How to Check if My Resume is ATS-Friendly

Digital technologies have greatly facilitated recruiters’ work, allowing them to instantly select a resume for specific points. But for those looking for a job, things have become much more complicated. It’s not enough to know how to write a resume. It is essential to fit the Applicant Tracking System, as the ATS test rejects more than 70% of job seekers. The number of employers who use this system has long passed the 90 percent mark, and therefore you can be sure that your recruiter is also using this program. However, there are several ways you can improve your chances of passing this test.

What is an ATS Resume Checker?

An applicant tracking system aims to check your resume. The program follows a pattern and looks for information about experience, education, skills, and other relevant information. After the scan is completed and the system decides that you are suitable for this position, the ATS sends the resume to the recruiter. They first sort and select resumes and then forward the documents to the Hiring Manager. Thus, the work of the entire human resources department is greatly accelerated and becomes almost automatic. Did you know that sites like Indeed and Linkedin already have a built-in ATS? Often, job search platforms partner with resume check programs, as quick responses and consistently relevant information on the site increase the number of visits to job search platforms.

Since the internet made it easier to apply for the desired position, hiring managers have received about 300 requests for each job. Rereading a resume and looking for crucial information can sometimes be tricky, even for an experienced recruiter, but ATS resume screening can save you a lot of time and effort. That is also a big plus for candidates because they may receive their answer as soon as possible.

Resumes that do not meet the requirements or include certain important information are immediately rejected. And no one else will ever see these documents.

There are many qualified candidates whose resumes were immediately rejected because they did not match the ATS resume test template. But you can solve the problem and change your resume for the better. We are also convinced of that as professional resume writers who have been improving our skills for years. We have a few secrets to share.

Do’s and Don’ts of a Resume Review

•  ✔️ Use a standard format.

The ATS system is somewhat similar to an actual recruiter because it requires a short resume without unnecessary diagrams and pictures. Superfluous elements load your resume, make it visually more voluminous, but hiring managers prefer one or two application pages; that’s enough.

• ✔️ Make sure to use keywords.

You’ve probably already seen this phrase in other articles that talked about creating a good resume. But where to get these keywords? The answer is pretty simple. Keywords are job requirements, and you can find the information in the job description. Try to include all the relevant skills you have to get positive scan results. Besides, if you are applying for multiple positions, you can create a kind of resume template to change keywords conveniently.

• ✔️ Get rid of contractions.

The ATS may not know all the abbreviations and therefore may not recognize these words. Even prominent words like MBA, CEO, and the like need to be deciphered. The thing is that the ATS system often searches for the full version of words, skipping mismatched combinations.

• ✔️ Send the document in Word format.

Although ATS programs can read files like PDF, HTML, Open Office, or Apple Pages, .doc file is still loved by both recruiters and programs. Word files are more readable and easy to process, so give preference to the particular format.

• ✔️ Rephrase your language carefully.

The matter concerns only truthful information about you. But maybe you are missing something, but you want this position so hard. You can make your education your experience, for example. That cannot 100% guarantee passing the ATS, but it significantly increases the chances of being noticed.

• ❌ Don’t apply for multiple jobs from one company.

The ATS program is capable of scanning a resume and finding all the vacancies for which a candidate has applied. If the hiring manager sees that you have chosen many completely different positions, they will be highly puzzled. They will question your interest in any job and therefore consider you an unreliable person.

• ❌ Don’t try to cheat the ATS.

There are certain types of people who think that it is possible to fill the text with keywords without much meaning. And some even trickery to highlight keywords in white in the text, as if the system would not notice it. The ATS turns all selected text into black. Plus, your information must be coherent. That is, you can use as many keywords as you like, provided that it matches the content. Make sure that the use of the particular wording is logical and understandable.

• ❌ Use a convenient resume format.

Among all types of resumes, ATS prefers chronological and hybrid ones. The sequential type of storytelling is easier to handle, but a functional resume shouldn’t be left out as well if it’s well written.

• ❌ Avoid excessive “creativity.”

In general, there is a whole list of things to avoid besides pictures and diagrams. For example:

• Logos
• Visuals
• Columns
• Headers and footers
• Hyperlinks on keywords
• Not very popular fonts. Stop your attention specifically on Helvetica, Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman, Garamond.

Related: Why Do You Need a Great Resume?

How to Check If My Resume Is ATS-Friendly?

There are only two types of finding out whether your resume is compatible with ATS.

The first one is to check your resume yourself. It’s easy to do, and you need to convert your document to plain text. The formatting of the ATS is similar. It tells you what information will be excluded from your record. See what your resume will turn into once it becomes plain text. In this case, you will recognize your mistakes and can quickly fix them.

OR

ResumeEdge writing service can provide you with a free ATS scanning test. It all comes as a free resume review. Our team can objectively explain what is wrong with your document. And the applicant tracking system test tells whether your resume is suitable for the desired position. Our team appreciates the efforts and understands the importance of a good resume, so we are ready to provide you with any help.

What will not interfere with checking my resume with the ATS?

• You are free to use bold or italic.
• Using underscores is okay too, but do it better when it comes to URLs. People are used to seeing the underlined text as a link.
• Different colors in the text can also be present. Make sure, however, that the color of the text doesn’t make much sense as, as mentioned earlier, ATS makes all text black.
• Bullets are an essential element of all resumes. That helps to make the text more enjoyable to read.

Conclusion

Fitting your resume to ATS compatibility principles will take time. But patience and hard work will be justified by passing the test. Ultimately, it maximizes your chances of being interviewed. If you do not know how to cope with the task or do not know how to write a resume at all, feel free to contact our ResumeEdge team. We can help you in every possible way, correct your resume, and advise you to add something. We can also make a unique resume for you from scratch.