ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems are programs used by major businesses (pretty much any job you’ll have applied to on Linkedin’s first 5 pages of jobs) that help them to programmatically sort through applicants and narrow down their pool of leads.
While I was recently applying for jobs I had a lot of conversations with friends and we shared a common frustration,
Isn’t anyone willing to train employees anymore or are they expecting us to know every single program used by their business before we even begin?
If you’re wondering where to invest your time and how to elevate yourself as a candidate then the one program that you should know about is ATS. There are a few simple tricks that will make sure the bot doesn’t pass up on your profile. Of course, having the relevant skills and experience is still a must but don’t get lost in the shuffle just for using the wrong font.
How To Beat Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
FONTS
Since we’ve mentioned it, Fonts! Fonts play a big role in how the program reads your cover letter and resumé. Stick to basic fonts like Georgia, Helvetica, and Times New Roman.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Canva may tempt you with its array of beautiful resumé templates but you have to resist in this case. My older resumé had swooshes, colour and a photo but I had to pair back on all of that for a more simplified look. Ensure you don’t use: Headers, Footers, or Columns in your resumé.
KEEP IT CLEAR
Use basic titles for each of your sections such as Skills/ Education/ Experience and don’t get fancy because that bot won’t know what you mean.
KEEP IN MIND YOU’RE BEING REVIEWED BY A ROBOT
Be sure to use the long-form as well as acronyms in your descriptions (such as SEO + Search Engine Optimization).
ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK YOU SAVE IT IN THE RIGHT FORMAT
Lastly make sure you’re saving it in the specified format (PDF, DOCX etc). If you want to know how your resumé stacks up for the job you’re applying for try using Job Scan. Job Scan is a free program that allows you to copy and paste your resumé alongside the job description and tells you know how it performs for ATS and how well matched you are for the job.
For more tips on how to stay organized during your job search and on how to optimize your Linkedin check out our previous article: How to set up your Linkedin account, stay organized and get the job of your dreams.
Header Illustration by: Cary Kwok
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