Making The ATS Friendly Resume

What if we told you making an ATS friendly resume is easier than you think?

If you’re not getting a callback from your applications, it may not be you personally.

There’s a million reasons why companies don’t respond back to the hundreds online job applications.

Some reasons are completely out of your control but one mistake we see time and time again has to do with HOW jobseekers write their resumes.

To be specific, maybe electronic resume scanners aren’t reading your resume correctly.

So what can you do about this?

Writing excellent resumes that resume scanners will accept requires just a touch of know-how about the nature of applicant tracking systems.

We’ll teach you the resume writing fundamentals and why these new ATS software is so popular today.

What are the most common resume writing mistakes people make?

With the popularity of Canva in graphic design, creating colorful resumes feels like job hunters are making something extra special for those company recruiters. However we have seen a number of mistakes that job seekers make as a result. Ask yourself these 4 questions…

Are you adding funky graphics or data tables?
Are you using fonts that aren’t clearly legible?
Are you writing the resume with generic wording?
Are you using pictures like headshots?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then sound the alarm!

The issue here is that artificial intelligence isn’t that smart…it’s crazy, we know. Experts have weighed in on making resumes on canva and the results aren’t great. Why?

Resumes scanners get confused by colorful graphics, messy fonts, poor wording choices, and pictures!

What can I do to make an ATS friendly resume?

To be blunt, if you answered yes to any of the above questions then start doing the reverse.

So follow these steps to make an ATS friendly resume.

Study the job listing and use specific keywords/phrasing
Use a traditional font like Times New Roman or Ariel
No pics
No graphics (nada)
Keep your resume plain with black ink on white paper
Save as a pdf or .docx

These details matter because of how applicant tracking systems work.

Apply these tips and you’ll have a better shot at interviewing.

You can stop here but if you want a deeper understanding the ATS software then keep reading!

So what is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Woo boy, this is a big one. So the ATS is a type of software that scans resumes and selects candidates. Like any software, there are several types of ATS but they all do the same thing. Whenever you send off resumes on LinkedIN, Indeed or Monster.com, there’s a good chance an ATS will scan your resume. Companies large and small are using this electronic software to help with the workflow of evaluating applications.

With so many candidates applying to jobs online, there’s really no escaping that you’ll inevitably encounter ATS software.

Which brings us to our next point…

Why is ATS popular with companies?

Companies need to sift through VOLUMES of applications. HR will receive hundreds if not thousands of applicants. Thousands of applicants mean thousands of resumes. Imagine having to go through digital piles of resumes which grow everyday!

To expedite the process, companies use special software to narrow the field so to speak. Those thousands of resumes become reduced to hundreds, then dozens, and finally a handful of worthy candidates.

It’s American Idol meets the Hunger Games. And every judge is somehow both President Snow AND Simon Cowell.

May the odds ever be in your favor.

So how does the Applicant Tracking System work?

Typically, there’s a point system based on specific criteria and ATS software will scan resumes with the following criteria

Keywords based on job responsibility
Skills in the context of the job requirements
Industry-specific jargon
Level of past responsibility demonstrated
Relevant certifications
Former employers & job titles
Years of experience
Resume formatting
Schools attended

If your resume passes enough of these filters, you’ll have a higher chance of moving to the interview stage.

In other words, the specific language and phrasing of your resume can impact your ability to get hired.

So how can you use this information?

When in doubt, adapt.

Use the literal words in the job listing inside your resume as honestly as possible.

Let’s break this down.

For example, imagine there’s a job listing that “requires 2 or more years of content production and graphic design with Canva”.

As a result, ATS scanners will look for resumes with the phrase “years of content production and graphic design with Canva”.

Resumes that explicitly state this phrase will rate higher than resumes that don’t.

So if you have 2.5 years of experience creating content with Canva, then use that job posting phrase and adapt it to your experience in your resume.

Adjusting your resumes will help. Trust us.

We know that adjusting your resume will take another 10-20 minutes but we think you’re worth that extra time. 😉

What other ATS friendly resume tips improve your resume ranking?

No pics. Not even your best selfie. Pictures look great visually and you can put a great headshot on your blog, personal website or where ever actual human eyes will see it. It hurts to hear that, we know. You dropped some bucks down on that beautiful headshot with the perfect lighting but ATS friendly resumes aren’t about beauty.

ATS friendly resumes are about pure data.

Fill your resume with as much technical detail as possible.

Also, since ATS are text readers save your resume as a pdf or .docx.

So to review…