What is an ATS?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that companies use to manage job applications. When you submit your resume online, it usually goes through an ATS before a human ever looks at it. The software reads your resume, pulls out information like your name, work history, skills, and education, and then checks how well it matches the job posting.
Companies like Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, and Taleo make the most widely used ATS platforms. If you have applied to a mid-size or large company in the last few years, your resume almost certainly went through one of these systems.
The numbers are not great for applicants. Studies suggest that up to 75% of resumes get filtered out by ATS before a recruiter sees them. That does not mean those candidates were unqualified. It often means their resumes were not formatted in a way the software could read, or they were missing keywords the system was scanning for.
How the screening process works
It helps to understand what happens after you click "apply." The process generally looks like this:
- The ATS parses your resume. It reads the text and tries to sort it into categories: contact info, work experience, education, skills, and so on.
- It looks for keywords. The system compares your resume against the job description and checks for specific skills, tools, certifications, and job titles.
- It scores and ranks candidates. Based on how well your resume matches, you get a score. Recruiters typically look at the top-ranked applicants first.
- Some systems auto-reject. Certain ATS platforms will automatically filter out candidates who do not meet minimum requirements, like years of experience or a specific degree.
The takeaway is that your resume needs to do two things well: it needs to be easy for the software to read, and it needs to contain the right keywords.
Tips for getting past ATS screening
Use a simple, single-column layout
ATS software reads your resume from top to bottom, left to right. Multi-column layouts, text boxes, tables, and graphics can confuse the parser. When that happens, your information might end up in the wrong field or get skipped entirely.
Stick to a single-column format with clear spacing between sections. Avoid putting important information in headers or footers, since some systems cannot read content placed there.
Stick to standard section headings
Label your resume sections with the headings that ATS software expects to see:
- Work Experience (not "My Career Journey")
- Education (not "Academic Background")
- Skills (not "What I Bring to the Table")
- Professional Summary
- Certifications
Creative headings might look nice, but they can cause the ATS to misfile your information. A section called "Where I Have Made an Impact" might not register as work experience at all.
Match keywords from the job description
This is the most important thing you can do. The ATS is looking for specific words and phrases from the job posting. If the posting says "project management" and your resume says "managed projects," the system might not count that as a match.
Here is how to approach it:
- Read the job description carefully and pick out the skills, tools, and qualifications they mention
- Use the same phrasing they use. If they say "Salesforce," write "Salesforce," not "CRM software"
- Include both the full term and the abbreviation when relevant. For example, write "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)" the first time, then use "SEO" after that
- Work keywords into your bullet points naturally, not just in a skills list
Tailor your resume for each job
Sending the same resume to every job is one of the most common reasons people get filtered out. Each job description uses different language and prioritizes different skills. A resume that scores well for one posting might score poorly for another, even if the roles are similar.
You do not need to rewrite your resume from scratch every time. The basic structure can stay the same. But you should adjust your skills section and tweak your bullet points to reflect what each specific job is asking for.
The fastest way to do this is to compare your resume against the job description side by side, find the gaps, and fill them in where your experience honestly supports it.
Choose the right file format
Save your resume as a PDF unless the application specifically asks for a .docx file. PDFs preserve your formatting and work with most modern ATS platforms. The old advice that "ATS cannot read PDFs" is outdated. What ATS cannot read is a scanned image of a resume saved as a PDF. As long as your PDF was created digitally (not photographed or scanned), it will parse fine.
Name your file something clear like FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf. Avoid generic names like resume_final_v3.pdf.
Add numbers and specifics to your bullet points
Vague bullet points do not help you with ATS or with recruiters. Compare these two versions:
- "Improved team performance"
- "Increased team output by 34% over 6 months by running weekly sprint reviews"
The second version includes a metric, a timeframe, and a specific action. ATS systems can pick up on these details, and recruiters find them much more compelling.
A good formula to follow: accomplished [what] as measured by [metric] by doing [action].
Keep your formatting simple
Some formatting choices that look good on paper can cause problems with ATS:
- Use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Garamond
- Keep font size between 10 and 12 points for body text
- Do not use images, icons, or graphics anywhere in the resume
- Avoid tables or columns for layout purposes
- Use standard bullet points (round dots), not stars, arrows, or checkmarks
- Keep your resume to one or two pages
Do not try to game the system
You might have heard about tricks like hiding keywords in white text or stuffing invisible text behind images. These do not work anymore. Modern ATS platforms detect keyword stuffing, and your application could get flagged. Even if it somehow gets through, a recruiter who opens your resume will notice something is off.
The better approach is to write honestly and make sure your real qualifications are represented using the language the employer is looking for.
How to check your resume before applying
Instead of guessing whether your resume will pass, you can check it beforehand. Tools that compare your resume against a job description can show you:
- How well your resume matches the posting (as a percentage)
- Which keywords you are missing
- Which of your skills already match
- What you should add or change
Qarera's free resume scanner does exactly this. Paste a job description, upload your resume, and you will see your match score along with the specific keywords to add. It takes about a minute and can make a real difference in whether your application gets through.
Common myths about ATS
"ATS cannot read PDFs." This was true years ago but is not the case with modern systems. Digitally created PDFs work fine. Just avoid scanned or image-based PDFs.
"You need to match 100% of the keywords." You do not. Aiming for a 70 to 80 percent match is realistic. No candidate checks every single box, and recruiters understand that.
"A fancy resume design will help you stand out." It might help you stand out to a person, but it can hurt you with ATS. Get past the software first, then let your content impress the human.
"One resume works for every job." This is probably the biggest misconception. Every job description is different. The keywords change, the priorities change, and the requirements change. If you are not tailoring your resume, you are leaving it up to chance.
Before you apply: a quick checklist
- Single-column layout with no tables or graphics
- Standard section headings (Work Experience, Education, Skills)
- Keywords from the job description included in your bullet points
- Both acronyms and full terms where relevant
- Specific numbers and metrics in your achievements
- Saved as a PDF with a clear filename
- No hidden text or keyword stuffing
- Tailored to this specific job, not a generic version
The bottom line
Getting past ATS screening is not about tricks or hacks. It comes down to two things: making your resume easy for software to read, and making sure it contains the keywords the employer is looking for.
The people who consistently land interviews are not always the most qualified candidates on paper. They are the ones who take the time to tailor their resume for each application and make sure nothing gets lost in the automated screening process.