How To (Try To) Beat The Applicant Tracking System

Applicant Tracking Systems. Everybody hates them, including most of the people who use them to hire everybody else. They’re counterintuitive, they prevent interpersonal interaction, and nobody can say how many good hires weren’t made as a result.

But they’ve outlasted our resistance, and we live with them, much to our chagrin. As an independent career coach since 1997, I hope this helps.

1. Read all instructions FIRST. Then follow them.

Pay close attention to any instructions provided in the job posting regarding the application process. Failure to follow instructions could be a quick – and automatic – death.

2. Optimize Relevant Keywords.

ATSs scan résumés for specific keywords relevant to the job. While many career advisors recommend tailoring your résumé to each job, that’s not so smart. It’s transactional at best when a strategic approach is needed, and soon you’ll be keeping track of dozens of versions of your résumé. Good luck with that. Instead, a well-crafted, comprehensive, strategic résumé will go long distances for you. Further, if you try to align with every job listing you find, you’ll be awfully transparent and will have wasted a lot of time.

3. Use Simple Formatting.

Stick to standard formats and fonts (Times New Roman or Arial) that are compatible with ATSs. Avoid italics, images, charts, or tables (although most ATSs now understand tables). Bullet points work just as well as in hard copy.

4. Customize the Right Thing.

Opposing the customization of résumés (see above), I suggest the following: Within the confines of the ATS’s limit on words or characters, write a short cover letter and combine it with your résumé as one g-page document. There, you can pack in more customization. If it exceeds limits, it might be your résumé that’s too long.

5. Quantify Achievements.

There are four ways to quantify anything: dollars, percentages, time, and raw numbers. Do as much of this as you can without making your résumé look like a spreadsheet.

6. Nix The Graphics and Symbols.

Fancy formatting, graphics, and symbols can confuse ATSs and lead to rejection. Stay with simple text.

7. Complete All Application Fields.

Fill out all required fields in the online application. Even if you’ve uploaded your documents, make sure that the ATS has all the necessary information to evaluate your candidacy.

8. Network Off Line – in person as much as possible.

Networking can help you bypass the ATS altogether. Connect with employees at your target companies through LinkedIn or other professional networks. Employee referrals often receive special consideration.

Caveat:

Nobody bats a thousand, especially against ATSs. But this is not about hitting every pitch; it’s about raising your batting average to All-Star status.