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Customizing resume for ATS: Applicant Tracking System

Your resume serves as the initial point of contact with a potential employer, and the chosen format can significantly impact their perception of you. It’s crucial to opt for a format compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), ensuring accuracy, relevance to the position, and optimization for ATS criteria.

ATS systems rank and sort resumes based on keywords, education, employment history, and other factors. Studies indicate that 75% of the resumes are rejected by ATS due to insufficient optimization.

To increase the likelihood of receiving responses from companies, follow these guidelines:

Incorporate terms and expressions pertinent to the employers’ search criteria.

To make your CV stand out to employers and recruiters in your field, it is crucial to include industry-specific keywords. A helpful approach is to thoroughly examine the job description, taking note of the keywords and phrases utilized.

Maintain concise language throughout your resume.

Besides including pertinent keywords, prioritize clear and straightforward language in your resume. Opt for simplicity to effectively convey your skills and experience.

Avoid overstuffing your resume, as it could lead to rejection.

It’s crucial to emphasize that you should include only keywords that align with your skills and experience. Refrain from attempting to overload your resume with relevant keywords solely to pass the ATS. This practice could potentially diminish your chances of receiving a callback, as the ATS is designed to identify keyword stuffing as a red flag.

Limit the length of the resume.

Try to condense your resume to just 2 or 3 pages to ensure it is easily readable by ATS systems.

Emphasize simplicity; steer clear of tables, graphics, photos, and lengthy sentences.

ATS may not recognize specific layouts, tables, unconventional bullet points, unusual fonts, or shaded areas in resumes. Maintain a simple and standard resume format, as recruiters typically prefer a straightforward presentation, saving them time during the review process.

Enhance formatting with standard headings, bullet points, and content organization.

Ensure your resume is visually clean and appealing, considering recruiters typically spend a maximum of 6 seconds in screening. Utilize appropriate templates, colours, and fonts to facilitate easy reading. Incorporating headings, subheadings, and bullet points effectively breaks down the content into manageable sections.

Check spelling or grammar errors in your resume before submitting it.

ATS systems could reject resumes containing such mistakes. Prioritize a flawless resume by thoroughly proofreading it multiple times. Enlist the help of a friend or family member to provide a fresh perspective, as they may catch mistakes that you might have overlooked.

Utilize the provided tips to craft a resume that is highly responsive to ATS, thereby enhancing your prospects of securing a job.