Over the years, we have presented nearly 100 posts on the resume. All with the goal of assisting in you preparing your best resume. One resume topic that we need to examine in more depth is having a resume that addresses ATS Software. That is short for Applicant Tracking Systems, which many large firms utilize to initially review your resume.
Another Career Tool for You: Having a Resume That Addresses ATS Software
Overview
In today’s post, we provide insights and tools from various sources. P-L-E-A-S-E take their advice to heart. Learn how to better relate with ATS software. Here’s why:
Hiring managers and recruiters frequently use an applicant tracking system (ATS) — software that helps them organize job applications and ensure none fall through the cracks. If you’ve applied to a job any time since 2008, your application has probably passed through an ATS. Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS of some kind, according to research conducted by Jobscan. Any time you apply for a job through an online form or portal, your application is almost certainly going into an ATS. [Source: “Beat the Robots: How to Get Your Resume Past the System & Into Human Hands”]
Applicant Tracking Systems scan resume content and use an algorithm to search for keywords. The keywords look for certain skills, education, prior work experience, and former employers. The ATS filter which resumes will go on to the next round of the hiring process. They track applicant information, giving companies an easy way to manage data and create more order throughout the hiring process. One study found that 75 percent of resumes will never get into the hands of a real person. [Source: “How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume”]
Resources for Adapting to ATS Software
Advice from Regina Borsellino, writing for The Muse:
The recruiter decide which keywords to search for. Usually, whatever skills, qualifications, experience, or qualities are most important for the job. For entry-level roles, that might mean certain majors, whereas for a tech position, it might be certain coding languages. So if you want to make it past the ATS, you’ll need to include those important keywords on your resume. Hint: Look for the hard skills that come up more than once in a posting and are mentioned near the top of the requirements and job duties. Hard skills include types of software, methodologies, spoken languages, and other abilities that are easier to quantify. (The most important keyword could even be the job title itself!)
To see her 10 ATS tips, click the image.
When you write your resume, you should mirror the phrases and keywords exactly as mentioned in the job application. Humans might understand common synonyms and acronyms, but ATS don’t always pick up on those variations. Let’s say the listing mentions a specific computer program that is important to the job. Instead of listing “and other technological skills” on your resume, mirror back the name of the program exactly. If a job listing notes Google Analytics as a qualification, it’s helpful to list that specifically, not simply “analytics” or “SEO.” The same goes for various certifications and other types of software.
Jobscan’s Free ATS-Friendly Resume Service:
To see a resume assessment example, click the image below. To access the free ATS-friendly resume tool, click here.
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