How to make an ATS friendly resume: tips for success

Starting a new job search is exciting, especially when you fire off your updated resume to job postings that look like the perfect fit. Rejections are to be expected, but if you’re not hearing anything back from recruiters over an extended period of time there may be a problem. This could be due to the fact that your resume isn’t ATS-friendly.

In today’s job market, having an ATS-friendly resume is vital. Crafting a concise, well-written, ATS-compliant resume is key to minimizing those rejections and getting your resume in front of the hiring manager. In this article, we’ll show you how to make an ATS-friendly resume and provide some top tips for success, including:

• What is an ATS

• What is an ATS-friendly resume

• 5 tips for making an ATS-friendly resume

• ATS-friendly resume template

What is an ATS?

Applicant tracking systems are software databases used by employers to collect, organize, parse, and rank job applications for open positions. When you consider that companies receive hundreds of resumes for each job advertised, it makes sense that they use ATS to streamline the recruitment process and save a whole lot of time and money.

According to a recent report, a whopping 99% of Fortune 500 companies use one or more ATS systems and 75% of recruiters and personnel managers also use ATS as part of their hiring activities. Clearly, having an ATS-friendly resume is one way to ensure your resume doesn’t fall into the void and reaches a human eye. 

What is an ATS-friendly resume?

ATS-friendly resumes are designed to perform well when scanned by applicant tracking systems that many companies now use. This software can struggle to read your resume if you use complex layouts, design-heavy images, fancy fonts, and quirky section headings. ATS will also search for relevant keywords across your resume that align with the job description. 

No matter how stellar your qualifications, skills, and work experience is, if the ATS can’t parse your resume correctly and finds a lack of relevant keywords, you’ll probably get overlooked. While you don’t want a resume that is simply a long list of keywords in an unattractive format, there are ways you can balance your resume to be both ATS- and human-friendly. 

5 Tips for making an ATS-friendly resume

How do you get your resume past the ATS gatekeeper and in front of the hiring manager’s eyes? Follow these top tips to create an ATS-friendly resume: 

1. Choose an ATS-friendly format

Design-heavy resume templates don’t perform well on ATS. Fancy layouts with tables, images, and columns can make your resume look visually appealing but will make it difficult for the software to scan your information correctly.

Stick to a clean, concise, and minimalist resume layout, with your work experience listed in reverse-chronological order. Ensure you label your section headings clearly, such as “Professional Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills,” as ATS will search for these sections to verify years of experience, specific education, and relevant keywords. 

2. Optimize your keywords

Keyword optimization is one of the most important ways to ensure your resume is ATS-ready. Recruiters use applicant tracking systems to search for specific keywords directly related to the job opening. If you haven’t included these terms in your resume, it could be game over.

Make sure your resume speaks the language of the job description by including relevant keywords that are repeated or emphasized as important skills and experience. For example, if the job description mentions social media marketing and Google Analytics, then be sure to sprinkle these terms across your resume. 

3. Don’t include important information in the header and footer

Some applicant tracking systems are unable to read and parse information correctly from the header and footer sections. Maximizing space on a resume is a great thing, but not at the risk of the ATS being unable to scan vital information. For example, your name and contact details should be detailed at the start of your resume and outside any header and footer sections.

4. Tailor your resume for each job opportunity

Many job seekers use the “one size fits all” approach when it comes to using the same resume for every job application. While it can be time-consuming and require more effort tailoring your resume to each specific job opportunity, this is vital when creating ATS-friendly resumes.

Unless you're targeting diverse roles, this doesn’t mean you need to completely rewrite your resume every time. Tweaking key sections, such as the professional summary, skills, and work experience, will ensure the most relevant skills and experience are highlighted.

5. Choose the correct file format

A PDF file is universal and can be read by the majority of applicant tracking systems. Check the job posting for specific details on the file format the hiring manager prefers. If this isn’t detailed, the best option is to submit a PDF or .docx file.  

ATS-friendly resume template

Here’s an outline of the format and structure you want to be working towards when generating an ATS-friendly resume:

If you want to double check your resume is ATS-ready, check out our free resume review service. This tool allows you to get the results applicant tracking systems will see when they parse your resume as well as secure some constructive feedback to make any final touches.

Key takeaways

1. Applicant tracking systems are used by many companies to streamline the hiring process by collecting, organizing, and ranking resumes following a job posting.

2. Having an ATS-friendly resume is vital. This will help you get past ATS software and land on the hiring manager's desk for a human review.

3. Selecting a clean, simple and minimalist format, with clear sections, bullet pointed lists, and appropriate file format will make it easier for ATS to parse your information correctly.

4. ATS will scan your resume for relevant keywords. Review the job description so you can sprinkle terms that are emphasized as important across your resume.