You’d think applying for a job would be about your skills, right? 

Nope. The first challenge isn’t convincing a person you’re the perfect fit—it’s surviving the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

ATS is like the bouncer at the club who decides who gets in. 

Too many typos or the wrong keywords? You’re out. 

Resume made in Canva to make it pretty? Out. 

Basically, if your resume doesn’t follow their rules, it doesn’t even make it to the humans.

If you’re serious about landing your dream job, you need to get used to optimizing your resume for ATS.

And it’s not as simple as copying/pasting keywords in job descriptions.

RELATED: Why am I not getting job interviews?

What does having an ATS-friendly resume mean?

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans and organizes resumes. Think of it as a search engine for recruiters—no deep thinking involved; just a lot of scanning and sorting.

Your resume needs to get past the ATS before it can get to the recruiters. Here’s what it’s looking for:

• Keywords: Specific skills, certifications, or tools from the job description (blindly copying and pasting job descriptions isn’t the way to go; I’ll explain why in a sec).
• Simplicity: No fancy graphics or complex layouts with pictures, tables, columns, text boxes, borders, lines, or symbols. This means don’t use Canva templates (sorry).
• Font: Stick to common fonts like Arial, Georgia, Tahoma, Calibri, or Verdana in a legible size (11 points or larger) to ensure readability.
• .Doc vs PDF: Save your resume as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx) unless the job application specifies that PDFs are acceptable. Some ATS may struggle with PDFs, potentially misreading or omitting information.
• Clarity: Job titles, dates, and responsibilities need to be easy to spot.

In short: Boring, specific, and keyword-rich resumes win the ATS battle. Think “college essay,” not “wedding invite.”

These machines don’t care about your pretty resume. 

And if I’m being honest with you, neither do most recruiters.

How Does ATS Work Exactly?

ATS is a software that automates the recruitment process by collecting, sorting, and filtering resumes submitted for job applications. 

It basically makes the life of a recruiter 10x easier. 

Employers use ATS software to get through large volumes of applications (we’re talking thousands of resumes) so that only candidates whose resumes align closely with the job requirements are considered.

How ATS Processes Your Resume

• Scans for Keywords: The ATS hunts for skills, experience, and education that match the job description.
• Scores Your Fit: It assigns your resume a score based on how well you align with the role.
• Ranks Resumes: High-scoring resumes go to recruiters; lower scores might not make the cut.
• Fast Processing: ATS systems analyze resumes within minutes.

Insider Secret: Smaller companies may respond within a week; larger organizations often take 1-4 weeks or longer to get back to candidates.

How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly Without Losing Your Mind

1. Stick to the Basics

No pictures, tables, pretty Canva templates, or “fun facts about me” sections. (Save that for the interview.) 

Use a clean, professional design with consistent formatting.

2. Use Keywords (But Don’t Overthink This Step)

This doesn’t mean copying the job description verbatim or keyword stuffing your resume (the software blocks this as “spammy”).

Instead:

• Highlight the skills, tools, and qualifications they’re asking for.
• Use natural language to weave them into your experience. For example:
  • Job description: “Proficient in CRM software.”
  • Your resume: “Managed client accounts using Salesforce, leading to a 15% revenue increase.”

How To Pick the Right Keywords for Your Resume

To determine which keywords to include in your resume:

1. Analyze Job Descriptions: Carefully read the job postings you’re interested in and highlight recurring skills, qualifications, and industry-specific terms. These are the keywords you should incorporate into your resume.
2. Use Keyword Scanners: Tools like Jobscan can scan job descriptions and generate a list of relevant keywords, helping you tailor your resume effectively.
3. Refer to Industry Lists: Resources such as Jobscan’s top resume keywords by industry can provide insights into commonly used terms in your field.

3. Tell a Story

If there’s one thing I hammer into my clients, it’s to make sure your resume tells a story.

That might sound vague, so I’ll show you what I mean.

Whenever possible, quantify your impact. “Managed a team” sounds generic. “Managed a team of 10, increasing team productivity by 30%,” says you know your stuff.

Numbers = credibility. And ATS loves numbers.

You also want to use action verbs like “led,” “developed,” and “implemented” to make an impact.

• Instead of: “Managed a team.”
• Try: “Led a team of 8, increasing quarterly sales by 20%.

4. Tailor Your Resume with an ATS-Friendly Template

Applying for a job without tailoring your resume is like trying to impress your Bumble date with a stock photo—it won’t work.

I know this sounds like it takes a lot of time, but with the right ATS-friendly resume template, you only need to make minor tweaks to the Summary, Skills, and Experience sections of your resume.

And if you did the homework (i.e., you picked out common keywords and transferable skills listed in a select few job descriptions), tailoring your resume will take even LESS time. 

I show you exactly how to do it inside my masterclass, Upgrade Your Resume. 

But for now, let me show you an example:

• Job Description 1: Seeking a results-driven Team Lead with 5+ years of experience managing cross-functional development teams, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of Agile methodologies and cloud technologies.

• Your Tailored Resume: Led a team of 6 developers through a successful software development lifecycle, utilizing Agile methodologies and cloud technologies to deliver high-quality software on time.

• Job Description 2: We’re hiring a Senior Software Engineer to manage database systems and develop RESTful APIs with a strong focus on Agile methodologies and cloud technologies.

• Your Tailored Resume: Managed database systems and developed RESTful APIs for product integration, overseeing software projects with cloud technologies and Agile methodologies.

Do you see how keywords like “Agile methodologies” and “cloud technologies” appear in both job descriptions— yet are tailored slightly differently for each resume?

That’s because this example candidate is qualified for both jobs, but each company is looking for something slightly different.

• Job 1 requires leadership experience.
• Job 2 needs a candidate with experience with RESTful APIs.
• Both job descriptions use keywords for experience with Agile methodologies and cloud technologies.

What NOT to Do (Unless You Like Being Ghosted)

• Creative Formatting: No, your resume doesn’t need your name in gigantic calligraphy font.
• Clichés: Everyone is “detail-oriented.” Be memorable, not generic. Here’s how.
• Irrelevant Jobs: That year you consulted on your friend’s startup is valuable, sure. But unless it directly supports your current trajectory, it’s résumé clutter. Think relevance over résumé real estate.

How To Make Sure Your Resume is ATS-Friendly with Resume Checkers

Every time I optimize resumes for ATS, I check them with one of these popular ATS resume checkers (that you can use for free!):

• Jobscan
• SkillSyncer

Final Thoughts: Why the Robots Aren’t the End of the World

Yes, when you optimize resumes for ATS, it can feel robotic.

But here’s the thing: it’s just the first step. If you nail this part, you’re more likely to get the chance to wow the humans on the other side.

Once your resume is in the hands of a recruiter, those specific details are going to make the biggest impact— and get you an actual interview.

Not sure how to optimize your resume? My free masterclass, Upgrade Your Resume, shows you how to create an ATS-friendly resume in ONE afternoon.

ATS-Friendly Resume FAQs

Do Recruiters Even Look at Resumes Anymore?

Yes, but only if you pass the ATS gatekeeper first. And even then, the recruiter spends about seven seconds deciding if you get an initial interview.

Recruiters are handed a very specific group of resumes from hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants. From there, the recruiter’s job is to provide that human touch by:

• Assessing Cultural Fit: Recruiters consider whether candidates align with the company’s values, culture, and team dynamics—factors that ATS can’t measure.
• Evaluating Soft Skills: I talk about why soft skills shouldn’t be in your resume here. But basically, it’s the recruiter’s job to assess your soft skills through an interview (attributes like communication, leadership, and problem-solving are best assessed through human interaction).
• Verifying Information: Recruiters confirm the accuracy of resume details by contacting your references or past employers, using 3rd party software like Truework and First Advantage to confirm your education and employment, and yeah— they look at your social media. 
• Providing a Human Touch: Personal engagement allows recruiters to address candidate questions (like these 10 that you should definitely be asking), discuss expectations, and build relationships, enhancing the candidate experience.

What Happens After the ATS?

If your resume passes the ATS, a human recruiter will spend about seven seconds skimming it. That’s why it’s crucial to balance being ATS-friendly with being readable and engaging for humans.