By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
EP 3062 Are you sick of applying online only to be GHOSTED by the “evil ATS system”? You’ve been LIED TO! That dreaded Applicant Tracking System isn’t some rogue AI out to destroy your career dreams. It’s mostly just a DATABASE for recruiters to manage thousands of applications.
The TRUTH About ATS Systems and How to FORCE Recruiters to See Your Resume!
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Okay, so you’ve been there, right? You hit submit on that job application, pour your heart into it, and then silence. It feels like your resume just vanished into, I don’t know, a digital black hole. Oh, absolutely.
That feeling is incredibly common. And that black hole, that’s usually the applicant tracking system, the ATS. Right.
And today, we’re diving deep. We’re not just going to talk about what happens after you click submit. We want to show you how to navigate that system, that ATS, so your resume actually gets seen and lands you more interviews.
Exactly. The mission here is, let’s bust some myths around the ATS. There are so many misunderstandings.
Totally. And give you real actionable strategies, stuff that actually works based on what recruiters are looking for. And there’s a real aha moment waiting for people here.
When you understand how these systems really work, it’s not about tricking them. Right. No, it’s about understanding the process.
And that gives you a massive advantage. Seriously, it saves so much time and, honestly, frustration. Okay, let’s start with that common idea then.
The one that paints the ATS as this evil AI gone rogue just waiting to shred your resume. Yeah, the resume destroyer myth. Let’s clear that up right away.
An ATS, fundamentally, it’s a database. It’s basically sophisticated software that helps companies manage huge numbers of applicants. Huge numbers.
How many are we talking? Well, think about big companies. They might have thousands of open jobs, maybe tens of thousands of applications coming in. It’s just a tool for organization and efficiency.
So not Skynet for resumes then? Uh-huh. No, definitely not. And that whole rogue AI thing, it’s misleading.
The system does what humans tell it to do. The recruiting teams, they set the parameters for filtering. Ah, so people are setting the rules.
It’s not the machine randomly deciding, nope. Exactly. It’s more accurate to say a recruiter is filtering using the system based on criteria they decided were important for that specific role.
Okay, that changes things. Because you hear that stat, right? Like 75% of resumes never get seen by human eyes. You automatically think it’s the ATS keyword scanner just trashing them.
Right. And that’s where the nuance comes in. While yes, many applications are filtered out automatically, it’s often not because of a keyword scan of the resume itself, initially anyway.
So what is the main reason for that first automatic cut? It often comes down to what we call knockout questions. These are direct questions you answer when you apply. Simple yes-no stuff, usually.
Like? Like, are you legally authorized to work here? Or maybe this role requires 30% travel, are you willing to do that? Or do you have the required certification, like a specific license? And if you answer no to one of those? If it’s flagged as a critical, non-negotiable requirement by the recruiter, then yes, the system will likely automatically filter you out right then and there. It’s based on your direct answers, not necessarily the resume content at that stage. Wow.
Okay, that makes so much more sense. So most companies use an ATS for organizing everything. Virtually all large and mid-sized companies do.
But fewer use it to automatically rank resumes based just on scanning the document for keywords. That’s a much better way to think about it. Some do use keyword scanning, absolutely, but it’s often more about stack ranking.
Stack ranking. What’s that? It means the system scores your resume based on how well it matches the keywords and criteria from the job description, and then it presents the applications to the recruiter in a ranked list, best matches on top. So you’re not necessarily rejected by the scan.
Yeah. You might just be, like, number 300 in the pile. Exactly.
You might be buried if your resume isn’t a strong match. The recruiter facing that long list is naturally going to start reviewing from the top. They might only look at the first 20 or 50.
So the big takeaway here seems to be, focus on making your resume appealing to the human, who will eventually see it, assuming you get past those initial knockout questions. That is the absolute golden rule. Optimize for the human reader.
If you do that well, you’ll almost certainly be optimizing for the ATS ranking too. The goals are aligned. Okay, that feels much less daunting.
So rule one, optimize for the human. Let’s break down how to do that. What’s the first big strategy? Number one, and this is non-negotiable, customize your resume every single time.
Every time? Really? That sounds like a lot of work. It is work, but sending a generic resume is honestly just wasting your time. It’s such a missed opportunity.
Think about it. Each job is different, right? They need specific skills. True.
Your resume needs to scream, I have exactly what you’re looking for for this specific role. A generic one just whispers, I’m generally qualified for something. Okay, point taken.
Tailor it directly to the job description, which brings us nicely to the next point. Keywords. They’re still important, even if it’s not just about robot scanning.
Oh, absolutely crucial. Maybe even more crucial now we understand stack ranking. Recruiters actively search the ATS database using keywords.
It’s like Google for resumes. So if the keywords aren’t on your resume? You simply won’t appear in their search results. It doesn’t matter how perfect you are for the job if they can’t find you.
Okay, so how do we find these magic keywords? They’re usually hiding in plain sight, right there in the job description. That’s your cheat sheet. Read it carefully.
Note the skills, the qualifications, the specific software mentioned, the responsibilities. Use the language they use. Precisely.
Mirror the language. If they say project management, use project management. If they list specific tools like Salesforce or Python, make sure those are listed in your skills or experience if you have them.
There are even some online tools that can help analyze a job description and highlight likely keywords. But wait, we shouldn’t just cram every possible keyword in there, right? Like fill the margins with white text or something. Oh, please don’t do that.
That’s called keyword stuffing, and it’s a terrible idea. First, some ATS systems are smart enough to flag it or they strip formatting and suddenly that white text is visible. Ouch.
And second, even if it gets past the ATS, a human recruiter will notice and it looks desperate and unprofessional. Your resume still needs to be readable, make sense, and tell your career story naturally. No Synergy Ninja stuff.
Right. Keep it professional. Which leads to another point.
Standard titles and terms. What if your company uses weird internal job titles? That’s a great question. If you have a unique title, like an innovation catalyst, consider using a more standard industry equivalent on your resume, like maybe product development manager, if it accurately reflects what you did.
Recruiters search for standard titles. So translate your internal title to the common industry language. Yes, exactly.
And also vary your terminology slightly for common things. Like use both IT and information technology. Use VP and vice president.
This covers more bases for how a recruiter might search. Makes sense. And along with professionalism, accuracy, spelling, and grammar.
Still super important. Absolutely critical. Non-negotiable.
Keep it polished. No cutesy stuff, as we said. But typos.
Especially typos in keywords. That can kill your chances. Well, think about it.
A recruiter isn’t going to search for project manager with a K. If you misspell a key, skill, or software name, the ATS search won’t find you. And a human recruiter will just see it as sloppy. Proofread.
Get someone else to proofread. Good advice. Okay, now let’s get into the really techy part.
Formatting. This is where the ATS can apparently get really tripped up, right? Massively. This is a huge hurdle.
Complex formatting is the enemy of many ATS parsers. They just can’t read it properly. So what should we do? What’s safe? Stick to clean, simple, standard formats.
Avoid columns. Definitely avoid text boxes. No fancy graphics or images embedded in the text.
Don’t use tables for layout. Keep the fonts standard and simple. Like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman.
Why no columns or tables? They look organized. They might look organized to us, but an ATS often reads columns straight across, mixing up the text, or might just ignore the content in tables or text boxes entirely. Key achievements could just disappear.
Wow. Okay, here’s a practical tip I heard. If you upload your resume and the system makes you retype a ton of information that’s clearly on your resume… That’s a huge red flag.
It means the ATS couldn’t parse your formatting correctly. Go back and simplify your resume design immediately. What about file types? Word doc, dot pdf, something else? Good question.
Generally, word documents, dot doc, or dot docs are the safest bet. Most ATS systems handle them well. And PDFs.
People love PDFs. PDFs are usually okay these days, but they can still sometimes cause issues, especially if they were created from a complex design or are image-based. Some older ATS systems just struggle with them.
If the company gives you a choice, Word is often safer for parsing. And never, ever an image file, right? Like a JPEG of your resume. Absolutely never.
An ATS cannot read text in an image file at all. It’s like submitting a blank page. Instant rejection.
Okay, one more formatting detail. Headers and footers in Word. Safe place for contact info? No.
Avoid putting critical info like your name, email, phone number, or even key skills in the header or footer. Some APS systems completely ignore those sections. Integrate all vital info into the main body of the document.
Got it. And standard practice, reverse chronological order for work experience. Yes, stick with that.
It’s what recruiters expect. It’s what the ATS handles best. Most recent job first.
And our last resume point. Standard section headers. Simple but important.
Very important. Use clear, common headings like work experience, education skills, professional summary. Don’t get creative with section titles like where I’ve been or my superpowers.
Why not? Because the APS is often programmed to look for these specific standard headers to correctly categorize the information on your resume. If it doesn’t recognize the header, it might misinterpret or even ignore the entire section. Keep it simple and clear for both the system and the human.
Okay, so we’ve optimized the resume. It’s tailored, keyword rich, but natural, clean format, standard headers. Is that enough? Or are there other things we can do after applying online? That’s a great question.
The optimized resume gets you through the digital door, hopefully high up in the ranking. But applying online is just one path. It’s often the most crowded path.
So what’s another path? It’s what some people call back channeling. Finding another way to get noticed besides just waiting for the ATS and recruiter to find you in the pile. Intriguing.
How does back channeling work? Well, once you’ve submitted your application online, you still usually have to do that part where you try to find a connection inside the company. Like who? Could be anyone. A former colleague, someone you went to school with, maybe even someone you connect with on a professional network like LinkedIn.
Perhaps an HR person or even the hiring manager for the role. If you can identify them. And what do you do? Just ask them for a job? No, not usually.
The approach is more subtle. You reach out, mention you’ve applied for a specific role you’re really excited about, and politely ask if they might keep an eye out for your application, or maybe even mention it to the hiring team. Ah, so it’s like getting someone on the inside to pull your resume out of the stack.
Essentially, yes. It can dramatically increase the chances that a human, the right human, sees your application quickly. It shows initiative too.
Don’t be afraid to do this. The worst they can say is no or just ignore you. But the upside is huge.
That’s a powerful tip, taking that extra step. Any final crucial advice before we wrap up? One last thing, and it sounds basic, but it trips people up constantly. Follow the instructions.
Simple as that. Simple as that. If the application asks for a cover letter, provide one.
If it asks for salary expectations in a specific field, fill it out. If it specifies a file format, use that format. Not following instructions is often an automatic disqualifier programmed into the ATS.
It’s seen as a basic test of attention to detail. Don’t fail the easy test. Okay, this has been incredibly insightful.
Now, I have a kind of provocative closing thought for you, for the listener. Let’s hear it. Okay, so we know companies are swamped with applications, and we know there are now AI tools that let job seekers spray apply to hundreds of jobs with a click.
Given that reality, if you’re a qualified candidate, and you do take the time to meticulously tailor your resume, would you actually prefer that companies use ATS sorting software? That is provocative. You’re asking if the system could actually be your friend in that scenario. Yeah.
Could it help the good tailored resumes rise above the flood of generic mass applications? You know, that’s a really interesting way to frame it. And maybe the answer is yes. If your well-crafted tailored resume gets highly ranked by the ATS because it’s such a good match, that might be your best shot at getting noticed quickly amidst all that noise.
So the ATS, instead of being the enemy, could actually be an ally for serious candidates. Potentially, yes. It could help silter out the noise, giving your targeted application a clearer path to the recruiter.
It’s definitely something to think about a potential advantage hiding in plain sight. A fascinating perspective to end on. Thank you so much for breaking all this down.
Hopefully, everyone listening feels much more empowered now. I hope so. It’s about strategy, not fear.
Exactly. Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into beating the ATS. We really hope these insights help you tackle your job search with new confidence.
Remember, you’re not fighting a mysterious black box. You’re just learning its language. Put these strategies into practice.
You might be surprised at the results. Visit JobSearch.Community. Download the free content and become an insider to receive answers to your questions and coaching from Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter.
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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers easier. Those things can involve job search,
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