS software can read headers and footers, most ATS software encounter issues with them. It is better to cut them out entirely and include whatever information is stored in them into your main text body to increase your chances.

Eliminate tables and columns.

Tables and columns scramble any readable text for the ATS software. Opt for simple dividers (like the “|” character) to organize your resume.

2. Remove all the fluff.

ATS software relies on reading text, and thus, any non-text elements can severely affect its ability to process your resume. That given, trim as much fluff as possible.

Remove all images.

Like with tables and columns, images and pictures can scramble ATS-readable text. Unless otherwise listed by your job requirements, avoid adding any non-text visual element.

Use normal fonts.

Unusual fonts or symbols (like Wingdings) can make it much more difficult for the ATS software to read your resume. Stick with professional and conventional fonts.

Avoid gimmicks.

Steer clear from using graphs, graphics, symbols, and other unusual elements in your resume. Because of their unconventional nature, ATS software will likely encounter errors in scanning them.

3. Be concise.

Some ATS software is specially tuned to slash out resumes with too much content or irrelevant content. To avoid this, polish your word choice and lessen the density of your resume.

Keep your wording relevant and straightforward.

Avoid overly elaborate words and phrases and ensure that your sentences are as direct and to the point as possible. This helps shorten your resume and make it much more readable not only for the ATS but for the HR professional reading it.

Completely write abbreviations.

Full titles and names count as keywords for the ATS. For example, instead of writing ICT Specialist, write “Information and Communications Technology Specialist.” Include at least one instance of the full term to help prioritize your resume for the ATS.

Condense your content.

Avoid oversaturating your resume with experiences and skills. Bloating your resume can lessen your chances of getting through the ATS since it focuses on the relevance of words, not the number of words. Only include the most timely and relevant skills and experiences you have for the given job.

After writing your resume

Once you have finished formatting and writing your resume to be ATS-complaint, now it’s time to do a few more steps to guarantee that it is ATS-readable.

1. Copy and paste your resume in plain text.

The ATS software reads your resume in a format called “plain text,” which is the skeleton of your resume’s content. All images, tables, graphs, and other such non-text elements become scrambled text code. This is why it’s advised not to include visual elements in your resumé because they’re essentially unreadable by the ATS.

To see if your resume is clean in plain text, follow these steps:

1. Open your resume file in Word.

2. Select “Save As” and then “Browse.”

3. A new window will appear. On the bottom left, you should see “Save as type.” Click on the bar beside it.

4. Select “Plain Text.”

5. Click “Save.”

6. A new window will appear. If you see any garbled text, then that means your resume might not be ATS-friendly and will need more tweaking. Edit any images, pictures, tables, columns, graphs, odd fonts, and other unusual and non-text elements.

2. Make sure to upload your resume as a Word document.

Unless otherwise stated by the job requirements, upload your resume as a Word document (.DOCX) since most ATS systems don’t recognize files in the PDF format.

3. Consider a resume optimization service.

Finally, if you feel like you’re pressed for time to tailor your resume to be ATS-friendly, consider seeking a resume optimization service, like Tailored Resume.

Our team of professional resume writers and management insiders have crafted numerous ATS-compliant resumes. Not only do we offer to edit your resumé to be ATS-complaint, but we can also create a new resume explicitly tailored for your field. We have the best ATS templates, and we can assure you that you will get the best professional resume writing services. We also write optimized cover letters, CVs, and LinkedIn profiles, all fine-tuned specifically to beat software like ATS and keep you top of the queue. Come to our website, tailoredresume.com, for more details!

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