Resume / CV Guidance

Factors Considered by ATS for Resume Selection

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans and ranks resumes based on various criteria. To get shortlisted, ensure your resume aligns with these factors:

1. Keyword Optimization – Use industry-specific keywords from the job description.
2. Job Title & Experience Match – ATS prioritizes resumes that match the job title and required experience.
3. Skills Section – List relevant technical and soft skills explicitly.
4. Resume Format – Use a clean, ATS-friendly format (e.g., Word or PDF).
5. Structured Sections – Clearly define sections like Work Experience, Education, and Skills.
6. Bullet Points Over Paragraphs – Bullet points help ATS and recruiters scan your resume faster.
7. Consistent Formatting – Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri) and avoid fancy designs.
8. Measurable Achievements – Quantify achievements (e.g., “Increased sales by 20%”).
9. Correct File Name – Use a professional file name like John_Doe_Resume.pdf.
10. No Grammar or Spelling Mistakes – ATS may reject resumes with errors.

Avoid these mistakes to prevent rejection:

1. Missing Keywords – If your resume lacks important keywords from the job description, it won’t rank well.
2. Incorrect File Format – Some ATS systems may struggle with images, tables, or unusual file formats like JPG or PNG.
3. Complex Formatting – Avoid columns, headers, footers, or excessive graphics, as ATS may misread them.
4. Overuse of Acronyms – Spell out industry terms in addition to abbreviations (e.g., “Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”).
5. Uncommon Fonts & Colors – Stick to standard fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
6. Use of Headers & Footers – Some ATS systems ignore content in headers and footers.
7. Too Many Synonyms for One Skill – Instead of overloading synonyms, use the exact phrases from the job description.
8. Not Tailoring for Each Job – A generic resume may not match specific job postings.
9. Including Graphics or Tables – ATS may not recognize images, charts, or tables properly.
10. Typos & Grammatical Errors – ATS may fail to match misspelled words with the job description.

Pro Tip : To check if your resume is ATS-friendly, copy and paste it into a plain text editor (like Notepad). If it looks disorganized, ATS might have trouble reading it.

You can use sites like Resume worded or Jobscan to check the ATS score & use recommended.