Nothing can make you more defeated than finding the perfect job opportunity, applying, and hearing nothing back. Even worse is when this happens more than once. Today, we’re going to discuss how to create an ATS-friendly resume to ensure your resume actually gets seen and reviewed.

What’s an ATS-friendly Resume?

We’re glad you asked. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. If a company uses this technology, it means that a robot is scanning your resume to determine if it makes the cut. Only then does a small percentage of applicant’s resumes actually get seen by human eyes.

According to Jobscan, as many as 98% of Fortune 500 companies use this technology. Depending on the size of the company you’re applying for, chances are good they may be using ATS as well.

So, how do you get past the bot so that a person can see your resume? Here are 5 tips that can help you create an ATS-friendly resume.

Tip #1 – Keep it Simple

By now you’ve probably heard of the KISS principle? Keep It Simple Stupid. Don’t overcomplicate your resume or the ATS will surely knock you out of the running.

A simple design is the best choice when creating your resume:

• Use standard headings: Skills, Work Experience, Education are examples of standard headings. This is not the time to get fancy or be creative when you are working against ATS.
• Avoid charts, images, and custom fonts as the technology can’t read these and will flag your resume.

It will never be seen by the human on the other end, and your chances will be lost.

Tip #2 – Word Choice Matters

In our last post, Young Adults: Transitioning to Your First Career, we talked about job searching. Using keywords and job requirement wording out of the job posting in your resume will help beat the ATS.

Now, don’t get overzealous and keyword stuff like crazy. Your resume shouldn’t contain the same keyword more than 2 or 3 times, and you should only use the most relevant keywords.

It should make sense and be logical. If you pass the ATS, the person reading your resume can still reject your application if they think you are keyword stuffing.

Also:

• Use action verbs: led, delivered, solved, managed, and built are all action verbs that can help show off the skills you obtained in your previous roles
• Keywords: make sure the keywords you chose to showcase in your resume appear in the Work or Education section of your resume

Tip #3 – Use the Right Format

If you are uploading your resume, make sure the format you choose is an accepted option.

Word or text files are usually the safest formats to upload your resume in. If PDF is listed as an option, you can also use that format. If you automatically upload as a PDF and it’s not supported, the ATS will read your resume as one big image and reject it.

Tip #4 – Use Industry Jargon

If there are specific acronyms or terminology that is typical in your industry, make sure to use it in your resume. This shows that you are familiar with or have experience in the industry. Plus, the ATS usually has these acronyms included which can help you get to the person who will read your resume.

Make sure you spell out the word first and then put the acronym in parentheses. For example, Human Resources (HR). It’s okay to use HR going forward, but at least spell it out once in your resume.

Tip #5 – Be Specific

Just like keyword stuffing, long resumes should be avoided. Try to keep your resume to just one page, two at the most.

Take the time to tailor your resume to fit the job description and show what you did in previous roles that are relevant to the one you are applying for. Avoid being too general or adding “fluff” to make yourself look good. There’s a good chance the ATS will send your resume to the reject pile.

We hope you enjoyed our tips on how to create an ATS-friendly resume! Need tips on the job search? Make sure to check out this post!