If you want to know all about the inner workings of ATS or the applicant tracking systems and ways to beat it you have come to the correct spot. The process of customizing your resume and cover letter and submitting the job application online as already pretty nerve wracking without the additional stress of waiting for it to pass the 6 second resume review test.
Very often applications are lost within this black hole of a test leaving the hoping to be an employee dejected and hopeless. To avoid that it is important to be aware that upto 75% of applications get rejected even before they get seen by a live individual. The ATS is the major player behind this.
The Applicant Tracking System
Understandably, your first question would be what is ATS? It is basically a kind of software that used by employers for the hiring period that collects, sorts, scans and ranks the applications the company receives for the positions that are open.
How does ATS work?
It basically acts as a gatekeeper for the employers. It basically works to weed out applicants that are unqualified for the position so the recruiters are only left with the most suitable candidates to select from. This means that if the applicant has not used an ATS-Friendly resume format their application is most likely to get lost despite being suited for the job.
So now we are going to state 10 ways to defeat these bots and get your application on its way to the recruitment department:
1. Select the correct file type
PDF files are not the way to go when you are aiming to get past ATS as not all ATS software is compatible with it. If a system does not provide you with any specific file types then its best submit a Word, .docx, .doc or plain text file. Word is basically the most preferable of all these options as it provides the room for making your document appealing for when it reaches the employer.
2. Include important details in the right spot
Strictly avoid placing important information in header or footer of the resume because most ATS is not able to read text in these particular sections. Include essential information such as your name, email address and contact number within the document.
3. Optimize with keywords
Add keywords to your resume which represent the hard and soft skills you have and the expertise acquired through years of work in the particular field that makes you perfect for the job.
4. Avoid any kind of graphics
Graphics, charts or images might look pleasant to the human view but when they go through the ATS they end up becoming a mess or get completely omitted from the resume. So it’s better not to showcase your skills through a chart or any other kind of image.
5. Stick to simplicity
If used appropriately bullet points are a great way to highlight qualifications and accomplishments in a resume. But do not use any intricate symbols for your bullets as that might end up scrambling your imperative selling points. Choose the simpler options like solid or open circle or square to avoid making them incompatible.
6. Keep a clean design
A complex or elaborate resume design can confuse both the ATS and annoy employers as it creates hindrance in a quick scanning of the application for the specific information they desire to see. Keep it simple to win the game.
7. Convert to a plain-text file
Copy the contents of your resume and paste it all into a plain txt file to review the result. If this version is missing some of the detail, is disorganized and has characters saved in the wrong way then go back to editing to make it ATS acceptable.
8. Balance it all
ATS is certainly not a replacement of human recruiters so keep that in mind when writing your resume. Do not focus so much on making it compliant to the software that it becomes dull and unappealing. Keep a careful balance in your crafting for it to be acceptable for both bots and humans.
9. Make it specific
Customizing resumes according to the job that one is applying to is looked upon favourably by most employers nowadays. Highlight the skills that are most useful for the applied job and add any information that will help the employer assess you for the position.
10. Focus upon the cover letter
Not all bots are capable of scanning or reading a cover letter so that is your place to shine. It is the perfect opportunity to stand out from all the other applicants and will turn the hiring department’s attention towards you.
If you keep all these tips in your mind you can successfully counter the ATS and get through to the individuals that really need to see your resume. For any further assistance Resume Writing Service is always on the job to provide you with the best ATS friendly and recruiter appealing resumes.