You have just finished writing your resume and you must admit that it looks really impressive, especially with all the graphics that you inserted including bar graphs, boxes, brilliant color, photos, and lines. You believe that your eye-catching resume will hold the interest of the 6 to 12 seconds a recruiter spends on scanning a resume. If you attached your resume to an online application process, chances are that your resume may not be shortlisted due to applicant tracking software (ATS).
The majority of top employers use an applicant tracking software (ATS) because it is an effective recruiting tool that speeds up screening time and sorts out qualified applicants. ATS is applied for almost all job descriptions ranging from junior to senior level roles. Also, according to a survey by Kelly OCG concludes that approximately 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruiting software.
Your success of being shortlisted for an interview may be largely dependent on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms. The software matches keywords and phrases some software creates a ranking system based on scored matches. Another function is that ATS keeps and sorts hundreds of resumes received for an advertised position and this results in a faster time-to-hire.
To ensure that your resume meets the ATS requirements, begin by carefully reading and reviewing the job advertisement and then tailor your resume to it. Make sure that your formatting meets the requirements of ATS software. Finally, consider that ATS systems are now included for most online application systems and that more time will need to be spent on preparing a winning resume.