Before we talk about ATS friendly resume templates, let's first understand the importance of the resume itself.
Your resume is important because it helps you get a job that enables you to earn, which in turn helps you sustain yourself and live your life.
With globalization and advancements in the digital world, people have gotten closer, and finding talent has become easier. The widespread and blooming concept of remote / WFH has ensured hiring managers find what they are looking for and more!
If you want the dream job, you need to step up your game and go the extra mile! Your resume is where you present yourself, hence its importance.
So, let's learn how to create the best resume for yourself. For more insight, you should also check out our resume examples.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
The Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, is the software utilized by hiring managers, recruiters, and talent seekers. The hiring manager sets parameters or filters in the software to help it shortlist resumes.
Hiring managers receive thousands of applications, and scanning them all manually can be time-consuming and tiring. By the time the hiring manager is done scanning a thousand applications, the company may already be facing loss due to a lack of personnel.
Whether you are applying for a small company, a start-up, or a big corporate company, the hiring manager is likely using applicant tracking systems. You should always apply to every job with a resume that is ATS friendly.
So, the applications are filtered through the ATS, and the hiring manager handles the resumes that come out at the end. During this process, many resumes are rejected because they fail to meet the parameters set in the ATS.
Now, the parameters are nothing but certain keywords. And it works very simply- if your resume has the keywords set as parameters, your resume will pass the ATS, and if your resume doesn't have those keywords, your resume will end up in a rejection pile.😞
This means only ATS-compliant resumes will reach the hiring manager, so make sure you use the ATS resume.
What is an ATS Resume?
Simply put, an ATS friendly resume isn't rejected by the ATS and passes it successfully.
This means your ATS resume should include certain key factors that will help you get the job, such as relevant keywords, details, an outline, and a document format.
ATS friendly resumes are also the ones with less complicated designs with graphics and tables and such.
An ATS-friendly resume is easily read and passed by the ATS software. Unlike old-time resumes, which could be written for the hiring manager only, now you have to pass the ATS and impress the hiring managers.
Let's learn how to write an ATS-friendly resume.👇
How to Write an ATS Friendly Resume: Step-by-Step Guide
Writing an ATS-friendly resume is not very difficult. Follow these steps and use them as your checklist:
Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Template
Not every resume template is ATS friendly. ATS is essentially artificial intelligence which means it has some basic limitations. For example, ATS software may not detect graphics properly.
There are a number of ATS friendly templates available online, you can refer to them and choose the one that best suits you.
These are the most important aspects of ATS friendly template:
- Simple outline: Avoid using complex designs, images, or graphics.
- Proper header: Include your name, contact details, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable).
- Clear section titles: Use headings like "Experience," "Education," and "Skills."
- Consistent formatting: Use the same font, spacing, and alignment.
- Readable font: Stick to fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
Step 2: Optimize Your Contact Information
When you mention your contact details, ensure you do not make any spelling errors or digits. You should write your name followed by the contact number where you are easily reachable.
Please check your name for spelling errors. The contact number should be written correctly with signs such as +, brackets, and spaces.
After the contact number, mention your email ID. Make sure your email ID is professional and properly working. Some job seeker professionals use informal email IDs, which can reflect a lack of professionalism.
Finally, you can mention your home address, although it is not mandatory. However, if the job description mentions a location requirement, you must mention the address.
Step 3: Use Keywords from the Job Posting
The job ad you are applying to will have a job description. This description is very important because it contains everything that the recruiter is looking for.
The recruiter will be looking for the same in the pool of resumes, meaning the ATS will have parameters mentioned in the job description.
You should follow these tips to best match the job description:
- Pick keywords from the job description: Incorporate key phrases that match the job's requirements.
- Highlight relevant experience: Tailor your work history to emphasize experience directly related to the role.
- Showcase skills: Focus on the skills listed in the job description (e.g., technical skills, soft skills).
- Quantify achievements: Use numbers and metrics to demonstrate your impact (e.g., “increased sales by 20%”).
- Include certifications: If the job requires specific certifications, ensure they are prominently listed.
- Customize your summary: Write a compelling summary that aligns with the job’s core responsibilities.
Sometimes, while including the keywords, we end up overstuffing them in the content, which significantly decreases its readability.
Use keywords sensibly throughout the resume. Maintain a sensible balance regarding keyword repetition.
To ensure that all the essential keywords are covered in your resume, you should research all these:
- Job titles/position/role
- Job description
- Responsibilities
- Industry
- Qualifications
- Relevant Educational Background
- Relevant Roles
- Relevant skills
Apart from these, anything else relevant should also be covered in your research. In addition, you can also add details in the skills section that may be useful for the role.
When you are including keywords in your resume, you should also include long tail keywords wherever possible.
Step 4: Use Full forms & Abbreviations
When you are writing an ATS friendly resume, you should write both the full forms and their abbreviations (short forms). ATS software may have parameters of just a full form or only the abbreviation or both, you cannot take a risk.
For example, if your resume is for a role in the social media field, you might mention SEO. So you should mention it like this: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
This will help you beat the ATS. It is also a professional and formal way of writing. You should make a habit of writing both the full form and its abbreviations.
Step 5: Maintain Accuracy and Relevance
When you are writing your resume, you might make spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and/or mistakes in details or sentence formation.
This can cost you a job because if the keywords have a spelling error, it won't get detected by the ATS.
Once you are done writing your resume, make sure to proofread it twice and pay close attention to everything.
Step 6: Use Simple Content and Bullet Points
Your details should be written in a simple manner. You should use bullet points with short sentences and avoid long texts.
The fonts you choose should also be simple and readable, compatible for ATS. You can choose one of the standard and professional fonts and avoid extra creative ones.
Make sure that the text is easily detectable and readable.
If you use extra creative fonts and a complicated outline of content, ATS may fail to detect the keywords properly and reject your resume (even if it has the required keywords).
Your font color should also be simple, don't use many colors. This is important for professionalism.
Straightforward content will also make your resume look neat and clean. You will easily avoid a chaotic resume format.
Step 7: Avoid Visual Elements
\Having graphics, infographics, tables, images and such elements can really disrupt ATS detection. ATS software may fail to detect any text on your resume and reject your resume. Avoid any visual elements.
You should keep your resume simple and as textual as possible while also using bullet points and avoiding paragraphs.
If you are using a creative visual format for your resume, you must make sure that you text is layered on the graphic and not part of the graphic. This way ATS will be able to detect the text on the document.
Step 8: Choose the Correct File Format
Not all file formats are ATS friendly. The best compatibility for Applicant Tracking System is provided by .doc documents. You can also choose the .pdf format.
Avoid using any other format for your resume's digital document. If the format is not compatible, the ATS will reject the document itself, and your resume will not reach the hiring manager.
A resume that is ATS compliant will help you get through the ATS software and reach the hiring manager. Applicant tracking systems have limited functions, and if you do not meet the parameters, the rest of the content will not matter because the ATS cannot think like a human being.
Step 9: Add Extra Resume Sections for Impact
Do you have any hobbies or interests, or language proficiencies that you think are relevant? Any extracurricular activities, achievements, or participation in special programs or courses?
Mention them! This might just be one of the parameters that is not mentioned in the job description as mandatory, but it makes you stand out!
The hiring manager will be intrigued to have an interview call with you.
You should also mention any certifications and awards you have acquired. Such additions can make your profile more intriguing for hiring managers.
You can mention any recognitions you received during your education as well. Your outstanding performances in any capacity should be noted.
However, make sure you leave out any irrelevant information. Every detail should be relevant to the job or at least to your character and profile as an employee.
Step 10: Tailor Your Resume to Each Job
The ATS parameters are targeted at a particular job position at a specific company. This means you should tailor your resume for every job application.
A generic resume may beat ATS at many job applications, but it will not beat ATS at every job application. You should not take any risk.
You do not need to write the whole resume for every application. Just make tweaks here and there, adding and removing keywords as required.
Mistakes to Avoid on ATS Resume:
Make sure your resume doesn’t include these mistakes:
- Using creative or non-standard fonts.
- Overloading resumes with graphics or tables.
- Forgetting to proofread for spelling errors.
- Using headers and footers that might confuse the ATS.
- Overuse of acronyms without explanations.
- Using images or photos, which ATS can’t read.
- Ignoring job-specific keywords in your resume.
- Using unusual section headings that might not be recognized by ATS.
- Using passive language or vague descriptions.
Conclusion
Applicant tracking systems are tricky but not impossible to pass. An ATS resume template can quickly make your resume ATS compliant. You can use this article as your checklist, and make sure you include/avoid everything in your resume, as advised previously.
Once you have written your resume, proofread it and make sure everything is accurate. Check the resume for any errors of spelling or grammar and details.
