Career Service Findings on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
What is ATS?
ATS is electronic résumé scanning system software that companies use to read application documents that
applicants have sent through electronic means.
Almost 80% of resumes submitted online (and nearly 100% of resumes submitted to Fortune 1000
companies) will get scanned into an ATS system.
Why is ATS used?
Using an ATS helps companies manage excessive amounts of application data by scanning the documents
and returning matches on those that meet the position requirements. Due to the ease of online application,
companies are faced with an influx of résumés, many of which don’t meet the posted requirements.
Companies also need a system to track the applications received for compliance reasons and to protect
themselves against possible discrimination complaints. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
requires that companies have these types of procedures in place.
What’s good about ATS?
ATS can prevent discrimination by searching specifically for qualifications and skills instead of items like an
applicant’s past jobs, age, graduation date, etc. Also, systems for tracking application data help companies
ensure that their hiring policies are fair. ATS helps keep recruiters and HR departments organized by
streamlining the application process and providing a central database that others within the company can
access.
What are the key facts in understanding and working with an ATS?
1. They scan for key words. Use the keywords from the job description in both your résumé and cover letter
to increase the chances of returning a match. Visit the company’s website (careers/employment page), and
do industry research to find the correct buzz words of the field. However, avoid just listing the key words.
The best way to use keywords is to incorporate them into your accomplishment statements, showing how
you’ve demonstrated these key skills in past work/volunteer experiences. You must tailor your résumé for
each specific job application. Using the same résumé for every job posting will not be effective with
companies using an ATS.
2. They do not recognize synonyms. Avoid paraphrasing the keywords of the job requirements. Also,
acronyms are not always recognized (using SE instead of Systems Engineering, for example, might not
provide a match.) If you have a job title that has a different type of verbiage in the title (ex. Client Relations
Specialist instead of Customer Service Manager), follow up your title with the more “normal” sounding title
in parentheses.
3. Not all ATS are created equal. Be careful about formatting. Try to format your résumé in a way that will
be accepted even by basic ATS: for example, save in compatible Word formats (2003) instead of a docx or
2010. Avoid fancy fonts, script, small capitals, and multiple columns, which can be merged by basic ATS. A
basic, sans serif font is recommended such as Calibri, Tahoma, Arial, or Verdana. Use standard heading
titles such as Qualifications, Work Experience, and Education. Since some ATS cannot read other titles (such
as Professional Affiliations, Certifications and Training, etc.), make sure you place your most important
information in the basic headings. Also, do not place your contact information in a header (headers can be
filtered out by the software if the information doesn’t appear in the actual document). Avoid tables,
borders, graphics, or logos, and keep your smallest font size to 10 or 11.
4. Many can’t read pdf files. More advanced ATS can search for keywords on pdf files, but some don’t have
this technology (apparently when using Adobe Acrobat X Pro, pdf’s are searchable). Your best bet is to send
a Word document with standard formatting when applying online. If you want to have a more creative
version of your résumé for the interview, bring it in hard copy form, but do not submit this type
electronically. If you are emailing your résumé to a specific person in the company, pdf is still
recommended. Although companies should state what form they need the file in, not all of them do so.
More resources and tips on working with ATS:
http://blog.the-resume-resource.com/2012/03/08/ats.aspx
http://www.careerealism.com/companies-ats/
http://mashable.com/2012/04/28/applicant-tracking-systems/
http://www.businessinsider.com/formatting-rules-to-get-your-resume-through-the-scanning-software-20132?goback=%2Egde_2115428_member_218382509
Resume Tracking Systems are Flawed
Preparing a resume to win over a sophisticated computer program is tricky, and ultimately the resume also
needs to be acceptable to the human being who will eventually review it.
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ATS systems read plain text best. More text is good, but you can help the ranking by cutting articles,
pronouns, and other unnecessary words out of the resume.
A resume can be as lengthy as it needs to be. Page breaks are unrecognizable in ATS.
Keywords and key phrases are crucial to the functionality of ATS, but the ATS cannot translate or
exchange synonyms. Consider including many variations of key words and phrases in the resume.
Some ATS systems don’t pick up a keyword block, such as an “Areas of Expertise” competency
section. For the best chance, scatter the words and phrases throughout the resume.
ATS algorithms are designed to select keywords and phrases that are specific to a particular job, but
unique and different from other postings in its information bank. Resumes are ranked not only
against the post, but also against other resumes that are submitted. To better your chances, add
keywords that other candidates might not think of using.
With state-of-the-art ATS technology, it’s important to do more than simply insert keywords. New
systems rely on contextualization, keywords being framed by descriptive material that
demonstrates experience and familiarity with the subject, not on simple keyword matches.
The system only recognizes a very straightforward reverse chronological structure. If a candidate
has earned promotions within a company, list every job separately. In every section, include the
company name, job title, the start and end dates, job responsibilities, and achievements, in that
order.
Most ATS need work history to credit applicants for experience. Even if the candidate is a student,
include a “work history” section; add projects so that the ATS will give credit for skills and
competencies.
ATS reads text files the best. However, some systems can scan Word documents as well as PDF files.
There is now a proliferation of software and products in the ATS market at a price that is affordable
for small businesses and placement firms. Thus more employers and recruiters are jumping on the
ATS bandwagon to deal with the high volume of resumes submitted for consideration.
http://sharongraham.ca/resume-tracking-systems-atsareflawed/?goback=%2Egna_71205%2Egde_71205_member_214454808
Why Sneaky Resume Tactics May No Longer Aid Job Hunters
With regards to using white-text or microscopic fonts to embed job descriptions, because of recent
advances in resume-search technology, some of the sneakier tactics applicants have developed no longer
work. What's more, the new technology can reveal the use of these methods, potentially sabotaging a
candidate's chances of securing interview invites.
http://blogs.vault.com/blog/resumes-cover-letters/why-sneaky-resume-tactics-may-no-longer-aid-jobhunters/
Smarter, not Sneaky:
To identify the best keywords for your resume, copy/paste requirements from several similar job postings,
and put them into a form on Wordle.net for analysis of the frequency of their use. Wordle analyzes the
text submitted and highlights the most frequently used terms by making those words appear larger than
the words used less frequently. Example: