When I was still recruiting the ATS system came out, and man was I glad to have some help scanning the hundreds of resumes that were landing in my inbox! But, as time went on, not all resumes were making it through the system which meant I was potentially losing some great candidates.
Here are tips to make sure you not only make it through the system, but to an actual human.
- If you are applying online, know that your résumé/application may go through an Applicant Tracking System. More than a fourth of all companies use some kind of ATS. When in doubt, submit an ATS-friendly résumé.
- When given the choice to upload your résumé or copy-and-paste as part of the online application process, upload a Word file (make sure it’s an ATS-compliant résumé format).
- Check to see if the online submission form has a character limit before uploading. (For example: “Submissions are limited to 20,000 characters.”)
- Make sure you’ve customized your résumé for the position, including relevant keywords. A “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work when the company uses an ATS for résumé screening.
- Be sure to check your email after applying for a position online. Some applicant tracking system software will automatically acknowledge your submission; however, because these are automated responses, the message may be diverted to your spam folder.