Today’s landscape is digital, whether you’re consuming entertainment in your own home or searching for a new job. You probably already know that your resume might be read by a computer before it’s ever seen by a human. But did you know? Applicant tracking systems (ATS) filter out a high percentage of resumes before they ever reach the recruiters!
Below, we’ll explore more amazing facts like this one. If you’ve ever applied for dozens of jobs and never heard back, you may learn why! In addition to surprising facts about ATS software, we’ll discuss how creating an ATS-proof resume can increase your chances of getting hired.
Fact 1: Almost 100 Percent of Fortune 500 Companies Use ATS Software
Jobscan reports that 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies, 70 percent of large companies, 20 percent of small to medium-sized businesses, and 75 percent of recruiters use ATS software. The larger and more well-known the company, the more likely they are to use software to filter and sort the hundreds or thousands of resumes they receive.
Why does this matter to you? If it’s not ATS-ready, your resume could be automatically discarded, even if you’re highly qualified.
Fact 2: Fancy Fonts Can Break Your Resume
You may have heard that it’s important for your resume to stand out. That is true, but creative fonts, bold colors, icons, and illustrations aren’t the way to do it. ATS often can’t read these correctly and may reject your resume.
ATS-Proof Tip: Use familiar fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. In most cases, you should stick to black text. If you use background colors, print your document in black and white to make sure it has sufficient contrast.
Fact 3: ATS Don’t Like Headers, Footers, or Columns
Your eyes may say that those headers, footers, and columns look professional, but the limitations of ATS may read them incorrectly. For example, instead of reading down each column, it may read straight across all three. Important information in headers and footers might be skipped entirely.
ATS-Proof Tip: Use a one-column format. Try to keep all the most important information on the first page.
Fact 4: Avoid Special Characters
Special characters may be a part of your name, a company or tool’s name, or used to save space. But ATS are likely to read these incorrectly, perhaps confusing them with a common letter or number. For example, a plus sign might read as a lowercase “t.”
ATS-Proof Tip: Avoid ampersand and other special characters whenever possible.
Fact 5: ATS Don’t Like Acronyms
Unless acronyms are used in the original job posting, ATS aren’t likely to recognize them. Even worse, they may mistake them for other words.
ATS-Proof Tip: Spell out all acronyms at least once, followed by the acronym in parentheses. You can then use the acronym in the rest of the document. This has the added bonus of ensuring the hiring manager understands role or industry-specific lingo.
Fact 6: How You Save It Matters
Pay attention to the suggested file types when you upload your resume. Typically, PDF files are suggested because they can’t lose their formatting. However, ATS can get confused if the PDF uses complex formatting or embedded elements.
Some ATS are designed to work best with Microsoft Word (.docx) files. If this is the recommended file type, use it.
What if you saved your resume using a different file type? Try to download or export it in a different file type from the original source. You can also use software to convert it from one file type to another. If you do, proofread the result for any mistakes.
Fact 7: Keyword Matching Is the Key
One of the main roles of ATS software is to scan documents for pre-programmed keywords. You’ll find these in the original job posting—the job title, skills, tools, certifications, education, and experience required. The more of these you can include in your resume, the higher you’ll score.
ATS-Proof Tip: ATS are getting smarter thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), but many can still miss variations of keywords—using a different verb tense or spacing a compound word, for example. Mirror the exact keywords from the description in your resume.
Fact 8: Simple Dates Are Best
ATS can get confused if you list employment dates in an unconventional way. For example, outside the United States, dates are sometimes listed day/month/year instead of month/day/year.
ATS-Proof Tip: Keep it simple. Include just the years or use a month/year or month/day/year format.
Fact 9: ATS Are Afraid of the Unknown
Career gaps aren’t the red flag they once were, but the algorithms of some ATS still factor them in. Large gaps can lower your overall score.
ATS-Proof Tip: Account for career gaps with simple explanations, such as “Career Break for Family Care | 2023 to 2024.”
Fact 10: Customization Improves Your Score
You might assume that one highly ATS-optimized resume is your ticket in. But tailored resumes result in approved scores, often due to keyword matching.
ATS-Proof Tip: Starting with your original version, tailor a resume to each job you apply for. When you save an editable copy of your resume, you can accomplish this quickly and easily.
