What Is an ATS Resume With Examples, Tips, and Guide
An applicant tracking system (ATS) resume is a resume you’ve optimized for ATS used by employers to screen job applications. The better your resume performs on these digital screenings, the more likely it is to reach a hiring manager and get you an interview.
To ensure your resume earns a high ATS score, focus on keywords. These job-relevant terms and phrases “are the backbone of all electronic resume-scanning technologies and ATS,” according to job search experts Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark. “Nearly all companies and recruiters use keywords as the primary method to identify qualified candidates, and they are the words that will help you get found online and make the cut.”
The following tips and examples will help you write and format a keyword-rich resume that performs well on modern ATS.
Tips for an ATS-Friendly Resume
Add a skills section below your profile
With a prominent skills section, you’ll help ensure your resume has the keywords to get noticed. Use this part of your resume to cover the various ways you can serve an organization, including hard skills, soft skills, or technical skills.
Review each job posting closely
Note any required skills or credentials you have, and seek ways to emphasize them beyond the skills section.
Say the job posting calls for Spanish proficiency – consider citing yours in the profile section, as well as a languages section farther down the document.
Or, say the role focuses on customer relations – review your job descriptions and give more detail on how you’ve engaged with clients or improved services. Also, order your bullet points so these details appear at or near the top of the respective job description.
Use standard section headings
Resist the urge to find a more colorful phrase than “Professional Experience” or “Education.” Headings like these are key to your resume’s ATS performance, as they help the software register your experience areas and tally keywords in each section.
Avoid the functional format
With a functional resume, you separate your job descriptions from your work history. This can hinder your ATS score because when work keywords don’t appear under your employment dates, it’s harder for the software to measure the duration or depth of your experience.
Don’t keyword-stuff
Although keywords are essential to your resume’s ATS performance, don’t go overboard. The technology is now smart enough to score synonyms and similar phrases reasonably (e.g., “Bachelor of Arts” and “BA” count the same). It’s also smart enough to mark down a resume with exact phrases from the job posting, or one stuffed with every possible wording of each skill area.
ATS-Friendly Resume Examples
Frequently Asked Questions About ATS Resumes
By relevance. ATS often gives more weight to keywords that appear higher in a document, so organize your resume accordingly. Suppose you recently earned a rare certification that the job posting calls a standout qualification. Place your certifications section above your experience section if it has more relevance to the job opening.
This ATS factor is also why profile summaries are an effective resume strategy. Gathering your best qualifications at the top of your resume will further enhance its keyword potential and overall positioning in ATS scans.
Follow a simple, consistent design to help ATS gauge your qualifications accurately. Avoid templates with elaborate graphics, charts, or text boxes, as ATS technology does not pick up text appearing in these features. Instead, use simple format adjustments like bold or italic text to set off important work details.
Consider adding college coursework. By listing relevant course names or subjects, you’ll boost your resume’s keywords and give ATS a clear sense of your knowledge base. Simply add the phrase “Coursework on:” or “Select coursework:” under the degree name and list the topics you’d like to highlight.
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