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🤖ATS Guide

General ATS Tips ATS Guide

Regardless of which ATS a company uses, certain principles are universal. This guide covers the fundamental strategies that maximize your resume's chances of passing automated screening on any platform.

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Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies and 75% of all employers use some form of applicant tracking system. While each platform has quirks, the core principles of ATS optimization are consistent across all of them. This guide distills the universal strategies that work whether you're facing Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Taleo, iCIMS, or any other system. Master these fundamentals and you'll have a strong baseline for every application.

How ATS Systems Work (The Basics)

Every ATS follows the same general workflow: (1) accept your application and resume file, (2) parse the resume into structured data (name, work history, education, skills), (3) score or filter candidates against the job posting requirements, (4) surface qualified candidates to recruiters. The specifics differ — some use AI scoring, others use simple keyword matching, some rely heavily on screening questions — but this pipeline is universal. Your goal is to optimize for each stage: clean parsing, strong scoring, and complete applications.

Universal Formatting Rules

Use a single-column layout. Use standard section headers (Work Experience, Education, Skills). Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Times New Roman) at 10-12pt. Use MM/YYYY date format. Save as PDF or DOCX (check application instructions). Never use tables for layout, text boxes, headers/footers for content, graphics or icons for information, or creative/non-standard section names. Test your resume by copying all text from the PDF and pasting into a plain text editor — if it's readable and in order, it will parse well.

Universal Keyword Strategy

Read the job description line by line and identify every skill, qualification, and requirement mentioned. Ensure each one appears in your resume using the exact language from the posting. Include both full terms and acronyms: 'Customer Relationship Management (CRM).' Place keywords in multiple locations: summary, experience bullets, and skills section. Never stuff keywords (hidden white text, repeated terms) — modern ATS systems detect and penalize this. Natural integration is key.

Beyond the Resume: Application Completeness

Your resume is one component of your application. Most ATS platforms also evaluate: screening question responses (often used for automatic pass/fail), cover letter content (some systems index this for keyword matching), salary expectations (used for range filtering), and availability dates. Incomplete applications are frequently auto-rejected before a human sees them. Treat every field as mandatory, even optional ones — completeness signals thoroughness and genuine interest.

Expert Tips

  1. 1

    Submit your resume in the format specified — PDF for most systems, DOCX when requested

  2. 2

    Mirror exact keywords from the job posting throughout your resume naturally

  3. 3

    Complete every field in the application — incomplete submissions are often auto-rejected

  4. 4

    Use standard section headers: Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications

  5. 5

    Test your resume by pasting into a plain text editor — if it reads cleanly, it will parse cleanly

  6. 6

    Apply within the first week of a posting — many companies review applications on a rolling basis

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human sees them?

Estimates vary, but approximately 70-75% of resumes are filtered out before reaching a recruiter, according to multiple staffing industry surveys. However, this isn't all due to formatting — many are rejected for legitimate qualification mismatches (wrong location, insufficient experience, missing required certifications). Proper formatting and keyword optimization ensure you're evaluated on your qualifications, not filtered out by parsing errors.

Should I use the same resume for every application?

No. Maintain a master resume with all your experience, then create tailored versions for each application or application type. Customize three things for each submission: (1) your summary or objective to reflect the target role, (2) the order and emphasis of skills to match the job description, and (3) the top bullets of your most recent role to address the specific requirements mentioned. This 15-20 minute investment per application dramatically improves your match score.

Can I trick an ATS by hiding keywords in white text?

No. This tactic worked briefly in the early 2010s but is now detected and penalized by virtually all modern ATS platforms. Hidden text, keyword stuffing, and invisible content are flagged as manipulative. Some systems auto-reject flagged applications; others alert the recruiter, which damages your credibility. The only sustainable ATS strategy is genuine keyword alignment: include relevant terms naturally throughout honest, accurate resume content.

Related Pages

WorkdayGreenhouseLever

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