Resume Writing 101: How to Tell if Your Resume is ATS-Friendly

As the recruitment system has consistently improved over the years, the applicant tracking system (ATS) has become a staple part of the job search process to ease the task of hiring managers. It helps companies sift through hundreds and thousands of applications and choose the most qualified based on the set qualifications. Sadly, most job applicants fail to meet these criteria.

The ATS’ introduction impacts job applicants especially those with poorly written resumes. Hence, most of them resort to resume writing services to do the work for them. Are you one of the job applicants struggling with this trend? Worry no more! Read on to know whether your resume is ATS-friendly — and ace your job search today.

What is an ATS-Friendly Resume

As mentioned above, ATS gives job seekers a hard time in their job search; it hinders them from securing an interview spot and, worse, from landing a job. So how can you pass through this wall called ATS? Is there any possible way to win against this?

When an ATS scans your resume, it checks the format, content, and overall qualification of your resume. So to pass through this system, you should have an ATS-friendly resume — a document constructed in a way that lets the applicant tracking system parse the application with ease. It has a simple format that is easy to scan. ATS-friendly resumes also contain keywords that match the job ad and highlight relevant work experience and professional skills.

How an ATS Works

Many people have misconceptions about ATS. But to simply put it in words, ATS is not a machine. On the contrary, it’s a software designed to help hiring managers with the recruitment process.

How does ATS work? With tons of resumes submitted online, ATS helps recruitment teams save time by collecting, sorting, and scanning resumes in a faster and better way. Its main purpose is to eliminate unqualified applicants so recruiters can devote their time in evaluating qualified candidates to the position. In short, ATS focuses on removing the least-qualified resumes, rather than finding the best candidate.

With that, it’s really important to give effort in constructing your resume, and invest with resume writing services if you struggle in creating one.

How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume

As more companies embrace the use of ATS as part of their recruitment process, job seekers should learn how to overcome this hurdle. Hence, here are ways in which you can write an ATS-friendly resume.

1. Keep it simple.

Even though figures improve the readability of human readers, ATS easily processes a simple and concise resume format. Thus, avoid putting icons, images, designs, and charts on your resume. This kind of content is not readable by ATS, which could result in the loss of information from your resume.

In addition, font style is one of the key factors in the ATS friendliness of a resume. Hence, use traditional font styles to increase the readability of your resume.

2. Include keywords relevant to the position or industry.

Resume keywords and key phrases are the lifeblood of ATS-optimized resumes. They serve as the basis for an automated resume review to determine if the candidate fits the job. However, overusing them may still harm your resume. Always watch the frequency and placement of each keyword.

3. Spell all abbreviations and avoid misspellings.

ATS doesn’t recognize all abbreviations. Thus, it’s important to spell out abbreviations to avoid misconceptions with the ATS. Furthermore, always check your spelling; like other programmed software, ATS reads correctly spelled words only, no matter how vital the misspelled words are. Besides, they don’t care about the meaning of the words in your resume.

4. Include relevant information.

ATS scans your resume to check if you have relevant experience or information for the position. Hence, don’t submit a resume with tons of experience in sales if you’re applying as an engineer — you will only get rejected.

If you don’t have relevant experience to mention, add other relevant information such as education, skills, or reconstruct the descriptions of your previous experiences to align with your target position.

5. Send your resume using the right file.

Most people tend to think it’s best to send your file using PDF to preserve the format of your document. But with ATS, it’s recommended to send a word document file — .doc or .docx — of your resume. A word document file is easily processed by ATS and most preferable by hiring managers, because not all ATS are designed to read PDF files.

The Answer to “How do I know if my Resume is ATS-Friendly?”

After knowing how an ATS works and what an ATS-friendly resume is, the next thing you should know is whether your resume complies with the standards of an ATS. Here are some steps you can take to determine whether your resume is ATS-compliant.

1. Most of the time, it’s advisable to use a chronological format.
2. Compare your resume with resume examples online written by experts.
3. Resumes should be simple with clear headings.
4. There are relevant keywords throughout your resume.
5. All abbreviations are spelled out.

Get a Free Resume Review Direct from Resume Experts

With many job seekers struggling with ATS, devise a plan for yourself to beat it. An ATS-friendly resume is one way to do this. Hence, start to write one for yourself or reconstruct your old resume based on the above mentioned points. However, checking your resume alone might not be easy, so get a helping hand from resume experts who offer free resume reviews.

Resume Professional Writers’ free resume review is proven to pass ATS. It has a free AI-powered resume analyzer that evaluates the content based on key metrics sought by hiring managers. Visit our website to get a resume review directly from our experts. Share your insights and questions in the comment section, and follow Resume Professional Writers for more resume tips, career advice, and job search tips.