When its recruitment process there are large volumes and piles of resumes submitted to the HR. The HR does not have ample time to run through all the resume and details of the candidates. Research suggests that recruiters just take six seconds to glimpse through a resume and certain resumes are trashed before they could reach the hirers hands. This is because the application tracking system plays its role and pre-filters many resumes based on keywords and key phrases. In this manner the most competent ones reaches the human eye and further called for an interview. Let’s glimpse through a few hints on how to get your resume past application tracking system.
14 Tricks To Beat Resume Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS):
1. Simple formatting:
To get your resume past the ATS, the basic eligibility for the resume is simplicity and accordance. A resume should be formatted in a standard format that is utilized for resumes such as times new roman, Arial or courier font. Additional tactics such as pictures, logos, images and shadings are to be avoided as ATS would not read fancy fonts and would discard the resume. In the same manner the resume should possess the usual sections within such as education, qualification, professional education, skills, and experience. An ATS would be blocked when new headings such as membership, publications, affiliations and more are added. Another important aspect the candidates should remember is that resumes should be sent in a word document or a rich text document rather than a PDF file. This is a mandatory formatting tip beneficial for candidates to pass the ATS.
2. Using appropriate keywords:
When discoursing about any profession, it has its own lingos, skills, responsibilities and more linked with the job role. When passing a resume through an ATS it surely looks for the key phrases and contextual information that is associated to the qualification. The phrases and skills mentioned in the job description are to be stated in the resume. This is because those phrases and keywords are designed by the hiring manager in the ATS.
3. Tools that help the candidate:
For candidates to pick the appropriate keywords and focus on it services like Tag crowd and wordle can be utilized. The job descriptions can be included and these tools get you keywords that can be scattered across the resume. It is also advised to use the acronym as well as the spell-out form of the title in the resume. Going overboard and filling the resume with keywords can make your resume look meaningless and thus lead to rejection.
4. Trenching career objective:
The career objective section is a waste of space and can be averted. It usually mentions the candidate’s objective and enthusiasm to work, but it is well understood that a candidate applies job to work. Instead of a career objective a short qualification summary can be added which has a minimum of 5 to 6 sentences along with a ATS related keywords. The qualification summary can include skills, experiences and achievements. By this way you can add ATS friendly keywords and also offer the hiring manager important points and tips where you can scan and understand the value of the individual.
5. Avert spelling mistakes:
Spelling mistakes are the biggest pit where the candidate can fall into. A human being possess the capacity to find out data when a spelling mistake is made, but an ATS will terminate you as it has no idea about the error made. Since spelling mistakes can avoid you completely, checking your resumes multiple times is advisable. The candidate should be careful in order to avoid spelling mistakes.
6. Organizing data:
It would be better if the resume has a set of bullets instead of paragraphs. Also the candidate should make sure that the resume should never be over cluttered and should possess some white space. By this way scanning is made easy with the ATS system. Information in a resume can be presented in a number of ways but it is suggested that in the employment history the candidate uses the employers name initially, followed by job titles and dates. In the same manner the job activity should also be mentioned in an detailed manner as ATS are becoming more prominent these days.
7. Completing the form:
With the details provided in the resume such as location and experience the ATS screens the resumes. The candidates should make sure that all the questions in the application are to be answered as any blank spaces may pave way for discarding the resume. When all the details in an online application form are completed, chances for your resume to pass through are elevated. By this way your application can get past the application tracking system.
8. Focusing on resume content:
To elevate the chances of getting passed by an ATS, the skills section should be fortified. Certifications can be added in the resume with industry specific words or terminologies. The professional summary can be optimized appropriate to the job description. The headers and titles should also be made specific related to the job description. Also make sure to mention your communication skills in an exact phrase.
9. Aspects to focus on a resume:
In order for your resume to pass through the ATS the candidate should make sure that there are no accented words or special characters used in the resume. The resume should also avoid usage of punctuations such as (), /, and – in the name. When the resume possess a single column format there should not be any multiple columns, text boxes or tables. The top line of the resume should be made sure that it has only the name and with no degrees and certifications along it. When you have dates to be mentioned in the resume, make sure to include months and dates should be mentioned on the right. Also it is good to make a note that there are no extra spaces between letters.
10. Using the right procedure:
The candidate may be applying for certain position in the company, and it is vital that the candidate uses the exact job title. In the same manner the section headers should be mentioned in caps so that the ATS classifies the information easily. Once information is posted online make sure to check your mails as many ATS acknowledges as automated responses. These automated responses can sometimes be found in your spam folder.
11. Avoid generic resumes:
It is said that generic resumes are enemies to the application tracking system and these are the primary documents which would be screened out. For every job role that you’re applying the resume must be tailored. The keywords and phrases for the appropriate job role must be incorporated.
12. Avoid irrelevant information:
For a resume to pass the application tracking system it is mandatory to add relevant data to the resume which associates with the job position. Writing irrelevant information is a waste of time and ends up as a filer. It is advised to include the necessary information to the resume.
13. Contact details at top:
Phone number, email address and contact details are mandatory in a resume which should be included at the top of the resume. The ATS may acknowledge your email and hence it is mandatory to add such details to the resumes.
14. Working of ATS:
The resume is uploaded and scanned in an ATS where it is stripped down which means the styling and formatting are removed. The text in the resume is brought to string of characters. The keywords and phrases in the skills and experience sections are monitored where by the end a score is given to the resume. Based on the score the recruiter decides whether to glimpse the resume and call the candidate for an interview or not. This is the procedure of an ATS.
Hence graduates who are applying for job roles in various reputed organizations can get to know the working procedure of an ATS. By knowing about an ATS, the resumes can be formulated in a manner that they pass the ATS system. For a resume to pass through an ATS in a successful manner, there are a number of hints which are mentioned above. Job questers who are struggling to get for an interview can read through the tips and design their resume accordingly. From fonts to formatting there are a number of aspects which needs to be followed in order to make a perfect resume. Keywords and phrases are also important aspects which make the resume an appropriate one to get through the ATS. As ATS are increasingly used in many large and small scale organizations, it is mandatory to format a resume that the ATS accepts. Run through the tips and make your career a bright and successful one.
