When you\u2019re writing your resume, you\u2019re trying to stand out and appeal to hiring managers. But are you also thinking about a company\u2019s ATS?<\/p>\r\n
If you\u2019re not familiar with the term, it\u2019s simply the Applicant Tracking System that employers use to collect, sort, scan, and screen resumes. Most companies use them; in fact, around three quarters.<\/p>\r\n
The goal with an ATS is to filter out candidates who aren\u2019t qualified so that only those who are a good potential match remain. The latter then go to an HR person or the hiring manager for review. This enables the person who\u2019s doing the hiring to spend their time and effort on candidates who have essentially been pre-screened. As a result, they\u2019re not wasting time, weeding out weak candidates.<\/p>\r\n
However, if you\u2019re a good fit, but don\u2019t create an ATS-friendly resume<\/a>, you could wind up on the cutting room floor. But how do you avoid that while still appealing to humans, too? It\u2019s a fine line to walk, one that includes the following.<\/p>\r\n You might think that the most appropriate file type to use is a PDF. However, in many cases, MS Word is a better choice. While PDFs are good at maintaining formatting, they\u2019re often not compatible with ATS software. So if the system you\u2019re uploading your resume to doesn\u2019t specify, upload a Word document. If it does give you an option to upload a PDF, then you can submit that type of document instead.<\/p>\r\n To do this, take a look at the job posting and identify those keywords and phrases that seem especially important. Then sprinkle them throughout your resume. If there\u2019s an especially important word or phrase, get it in there two to three times.<\/p>\r\n However, don\u2019t overuse or \u201cstuff\u201d these words, or use them in an awkward way. Remember, you\u2019re doing more than creating an ATS-friendly resume; it also needs to be easy-to-read for human eyes, too.<\/p>\r\n Don\u2019t put important details, like your contact information, in headers or footers. ATS software doesn\u2019t typically read and parse the content in these areas of a document. So you\u2019re wasting effort, and you might even sabotage your resume if you put crucial details there.<\/p>\r\n One of the best ways to create a resume that\u2019s optimized for both the ATS software and the humans doing the hiring is to create a Summary of Qualifications or Strengths at the top of your resume. Within this area, include a bullet list to highlight the skills or accomplishments that are most relevant to the job, including keywords and common abbreviations of them.<\/p>\r\n Avoid charts, graphs, and other imagery embedded within a document. If you\u2019re sending your resume in a Word file or a plain text file, it can end up looking messy because the formatting often won\u2019t be maintained during transmission. Even if it is, ATS software often can\u2019t read these types of graphic images, so it\u2019s best to avoid them and keep your resume simple.<\/p>\r\n ResumeSpice has the answers you\u2019re looking for. We have ATS resume examples<\/a>, as well as experts in writing ATS-friendly resumes, all, so you get the resume help you need and the job you want. Learn more by reaching out to our team at 832.930.7378<\/strong> or by contacting us<\/a> online.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When you\u2019re writing your resume, you\u2019re trying to stand out and appeal to hiring managers. But are you also thinking about a company\u2019s ATS? If you\u2019re not familiar with the term, it\u2019s simply the Applicant Tracking System that employers use to collect, sort, scan, and screen resumes. Most companies use them; in fact, around three…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1900,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[542,541,544,545,543],"class_list":["post-18172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-resume-writing","tag-ats-friendly-resume","tag-ats-resume-example","tag-best-resume-writing-services-near-me","tag-houston-resume-help","tag-how-do-i-get-my-resume-seen"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tCreating the right document type.<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Identifying the best keywords. <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Avoiding the header and footer. <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Formatting your resume properly. <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Keeping it simple.<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Wondering \u201chow do I get my resume seen\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n