How to Beat Applicant Tracking System

Request a Consultation from an Award-Winning Recruiter and Resume Writer

(Board, C-Level, VP, Director & Mid-Career Professionals)

Here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

DON’Ts

  • Don’t upload your resume in .PDF, .DOCX or any other fancy format. Instead, stick to the good old .RTF or .DOC. Better yet, try converting your resume to .TXT to understand what information will be picked up by the ATS and how it will be displayed, and make adjustments accordingly.
  • Don’t use tables, text boxes, or columns. Most ATS’s won’t recognize and read them correctly.
  • Don’t embellish your resume with images, graphs, clipart, and symbols. The system will overlook them.
  • Don’t use fancy bullets (Wingdings, Webdings, etc.) Standard options should be fine, while “+”, “-“ and “*” are your safest bet.
  • Don’t experiment with fonts. Since applicant tracking software relies on optical character recognition (OCR), go with Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or other standard fonts instead.
  • Don’t put important information, especially your contacts, in the header or the footer (except if it’s page 2+ of your resume). ATS usually skips headers and footers.
  • Don’t use abbreviations or acronyms. Spell everything out.
  • Don’t submit a functional resume. The system will not know how to interpret your document, so it’s unlikely that you’ll make the cut.

DO’s

  • Do use common section headings and capitalize them (i.e. “WORK EXPERIENCE”, “EDUCATION”, “AWARDS”, not “Value Added” or “Team Building Expertise”). That way you can ensure that the ATS picks up and organizes your information properly.
  • Do put each piece of information on a new line. For example,

Company
Dates of employment
Position

or

College degree
Year
School

  • Do repeat company name if you have held several positions within one organization.
  • Do fill your resume with appropriate buzzwords and key phrases, as it will be matched against a set of terms related to the vacant position and ranked accordingly. However, take care that you put the keywords in the context – sophisticated systems will know if you’re cheating.
  • Do take as many pages as you need to describe all the relevant work experiences, competencies and skills. With the ATS there’s no need to worry about the length.
  • Do have a “pretty”, i.e. visually attractive, version of your resume handy when you come in for an interview.

Is your resume optimized to be ATS-friendly? Do you have any tips on how to game the system? Share your experiences in our comment section!

Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!

About iCareerSolutions

iCareerSolutions, America’s #1 Executive and Professional Resume Writing Services, Reverse Recruitment, and LinkedIn Profile Development Company. 28X award-winning resume writers deliver professional resumes that get interviews. We have successfully landed our executive clients senior-level leadership positions at companies like Apple, Amazon, EA, Oracle, GM, Google, Facebook, DoJ, Gap, and 2U just to name a few. iCareerSolutions has 200+ 5-star reviews and offers a 60-day interview guarantee. Every resume template created is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) compatible and highly customized to meet your unique needs.

Active Members of The National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA) │ The Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW&CC) │ Career Directors International (CDI) │ Career Professionals (CPC) │ Forbes Coaches Council

One of the Top Multi-Award-Winning Resume Writing Services in the country.

Book a complimentary consultation for your Professionally Managed Job Search now!

Forbes Coaches Council
60 Day Interview Guarantee

Here are some of our Top Resume Testimonials

Francesca Mackay
I can’t recommend this service enough! I got a beautiful resume and cover letter and within a week I was hearing back from many employers. I got the job I wanted after the first interview. I am beyond happy with my results!
Francesca Mackay
Rachel OBrien
My sincere gratitude Arno for all your time, patience and refined skills in word smithing my resume, and guidance during these past few months. You and your firm’s expertise has been a game-changer. The results have transformed and elevated my brand that is uniquely me and the value I will bring to the right organization of my choice. I have only just begun my job search and the responses have b…
Rachel O'BrienDirector Governance
Lynn Petersen
I reached out to Arno to assist me in adding that “professional” look to my resume. He was a great resource to work with, providing guidance and advice. While updating a resume can be an arduous process, Arno brought his extensive experience and helped me produce a professional resume that I am proud to share. I would work with Arno again, should the need arise!…
Lynn PeterseneCommerce Project Manager
Jonathan N.
I contracted Arno to modernize my resume. I was coming off of a 14 year work stretch and hence my resume was greatly out of date and style. Arno was/is a consummate professional. He provided clear and honest feedback throughout the process, even if the truth was something I did not want to hear. The end product was exceptional. Within 4 weeks of utilizing the new resume via Indeed, LinkedIn, Monst…
Jonathan N.Chief Technology Officer
Nitin Gogtay
Arno was very helpful in helping with with creating a linkedin profile, resume as well as his guidance and tips on how to make myself visible. He was always responsive, knowledgeable and fun to work with. I highly recommend him for his services
Nitin GogtayBoard Certified Psychiatrist
Manuel Garcia
The best tool for a job seeking I found three jobs with the resume that they designed for me. Amazing!
Manuel GarciaMarketing Director
blank profile picture 1
I reviewed both and I love everything! Thank you so much for the incredible resume/cover letter and quick turnaround. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Thank you
Tiffanie Veldman
Glen
Working with Arno and his team has significantly changed the trajectory of my career and life. Financially speaking, I have seen a 500x+ return on my investment. Learning about what recruiters and companies look for and optimizing my resume to give me a leg up on my competition has provided me with several opportunities over the past few years. His methodology and process is insightful and very ef…
Glenn BrodskyAVP, Talent Development
deniz tuncay
It was nice to work with Arno. Helped me to remind what I have successfully accomplished to add on my resume.
Deniz TuncaySales Project Leader
Clarence Tupper
Dear Arno: I hope all is going well with you.  Just checking back to see when you think you will be able to wrap up my last resume revision.  I do not think there is much to do as you did a superb job on the first draft.
Clarence TupperDirector

Top Resume Writing Awards

Employers who have Onboarded Our Clients

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top