How To Write an ATS Approved Resume (With Template and Tips)

Key Takeaways

• Poorly formatted resumes can hinder job search success.
• Creating an ATS-approved resume is essential to improve your chances of qualifying for jobs.
• A well-structured format and well-written content are key to passing ATS screening.
• Using templates can help craft a professional, organized resume.
• Following tips for both machine (ATS) and human recruiters increases your chances of landing your dream job.

In today's digital hiring world, getting your dream job now begins with passing through the smart process of the Applicant Tracking System. This software is designed to screen resumes based on given keywords and requirements, and that’s why it is essential to craft your resume accordingly. If your CV doesn't get passed through ATS, your chances of qualifying for an interview are impossible.

This guide will help you with the essential strategies to craft an ATS-qualified resume that not only parses the system but also impresses human recruiters. By following given steps, you'll increase your chances of securing your desired position. This article includes:

• Understanding ATS
• Key Components
• ATS Friendly Resume Structure
• Templates Sample
• Tips and Tricks

Let's explore and learn how to create an ATS-approved resume that stands out in 2024.

What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System is used by companies to make the recruitment process easy. It saves recruiters time by selecting deserving employees and selecting employees without bias. It’s a digital tool that checks a large number of job applications using relevant keywords.

In this digital world, qualifying for an interview is challenging due to ATS. These digital gatekeepers, used by most companies, are designed to simplify the recruitment process by checking resumes. Essentially, an ATS scans a resume based on specific keywords and qualifications, ranking candidates with the already provided criteria.

Resumes that fail to match with the ATS's requirements get disqualified before even reaching human eyes. Consequently, creating a resume that can smoothly be listed out becomes important.

Building a resume for ATS is not only a preference; it's a necessity to craft your resume according to the description. An ATS-approved resume showcases your qualifications in a language the system can understand and select your resume.

How does it work?

An ATS collects and saves your resumes, cover letters, and other information. It scans the resumes and checks them out based on relevant job descriptions and keywords. It gives the marks to the candidates based on how much they are suitable for the position and disqualifies the undeserving candidates who don’t have the required skills. It works as a filter, picking out the best resumes and sending them to recruiters.

Importance of an ATS-Friendly Resume

• Increased Visibility: An ATS-friendly resume easily gets noticed and selected by the ATS, and makes it more visible to recruiters.
• Time Efficiency: A well-structured resume gets checked out quickly and quickly by the system, saving the time of both the employee and the recruiter.
• Improved Job Success: By successfully qualifying the ATS, you can go on to the next stage of the hiring process for interview opportunities by human recruiters.
• Accurate Candidate Matching: An ATS-approved resume can accurately match job requirements based on relevant keywords and doesn't pass undeserving candidates.
• Fairer Hiring Process: ATS removes biases in the recruitment process by focusing on qualifications and experience.
• Enhanced Professional Image: A resume that successfully fulfills the ATS requirements showcases your ability to adapt to technological advancements and attention to detail.

Key Components of an ATS-Friendly Resume

Consider these tips to craft an ATS-approved CV:

Choose the Right Format

While creativity is essential, it is not when you are creating an ATS-friendly resume. The most ATS-suitable formats are:

• Chronological Resume: This is the most commonly used format which showcases your work experience in reverse order. The most recent achievement at first then goes with the flow. It’s best for candidates with strong working experience. It's ideal for candidates with a strong, continuous working history.
• Combination Resume: Blends up chronological and functional formats, providing a balanced variety of experience and skills. This is a versatile option. It highlights your skills while also providing a clear work history in your ATS-approved resume.

Avoid functional resumes, which can confuse ATS systems and hinder your chances of passing the initial screening.

Use Clear and Consistent Formatting

ATS systems consider healthy structure and consistency. To craft your resume for ATS, follow these tips:

• Font: Use easy-to-read fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri so that ATS can easily read and quantify your resume.
• Font size: Use the standard font size of 10-12.
• Margins: Use the margin space of 1 inch on all sides.
• Headers: Use headings before each section like "Summary," "Experience," "Skills," and "Education."
• Avoid complex formatting: Don't add tables, columns, or graphics because it is a negative point for ATS screening.
• Formatting: Use the same font size and style throughout the resume for better formatting.

Optimize Keywords

The main key to qualifying ATS is to add relevant keywords to your resume. You can use keywords by:

• Identify keywords: Carefully read the job description and use relevant keywords and phrases in your ATS-approved resume.
• Strategic placement: Use keywords naturally without adding too much time to your summary, experience, skills, and education sections.
• Keyword density: Include keywords but avoid adding keywords too many times. Focus on quality over quantity.

Create a Strong Resume Summary

Your resume summary is the main section needed to get selected by the ATS. Make it count:

• Concise and impactful: Highlight your most relevant skills and experiences.
• Keyword: Utilizing keywords from the job description to get selected.
• Tailored: Customize your summary according to each job application to showcase your interest in the position.

Highlight Achievements and Quantifiable Results

Numbers speak louder than words to ATS systems. Showcase your achievements using metrics and data:

• Quantify achievements: Use numbers and statistics to highlight your impact and achievements in previous roles with your efforts.
• Use action verbs: Write your ATS-approved resume content in bullet points and start with strong action verbs to highlight your contributions.
• Focus on results: Showcase the impacts of your work you did more than your duties.

By following these tips and tricks, you can create an ATS-friendly resume to qualify for the ATS.

ATS Friendly Resume Structure

Header

The header is the first impression your resume makes. Keep it simple and informative.

• Name: Your full name, clearly visible and in a larger font size.
• Contact Information: Add your professional email address and phone number. Don't add your personal information like your date of birth or other unnecessary things.
• LinkedIn Profile: If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the link.

Summary or Objective

A strong summary or objective can benefit your job application:

• Summary: Briefly describe your professional experience, skills, and future career goals.
• Objective: A clear statement of the specific job you are targeting. Keep it concise and keyword-rich.

Skills

A well-written ATS-approved resume skills section highlights your both technical and soft skills and also makes it easier for ATS to identify relevant keywords.

• Technical Skills: Write about the role, software, programming languages, or tools in which you have expertise.
• Soft Skills: Include related skills like leadership, communication, or problem-facing.
• Keyword Optimization: Using keywords from the job description to qualify the ATS based on keyword optimization.

Experience

This section is crucial for showcasing your work history.

• Reverse Chronological Order: List your jobs starting with the most recent.
• Job Title: Add your job title.
• Company Name: Include the company name and location.
• Dates of Employment: Use a common format for writing dates (MM/YYYY).
• Responsibilities and Achievements: Use bullet points to highlight your working responsibilities and numbers for showcasing your achievements.
• Keyword Optimization: Add relevant keywords from the job description to your bullet points.

Education

Add your educational life, including:

• Degree: The degree you got.
• Institution: Name of the school or university.
• Location: City and state of the institution.
• Dates Attended: Start and end dates of your study.
• Honors or Awards: Mention any academic achievements.

Certifications

You can also include a section for certifications in an ATS-approved resume. This showcases your expertise in specific areas.

• Certification Name: Write the name of the certification.
• Certifying Organization: Adding the organization that gave you the certification.
• Date Obtained: The date when you earned the certification.

Remember to use the same formatting throughout your resume and avoid tough layouts that might confuse the ATS.

Additional Tips for ATS Success

Proofread Carefully

Spelling and grammatical mistakes can create a negative impression and don't get you qualified by the ATS. Carefully proofread your resume many times for more accuracy and to avoid errors.

Leverage ATS-Friendly Tools

Several online tools and software can help you optimize your resume for ATS. These tools find problems, suggest improvements, and provide ATS-friendly resume templates.

Craft Your Resume for Each Job Application

A casual resume template having no relevant information will not impress recruiters. Craft your resume accordingly for each role by using keywords from the job description and highlighting related skills and experiences.

By following these additional tips, you can create a powerful ATS-friendly resume that will help you to get your dream job.

ATS Approved Resume Template: A Basic Structure

Here's a basic structure of an ATS-approved CV template:

Header

• Full Name
• Professional Email
• Phone Number
• LinkedIn Profile (optional)

Summary or Objective (optional)

• Brief overview of your skills and career goals
• Keyword-rich

Skills

• Technical Skills
• Soft Skills

Experience

• Job Title
• Company Name
• Location
• Dates of Employment
• Bullet points of responsibilities and achievements (use action verbs and quantify results)

Education

• Degree
• Institution
• Location
• Dates attended
• Honors or awards (optional)

Certifications and Licenses (optional)

• Certification name
• Certifying organization
• Data obtained

Additional Sections (optional)

• Projects
• Volunteer work
• Awards and honors

Key points to remember:

• Use a simple, clean format. Avoid complex layouts and graphics.
• Choose an easy-to-read font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
• Maintain the same formatting in the whole resume.
• Use keywords from the job description.
• Save your resume as a .doc or .docx file for better quality.

Remember: This is a basic template structure of an ATS-approved resume, it's essential to build your resume differently for each specific job requirement.

Resume Sample

Shruti Saxena

shruti.saxena**@email.com

(123) ***-7890

Florida, CA

Summary

Expert content writer with social media marketing with five years of experience creating content strategies, increasing brand awareness, and generating SEO through innovative plans. I am skilled in handling social media platforms and digital marketing and finding a challenging role to use my technical and soft skills.

Education

• ST. Joseph High School, Florida, CA
• Graduated in Feb 2022
• Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication

Skills

• Technical Skills: Social Media handler, shooting Instagram reels, making TikTok, daily basis Snapchat stories, YouTube content writing, Twitter posts, and Linked
• Soft Skills: Strong communication, leadership, and confidence with Good cooperative nature.

Experience

• Journalism Club, St. Marry High School
  • Worked and cooperate with team members to organize a debate competition
  • Demonstrated leadership by taking on team roles.
• Content Writer, PBNS
  • Wrote content for YouTube videos and magazines.
  • Increased followers by 20%.
  • Developed cooperation skills and a strong work ethic.
• Social Media Head, Florida News
  • Handled social media platforms.
  • Increased sales of product by 15%
  • Posted content daily.

Awards and Honors

• Best School Newspaper, 2020
• Writing content winner, 2022
• Best content writer of the year 2023

Conclusion

In today's competitive hiring world, an ATS-approved resume is not an option only but a necessary thing to qualify for the dream job interview. By understanding the working manner of applicant tracking systems and using the strategies provided in this guide, you can enhance your chances of qualifying for the screening process and an interview.

Remember, a well-crafted, ATS-optimized resume is your first impression on a human recruiters. By using time to create a resume that fulfills ATS requirements, you're working on your future career advancement.

Start using these tips today to increase your visibility in the ATS and get selected.

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