How ATS Systems Read Your CV: The 5 Things You Need to Know

Members of older generations struggle to relate to modern job seekers’ quarrels with technology, specifically the Application Tracking Software (ATS) systems that most HR departments utilise these days. For those not in the know, ATS systems are AI gatekeepers that keep score and let only the “worthy” job application documents pass through to a human reader.

The purpose of an ATS system is to reduce the manual load on humans and reduce bias by sorting and ranking the best candidates based on a professional rubric and set of standards, rather than having a person laboriously sort through potentially hundreds of applications.

In short, you need to fool the bots before the humans to have a successful job application. Don’t fret, though! Whoops Word is here to help you out. Listen closely, dear readers – we’re letting you in on the five things you’ll need in your resume to be chosen by the ATS and get human eyes on your resume.

1.        Take Care with Key Words

First things first: get your eagle eyes on and scan that job application! You are looking for keywords that you can exemplify in your skills and experience sections.

If a job description lists a desirable candidate as having excellent computer literacy, you make a big song and dance about your freak-in-the-sheets Microsoft Excel abilities. If the description calls for exemplary communication skills, by all means, reference your tried and tested skills in de-escalating difficult situations with angry customers.

The second thing you need to get around is headings. ATS loves it when your resume is laid out with clear, logical headings (e.g. Education, Experience, Key Skills, etc.). For best results, differentiate headings from information by using bold print type and larger font sizes.

And lastly, ATS, like most natural language processing AI, can be easily confused. These systems don’t hang around when they don’t understand something at first glance. You must be clear! This means you use complete phrases before referencing something as an acronym. Did you notice how, at the beginning of this article, we spelled out “Application Tracking Software (ATS)” before referencing it only as an acronym for the rest of the article? It’s as simple as that, dear reader.

2.        Keep Formatting Simple

Resist the urge to incorporate photos, pie charts, and other graphics. If you have quantitative data to share (DO IT! ATS loves it!), present it in concise sentences using numerals rather than a graph.

For example, you can talk about how you increased consumer satisfaction by 73% and boosted revenue for the company by $100,000 in the last quarter. The elements that ATS likes about that sentence are the action verbs “increased” and “boosted,” the measurable data in percentage and dollars, and potentially keywords such as “consumer satisfaction” and “revenue.”

Another key thing to keep in mind is font choices. ATS, like humans, prefers scripts like Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman. These fonts are widely used across many different systems and are familiar to ATS (and people). These familiar fonts allow ATS to do its job with maximum efficiency, preventing relevant data from being lost.

3.        File Type Matters

Imagine I am cupping your face in my hands, gazing into your eyes with the greatest sincerity… If the application specifically requests a Microsoft Word Document of your CV, I want you to upload it as a Microsoft Word Document. If they request it as a PDF, I want you to upload it as a PDF.

I NEED you to understand this, dear reader! If you don’t hand in a requested document type, the ATS will throw your resume into the discard pile and set it on fire (not literally, we’re being dramatic. ATS hasn’t harnessed the power of fire… yet…). If you don’t upload your documents in the format requested, you might as well not apply for the job.

4.        You Will be Reduced, Reused, and Recycled

ATS systems are seldom wasteful. In many cases, they store your information and create a profile for you within an organisation so that departments can look back at your resume and potentially offer you other opportunities in different departments or at a different time.

For this reason, if you are rejected for a position, it’s strongly suggested that you don’t burn bridges with an organisation—accept rejection with grace and keep a good relationship with managers. They might log in later and use your profile for other opportunities. In a way, ATS is looking out for you!

5.        Personalise Every Application

Is it boring? Yes. Is it taxing? Absolutely. Do you want to do it? Not really. But it must be done.

Tailoring your CV to each job you apply for, specifically when it comes to listing your experience and transferable skills, is essential. Make sure that you are incorporating keywords and summarising how your previous roles, responsibilities, and successful projects can translate to this new job. This shows a type of sincerity, effort, and attention to detail that ATS finds endearing. And if the AI feels that way, imagine the impression you’ll make on the hiring manager who reads it after it’s passed the ATS hurdle!