How to get your resume past an ATS
Most of what is written about applicant tracking systems is fear. The useful part is small. These systems read the text of your file into fields so people can search and sort applications. If your file is easy to read as plain text, you have done most of the work.
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What an ATS actually does
An applicant tracking system collects applications, turns each resume into text and fields such as name, jobs, dates and skills, and lets a recruiter search and filter them. Some can also rank applicants against a job posting. What they do varies from employer to employer, because each company sets its own rules.
So the goal is not to trick anything. It is to make sure that what a person would see on your page is what the software reads from it.
Make sure the text can be read
Software can only use text it can pull out of the file. The quick test is to open your PDF and try to select a line of text with your cursor. If you can, a system probably can too.
- Send a PDF made from a document, or a Word file. Avoid a scan or a screenshot of your resume.
- Keep your name and contact details in the main body, not only in a page header or footer, which some systems skip.
- Do not put important text inside images, text boxes or icons.
- Use a common font. If a symbol turns into a box when you paste it into a plain text editor, it will turn into a box for the system too.
Use the headings systems expect
Systems look for familiar section names to decide where your jobs, education and skills start. Creative headings such as "My journey" or "Things I know" can leave a section unlabelled.
- Experience, or Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Summary or Profile, if you include one
- Certifications, Projects or Languages where they apply
Keep the layout simple
One column, read from top to bottom, gives the software a single order to follow. Two-column layouts, tables and text boxes are where reading order most often gets scrambled, so a date can end up next to the wrong job.
You do not need a plain page to look dull. Spacing, bold job titles and a clear hierarchy do the work that colour and sidebars would.
Use the posting’s words, honestly
If a posting asks for "stakeholder management" and you have done it, say it in those words, once, where it is true. Systems and recruiters both search for the terms a posting uses, and a different phrase for the same skill can be missed.
Do not paste a block of keywords or hide them in white text. A person reads your resume next, and both are easy to spot.
Weaker
Worked with different teams on projects
Stronger
Managed stakeholders across product, finance and legal on a pricing change
Weaker
Good with data
Stronger
Built SQL reports in Looker that finance used for monthly close
Check it before you send it
Run the finished file through a checker and fix what it flags. It takes a minute and catches the problems you cannot see on screen, such as text that does not read back in order.
Try it on your resume
ATS resume checker
Upload your resume and see how a system reads it, with the fixes in order. Free, no account needed.
Open the toolCommon questions
Does an ATS automatically reject resumes?
It depends on how the employer set it up. Many mainly store and sort applications so a person can search them. Some employers add screening questions or rules. Either way, a file that reads cleanly as text gives you the best chance of being found.
Should I send a PDF or a Word file?
A PDF made from a document works for most systems, as long as you can select the text in it. If a posting asks for a Word file, send that.
Is hiding keywords in white text a good idea?
No. It is visible to anyone who selects all the text, it can get your application discarded, and it does nothing for the person who reads it.
How many keywords should I use?
There is no count to hit. Use the terms a posting stresses where they are true of your work, and leave out the rest.
Do fancy templates fail?
Some do. Layouts with columns, tables, icons or text in images are the ones that most often read back out of order. A one-column template with standard headings is the safest choice.