How to create an ATS-friendly resume in 2024

Hiring technology has evolved over the years, and we are currently in the age of Applicant Tracking Systems or ATSs. A majority of American employers use ATSs to store and sort through job applications during the hiring process. If you want to make your career dreams come true, you must consider the ATS when you write resumes. We aim to explore how you can create an ATS-friendly resume with this article.

Why should you keep your resume ATS-friendly?

Creating an ATS-friendly resume will help you boost your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers when they search for qualified candidates through the ATS database. Imagine that you submitted a resume that does not have the right formatting or keywords. The ATS will not shortlist your resume as a potential hire to the hiring manager.

How can you know if your resume is ATS-friendly?

There are tons of free online ATS tests that claim to find the ATS score of your resume. However, most of these tests are not accurate. ATSs differ in nature and technology. Therefore, there is no one test that you can use to determine the ATS score of your resume. However, you can always tell whether a resume is ATS-friendly or not by scanning it carefully. An ATS-friendly resume does not contain:

• Multiple columns
• Pictures
• Tables
• Graphs
• Text boxes
• Fancy fonts
• Graphical elements
• Busy designs
• Exaggerated colors

How to create an ATS-friendly resume

Now that you know a little bit about ATSs, you can start creating a resume that will sit well with the bots. We will share a few tips that you will find useful:

1. Go for an ATS-friendly resume design

The resume template and format you use determine whether your resume is ATS-friendly. If you want to ensure that the ATS can parse your information without trouble, you should stick with a one-column resume design. While most modern ATSs can parse double-column resume designs, there are some old bots that can’t extract information well from a double-column resume design.

2. Remove certain design elements

Some resume design elements are considered to be not ATS-friendly. As we mentioned before, an ATS-friendly resume design must not contain pictures, graphics, tables, charts, and graphs. You should also take care to use professional fonts for your resume. Fancy fonts with swirls and curls may affect the ATS friendliness of the document.

3. Include the job title

Your resume should include the title of the job for which you are applying. You can mention your target job title right below your name on your resume to ensure that it is visible. You can either list your job title as it is or use your resume headline to showcase the job title.

4. Add the right skills

Job-related skills are often crucial keywords for your resume. Read the job description to identify important skills and incorporate them into your resume. Be sure to stick with the same terms and phrases used in the job description when listing skills on the document.

5. Use keywords properly

Incorporating the right keywords into your resume is a huge part of ATS-friendly resume design. Once you identify the essential keywords from the job description, you should ensure that they are incorporated into the resume headline, summary, skills, work experience, achievements, and education sections of your resume. If you can display keywords within additional resume sections, you should go for it as well.