Secret to Application Tracking System (ATS

No matter how much work you put into your application, it may never get pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and into human hands if you do not do it right. How do you avoid this from happening to you?

Landing a job interview during this difficult job market is already pretty tough on its own. Throw in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and your resume may either end up automatically disqualified, or be placed so low down the list that recruiters do not even spare a glance at it.

For fresh graduates, this is an incredibly harsh reality. However, in an era of the internet and numerous job portals, sending in applications is easier than ever. With top-ranked employers unable to manage the sheer volume of applications flooding them, almost all large and multinational companies have turned to an ATS to aid in screening candidates, with smaller and medium-sized companies increasingly following the trend.

How it works

Usually, once you have clicked on the “Send” button, your resume will be sent to an ATS for processing, where words on your resume will be matched to keywords in the job description. Following which, the ATS will use the score based on this process to rank your resume according to its relevance before passing it on to human hands.

Although some updated and advanced systems are now able to process synonyms, there are still some companies using older systems that can only spot exact matches. Because of this, resumes from top candidates have been known to slip to lower ranks, or even trashed. This means that if you want your resume to beat the ATS, then it needs to get matched.

How to optimise your resume

Format your resume

Having a well-designed resume may tell a potential employer a lot about your creative inclinations, but it does not help your application when it comes to the ATS. At the end of the day, an ATS is just a programme that relies on matching keywords in the job description to the resume. This means simple resumes with minimal designs and lots of matching keywords are the ultimate winners.

Turning to basic fonts like Arial may seem unthinkable to a designminded jobseeker, but it is the safest bet to beat the ATS. In addition, remove all logos and photos. An ATS will reject fancy fonts and images as it cannot read them. Keep to the standard resume template, and do away with specific headings, such as Publications and Affiliations – the ATS will have trouble computing those too. Stick to common headings, such as Professional Experience, Skills, Education and Qualifications. In other words, the most common descriptive keywords.

Submit your resume in Word format rather than PDF if you can. Although an ATS can be programmed to process and read PDF documents, there may be errors depending on how the text is formatted within the PDF. A Word doc file is still the safer bet.

Use relevant keywords and phrases

Read the job description and responsibilities carefully. Start by picking out the keywords found there that seem suitable to be included in your resume. The skills section would be the most fitting, where you list your core competencies or skills. Do not overdo it though; make sure you remain honest when describing your past experiences and skills.

If you need more help, approach your Career Coaches for assistance in shortlisting keywords and phrases before integrating them into your resume. Ultimately, make sure your resume flow well even as you tailor it to each role you are gunning for. After all, once your resume clears the ATS, it will then be reviewed by a human recruiter!

Check your spelling

While the human eye can at least figure out misspelled words in your resume, an ATS will not be able to compute typos. So comb through your resume manually to find any spelling errors before you use spellcheck. Once that is done, ask another person to go through your resume once more before sending it in.

Take this as an opportunity to have your Career Coaches appraise your resume, and then use their comments as a guide to improve the quality of your document. This may sound like a lot of work for a resume, but it will be all worth it when your resume passes through the ATS and ends up on the recruiter’s desk!

Go around the ATS if you can

When all is said and done, going directly to a recruiter or hiring manager is still the best way to get around an ATS.

Although the company’s hiring practices may still apply to you as a candidate, and you may still be required to apply through the company’s online hiring portal, you can better your prospects by sending your resume directly to a recruiter or hiring manager instead of just submitting it to a piece of automated software. Do not forget to include a brief note on why you think you are a good fit for the position you are applying for.

Focus on building a network in the company as well. Having supporters inside the company vouching for you can greatly boost the odds of you landing the role too!