5 Ways to Optimize Your Resume to Beat Applicant Tracking Software

Before human eyes ever view your qualifications for a job, a computerized applicant tracking system examines your resume. The software analyzes the content of your document, compares it to the resumes submitted by other candidates and ranks you in a list up against other potential employees. Applicant trackers make hiring more efficient for large corporations, and they give job seekers the opportunity to optimize their resumes so these programs move the best candidates to the top of the heap.

Relevant Keywords in Context

Determine the right keywords to use in your resume, then keep these keywords in the right context. Do not sprinkle keywords into the document at random. Keywords must be next to the proper words and in correct order as if you read the resume yourself.

Job descriptions are the perfect place to find the right keywords. Look at the most important qualifications, and include these words in the right place within your resume. If a hiring manager needs someone who is proficient in Microsoft Office, can create regular press releases and lead a team of 10 people, those keywords should be somewhere within your resume.

Bullet Points in a Career Summary

Create four bullet points of your most important accomplishments, qualifications and skills at the top of your resume. Label this section "Career Summary" or "Personal Brand" instead of "Objective." These bullet points create a context for several keywords that an applicant-tracking system picks up as it scans the resume.

Cover Letters Add Keywords

Add more keywords when you write a relevant cover letter, especially when an application requires it. Sprinkle in some of the most important keywords with the cover letter along with your personal story as to why you are the perfect candidate for the job. The cover letter should introduce your resume rather than repeat any information in it.

Proofread

Examine your resume very carefully, and correct any typos. Give the document to someone else to read, and make sure you spell every word properly. When computer software picks up a misspelled word, the program may reject your resume immediately simply because it does not recognize a word on your document.

Know Where to Put Things

Applicant trackers know where certain keywords should be in a resume. This software has the ability to find the "Education" section to find out what kind of degree you have. In the "Skills" section, the ATS could find out your proficiency in Java, written communication, lathe operation and typing speed. Put the keywords in the right places so the applicant tracker realizes the relevancy of the keywords.

In your "Work Experience" section, put your previous employers first before the dates you worked for them. Applicant trackers may reject your resume for being in a wrong format. Start with the employer name followed by the date, position held and job description.

If you create a normal resume with the right keywords, you could be successful at getting past an applicant-tracking system. Keep in mind that these systems normally come into play with large and mid-size companies. Small businesses may not use this type of software, and sometimes, a human touch is better than optimizing for a computerized system.

Photo Courtesy of Artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kellen P. • Mar 10, 2016

Do applicant trackers work on PDF files, or just Microsoft Word DOC or DOCX files? I know many people who like to submit job cover letters and resumes using PDF files because they are a bit easier to deal with (not everyone has Microsoft Office, but everyone has a free way to open a PDF). Are you putting yourself at a disadvantage by using a PDF? I know that computers can sometimes have a hard time "reading" the text of a PDF.

Erin Jean • Mar 10, 2016

This is one area I've found temp agencies to be very helpful with. They review these things for the client and put an employee forward, bypassing this kind of software. I've gotten some wonderful (and ultimately fully hiring) jobs this way.

Shaday Stewart • Mar 9, 2016

It's fairly easy to add more keywords from the job description when you have a significant amount of relevant work history, but it's much more difficult if you're new to the workforce or changing careers. Even if your education and technical skills are a fit, recruiters may prioritize other factors, such as relevant job titles. How do you suggest incorporating more keywords when you have relevant skills, but your work history isn't focused or typical for the position?

Nancy Anderson • Mar 9, 2016

Thanks for the comments. @Abbey we can't say it enough - proofread, proofread, proofread. Then give it to someone else to proofread. We take so long crafting a resume and a cover letter. Why would we want to send out anything less than a perfect resume and cover letter. @Lydia you are so right. We do live in a keyword centric society and you need those keywords within your resume and cover letter. But only as needed and only as appropriate. The ATS certainly can spot someone who just threw keywords in willy-nilly and didn't take the time to actually read the resume and cover letter prior to submission.

Lydia K. • Mar 9, 2016

@Shannon, I agree that a resume shouldn't be crammed with random keywords. But fact is that we live in a keyword centric world. Every product and service has a set of keywords to describe it. I think likewise, your resume needs the right keywords to describe your skill set. If you place the right keywords strategically and in context throughout your resume and cover letter, you should be fine.

Abbey Boyd • Mar 8, 2016

There is absolutely nothing more important to remember when sending a resume and cover letter than remembering to proofread. When a computer recognizes a spelling, punctuation, or grammar error, you may be at the end of the road. These types of errors may signify to a hiring manager that you are unorganized, careless, or unprofessional, and this person could set the ATS program to automatically reject your resume. Check and double check your resume each time you make changes, and before you send it. Nobody wants to be dismissed as a candidate due to a simple error.

Nancy Anderson • Mar 8, 2016

Thanks for the comments. @Catherine the best way to find the keywords is to just print out a couple of job postings for the same position and see what words jump out at you from them. That's probably the best way to figure out what they are looking for. Also, the cover letter and the resume may be complementary but they should never include the same things. Your resume is for listing your skills and the cover letter is to show why the company will benefit from hiring you. Never include the same items on both. @Shannon so very true. I have seen resumes where the applicant stuffs it full of possible keywords only to end up with a garbled resume of nothing but keywords and not making any sense. Use keywords properly and yours will be one of the resumes that makes it through the ATS and into the hands of a human being.

Shannon Philpott • Mar 8, 2016

This is very helpful advice and I definitely agree with making sure you are inputting information in the correct sections. However, I do disagree with using too many keywords. Some applicant tracking systems flag users with an over abundance of keywords and place the application in a spam folder. This can put a candidate at a disadvantage.

CATHERINE S. • Mar 7, 2016

I like how this article emphasizes that the cover letter and resume should be separate but complementary entities. Too often are cover letters and resumes sharing exactly the same information. I also appreciated how this article suggests using keywords in the resume that are specific to whatever industry that one is applying too. Are there any good resources for finding lists of keywords that hiring managers are looking for?

5 Ways to Optimize Your Resume to Beat Applicant Tracking Software

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