What is an applicant tracking system, how to make resume ATS friendly, Types of ATS, ATS-friendly resume template, How ATS work, Benefits of Applicant Tracking System Seekers

Learn what an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is, how it works, and how to tailor your resume to get past ATS filters and improve your chances of landing a job.

“How to make a resume ATS friendly” —you may have seen this pop up in your social media feed quite a lot lately. At some point, you may have wondered, “What is an ATS?” It is not as complicated as it sounds, though. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System—software that is used by HR teams across industries to manage job applications at scale.

Why is it important for you to learn about ATS? Well, understanding how ATS work allows you to tailor your resume for each application, dramatically improving your odds of success.

After all, you may be competing with hundreds of job seekers for a given role. When it comes to optimizing your resume, every little bit counts. With a few hacks, you can double or even quadruple the number of interviews you may have been receiving—almost overnight!

In this blog, we’ll cover key aspects like:

  • What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

  • Types of ATS

  • Benefits of Applicant Tracking System

  • How ATS works

  • How to create an ATS-friendly resume

What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System or ATS is a software that stores, processes, and manages job applications you submit online. HR teams use ATS to automate the time-consuming task of resume screening. Instead of reading each resume manually, recruiters use ATS to screen applications based on the requirements outlined in the job description. In a nutshell, ATS evaluates your resume based on keyword analysis.

When you hit the ‘submit’ button on a job application form, the ATS automatically checks for keyword match, forwarding the ones that do to the recruiter. It also generates a confirmation message, depending on whether you were shortlisted or not.

ATS systems act as a gatekeeper to ensure that only applications that fully meet employers’ needs make it through to the interview stage.

How ATS Works

When you submit your job application, ATS parses for education, experience, and skills and compares them to the job description for specific keywords. It will assign a score to your resume based on how closely it fits the requirements. If you meet a pre-defined threshold, your resume is accepted and sent to a recruiter for manual review. Others are rejected.

In other words, ATS performs the initial resume screening that recruiters took care of manually in the past. However, many of them provide additional features, including interview scheduling and recruitment pipeline tracking.

Benefits of Application Tracking Systems

Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, ATS systems provide the following advantages:

Speed and scale

ATS systems enable you to screen thousands of resumes more efficiently than ever before.

Eliminates human error

When it comes to bullets, spacing, and margins, stick to the same dimensions across both pages.

Reduces workload

ATS tools carry out bulk screening and narrow down large candidate pools to a list of fully-qualified candidates. This allows recruiters to focus on interviewing, candidate selection, and onboarding.

Ease of access

ATS systems allow recruiters to filter resumes based on specific criteria for shortlisting. They store resumes across multiple positions in one place, allowing easy access.

One Page Resume: Benefits and When to Use It

ATS tools come in all shapes and sizes. Small businesses generally use basic platforms with limited features, while larger firms prefer tools with specialized capabilities:

  • Small-Business ATS

    To suit their modest hiring needs, small businesses often use basic ATS tools that are either free or inexpensive. These systems generally offer basic features like applicant tracking, resume screening, interview scheduling, and data analytics.

    Zoho Recruit, Bamboo HR, and Jazz HR are some of the popular small business ATS used in India.

  • Enterprise ATS

    These are full-featured ATS platforms scaled for the needs of large corporations. They offer comprehensive features, including customizable workflows, advanced features, integrations with multiple tools, and reporting.

    Greenhouse, Bullhorn, and Workday are the leading enterprise ATS platforms on the market today.

How Do HR Teams Use ATS to Shortlist Candidates?

On average, recruiters screen over 250 applications for a single job opening. Offloading initial resume screening to ATS means hiring managers don’t need to read every resume. Instead, they search the ATS database for candidate profiles with specific attributes like experience, skills, or education.

For example, if the job description requires candidates with 3 to 5 years of experience, the recruiter might enter ‘5 years of experience’ in the ATS search box.

The ATS will filter and display profiles that match this criteria. The other resumes that don’t show up in the search results are never seen by recruiters.

HR Teams Use ATS to Shortlist Candidates
Resume Score

What is a Resume Score and How Do You Increase It?

ATS systems assign a score to your resume and rank it against other candidates. This score is based on an analysis of key sections of your resume, like Skills, Experience, and Education, for specific keywords. By comparing your resume against the job description, ATS tools assess whether you meet the hiring criteria. A good score means you’re likely to get a phone call from the recruiter.

To increase your resume score, the key is to integrate keywords strategically in the resume—across skills, experience, and education. However, it is important to do so naturally and in context with your overall experience or education,

In the next section, we’ll discuss some tips and strategies for making your resume the most ATS-compatible.

How to Make Your Resume ATS-friendly: Structure and Format

An ATS-friendly resume increases your odds of getting shortlisted for an interview. Here’s how to optimize the structure and the content.

  • Use standard job titles

    Depending on the industry, there may be minor differences in job titles, which can affect how ATS works in terms of processing your resume.

    For example, you may be rejected for using ‘Director of Sales’ vs ‘Sales Director’ mentioned in the job description. The key is to use the exact same title used by the employer.

  • Stick to professional fonts

    Even if you are in a creative profession, the use of custom fonts in a resume is best avoided. Standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman with a minimum 10-point font size are the best bet.

  • Use accepted file formats

    While resume templates are convenient, they come in different file formats when downloaded. More often than not, this can affect ATS scanning and potentially cause rejection. Use a Word doc or PDF instead—most job portals accept them.

  • Reframe job responsibilities as results

    Describe your performance through metrics, statistics, before and after comparisons. This will act as tangible evidence of your talent and help position you as the ideal candidate for the job.

  • Use everyday language

    While industry jargon is generally accepted, ATS may not be set up for certain terminology. Instead, use simple words and match the tone and voice in the job description.

  • Use a single-column layout

    Including vertical or horizontal lines, graphics, icons, tables, or structured layouts can affect how ATS reads your resume. It’s possible some information may not even be captured. A single-column layout with standard bullet points works best.

  • Order sections logically

    Standard headings arranged in logical order work best. Start with a Career Summary, followed by Skills, Work Experience, Education,n and Projects. This layout provides a logical flow of information, leaving no room for confusion.

  • Use bullet points and action verbs

    Avoid complete sentences to make your resume easy to read. Instead, use bullet points across sections like Skills, Work Experience, or Education, starting each point with a verb.

  • Integrate keywords strategically

    Pick 5-7 keywords from the job description and adapt them across the work experience, education or skills sections. Think of real-life situations where you may have applied those skills and frame them as outcomes.

  • Use ATS resume score checker

    Before submitting your resume, run your resume through an online ATS resume score checker. This tool can help spot any formatting, structure, or keyword-related errors instantly. Some of them score your resume so you can assess whether to create a new resume from scratch or update the existing one. Used effectively, ATS resume checkers can increase your chances of getting through to the interview stage.

ATS Friendly Resume Template

Here is a basic template that works best for ATS

Career Summary

Education

Certifications, Projects, and Volunteer Work

Skills (Include the skills as bullet points, include keywords from the job description)

Work Experience (Reframe job responsibilities as results or achievements)

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