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If you’re searching for a job, you’ve likely been warned about applicant tracking systems and how they can pose barriers to getting your resume into human hands and gaining a coveted interview.
The rapid rise of technology and the introduction of applicant tracking systems may have made searching and hiring easier for employers, but it has created some undeniable challenges for job seekers.
Indeed, today’s hiring landscape requires savvy job seekers who know how to navigate these complex technologies. Though this can seem intimidating, with some efforts to educate yourself about the processes colleges and universities are using to hire, you can bolster your chances for success.
The word “applicant tracking system (ATS)” alone can be a bit of a mystery. In my recent conversation with experts in this area, two terms — ATS and resume parser — were used frequently. It wasn’t until asking for some clarification that I understood there is a distinction between the two terms.
“An ATS stores the candidate/job data to provide different ways to manage and find candidates,” explained Seth G. Hale, the director of sales at Textkernel/Sovren, a leading resume parsing company based in the Netherlands. “Parsing is the act of extracting data into structured fields to be stored by the ATS (or job board, CRM, LMS, etc.).”
So, in other words, resume parsing is a feature of many applicant tracking systems.
Gerard Mulder, CEO of Textkernel, warns that limitations in general are not on the resume parsing side, but on the ATS side. “Most ATS systems have limited capabilities to capture the richness of information you would expect nowadays as we’re moving to a more skills-based labour market,” he said.
So, as candidates work to understand applicant tracking systems and the ideal content and formatting for their resumes to pass through the ATS, it’s important to know the difference between these two terms. What may not pose a problem for a resume parser may still pose a challenge for an ATS. Keep this in mind as you seek advice and guidance on best practices for your resume.
Beyond knowing the terms and being cautious about what advice you take, there are a few other recommendations that I gleaned from experts on the technical side of recruiting:
Use Design with Caution
A quick Google search will populate dozens of sites with resume templates, each with a seemingly endless selection to choose from. While some designs may be eye-catching, when making your selection, Chad Sowash, co-founder and podcaster of The Chad & Cheese Podcast (HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast), recommends keeping your resume simple. “Aesthetics can be demonstrated in the portfolio and can jam up the parsing process with some lighter weight parsers, so leave aesthetics out of your resume and replace that energy with telling a relevant and concise story,” he said.
Both Sowash and Mulder caution against the trend of using icons, particularly to express the level of a certain skill. Some applicant tracking systems can’t read icons and they could affect the formatting when an employer reviews your resume. However, you can likely use icons for social media profiles and your contact information. The trend of using icons for rating systems for skills is not only problematic for ATS. Recruiters and hiring managers can’t glean much from your rating because it is subjective. How did you come up with the score, and what are you comparing it against?
Color may also be a prominent feature of various templates. While color could help distinguish your resume, consider the audience reviewing your resume. “Technologies usually do not have problems with parsing resumes due to font colors, although biased individuals who just want to focus on your skills and abilities might,” Sowash said.
Creative fields such as the arts may be more appropriate for using color, but if you are in a traditionally conservative industry, you may want to consult a trusted colleague or mentor about whether color would be appropriate. Second, if you don’t have experience with design, you may want to avoid color as it can be tricky to incorporate color tastefully and you may inadvertently distract those reading your resume.
Avoid Adding Images
In recent years, the use of headshots on resumes has gained popularity. Yet, experts have been quick to caution against this trend, saying that it opens candidates up to discrimination and unconscious bias based on race, age, and more.
Additionally, your resume should accentuate your skills and qualifications. A picture only serves to distract employers from what is most important. “Adding any pictures to your resume is superfluous and unnecessary,” Sowash argued. “Applicant tracking systems are text-focused when it comes to parsing and contextualizing resumes.”
Font Sizes and Styles Are Safe to Adjust
While there are a lot of design elements that experts advise not to use, font size and style are pretty safe areas for you to play around with as you design your resume. Careful selection is key, though. You don’t want your whole resume or CV to be in one font and one size. You may benefit from choosing one font for your headings (such as a serif font like Times New Roman) and one for body copy (sans serif fonts — like Arial — are typically easier to read for this smaller text). You can also draw attention to key areas, such as titles or institution names, by increasing the size or making them bold. Font choices can make a big difference, helping distinguish sections and draw readers’ eyes to the most important points.
Final Words
There’s no denying that applicant tracking systems are a barrier to job search success and can, at times, prevent good candidates from connecting with employers. Learning about applicant tracking systems and what resume choices work against you is one way to improve your chances.
Yet, Sowash reminds us that knowing how to navigate an ATS is just one part of the puzzle: “Understanding and using the appropriate keywords from your specific industry will allow technologies to better contextualize your skills and experience, but nothing can beat a deep professional network, so work on building your professional network to get your resume into human hands faster.”
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