Learn what recruiters and ATS systems actually look for in your resume, and discover proven techniques to get past automated screening and catch a hiring manager's attention in just 6 seconds.
Your resume first passes through an Applicant Tracking System that parses content for keywords and relevant experience
If your resume passes ATS, recruiters typically spend just 6-7 seconds scanning for relevant qualifications
Only resumes that impress in the initial scan receive detailed attention and consideration for interviews
of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human ever sees them
seconds is the average time recruiters spend on initial resume review
higher interview rate for resumes optimized for both ATS and human review
Before your resume reaches a human recruiter, it must first pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These software platforms are used by 99% of Fortune 500 companies and over 75% of all employers to manage the high volume of applications they receive. Understanding how these systems work is essential to crafting a resume that gets noticed.
When you submit your resume, the ATS extracts and categorizes your information into a standardized digital profile. It reads text, identifies sections, and attempts to organize your experience, skills, education, and other details into searchable fields.
The system then compares your resume against the job description, searching for relevant keywords and phrases that indicate you have the required skills, experience, and qualifications. Most ATS systems rank candidates based on keyword match percentage.
Based on the keyword matches and other criteria set by recruiters, the ATS assigns a relevance score to your application. Resumes with higher scores are ranked at the top of the list for recruiter review, while low-scoring applications may be automatically filtered out.
Your resume information is stored in the employer's candidate database, allowing recruiters to search for specific credentials, experience, or skills across all applications—even for future positions you haven't applied to.
Different companies use different ATS software, but many of the most popular systems process resumes in similar ways. The most widely used ATS platforms include:
Understanding that your resume must first satisfy an algorithm before it reaches human eyes is crucial to modern job searching. The good news is that with the right optimization techniques, you can significantly increase your chances of passing this initial screening stage.
If your resume makes it past the ATS, the next hurdle is the human review. According to eye-tracking studies by Ladders, recruiters spend an average of just 6-7 seconds deciding whether a resume deserves closer attention or should be rejected. This extremely brief window means your resume must make an immediate impact.
Recruiters look at your name, current job title, and current company to establish who you are professionally. Then they quickly assess if your most recent role is relevant to the position.
They skim your professional summary and previous positions, looking for key terms and experiences that match their requirements. They're asking: "Does this person have relevant experience at the right level?"
A quick glance at your education background and skills section completes the initial scan. By now, recruiters have made their first decision: reject, maybe, or definitely continue reading.
After these crucial 6 seconds, recruiters make one of three decisions:
70-80% of resumes
15-20% of resumes
5-10% of resumes
Understanding this initial screening process is crucial for resume design. The key is to place your most impressive and relevant qualifications in the areas recruiters focus on most, using clear formatting that guides their eye to important information within those critical 6 seconds.
To maximize your chances of getting past ATS screening and into the hands of recruiters, implement these proven optimization strategies in your resume design and content.
Use a standard resume layout with clearly defined sections and minimal design elements that won't confuse ATS software.
Label sections with conventional titles like 'Work Experience,' 'Education,' and 'Skills' that ATS systems are programmed to recognize.
Strategically include industry-specific terms and skills from the job description that match your qualifications.
Skip tables, text boxes, headers/footers, and graphics that can confuse parsing algorithms.
Submit your resume as a standard .docx or PDF file unless specifically instructed otherwise.
Stick to widely recognized fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman that display properly across systems.
Keywords are the foundation of ATS optimization. To identify the most important ones:
It's not just about having keywords—it's about strategic placement and appropriate frequency:
Eye-tracking studies have revealed how recruiters actually scan resumes, showing that they follow a predictable pattern when reviewing documents. This "resume heatmap" shows which areas get the most attention, helping you strategically place your most impressive qualifications where they're most likely to be seen.
| Resume Zone | Attention Level | Time Spent | Optimization Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name & Contact Information | High | 1.5 seconds | Place at top, clearly visible, with professional email. Avoid creative titles. |
| Professional Summary | Very High | 2 seconds | Keep to 3-5 impactful sentences with relevant achievements and skills. |
| Current Job Title & Company | High | 1 second | Bold your title, use recognizable company names, show dates clearly. |
| Skills Section | Medium-High | 0.7 seconds | Group related skills, prioritize those mentioned in job description. |
| Previous Job Experience | Medium | 0.5 seconds | Focus on achievements not responsibilities, use bullet points. |
| Education | Medium-Low | 0.3 seconds | List degree, institution, and graduation year clearly. Only relevant details. |
| Bottom Third of Resume | Low | 0-0.2 seconds | Place less critical information here; many recruiters don't scroll this far initially. |
Studies show that recruiters typically scan resumes in an F-shaped pattern: they read horizontally across the top, then move down slightly and read horizontally again, and finally scan vertically down the left side. This means:
Your name, title, and professional summary get the most thorough horizontal reading
Job titles and section headings on the left get more attention than content on the right
The first 1-2 bullet points under each position receive more attention than later ones
Understanding why resumes get rejected is crucial to avoiding common pitfalls. Here are the main reasons resumes fail to pass both ATS systems and the recruiter's quick scan, based on feedback from hiring professionals.
In our 2025 survey of 250 hiring managers and recruiters, we found that resume rejection happens primarily for three reasons:
The resume failed to demonstrate relevant experience or skills for the specific role
Poor organization, difficult-to-scan layout, or ATS compatibility issues
Failed to quantify achievements or show concrete results from previous work
To illustrate effective ATS and recruiter optimization, here are before and after examples of common resume sections. These transformations show how strategic changes can dramatically improve both algorithm matching and human readability.
One of the most effective strategies for improving your resume's performance is customizing it for each application. While this requires more effort, our data shows that tailored resumes receive 3x more interview invitations than generic ones.
Start by thoroughly analyzing the job posting. Identify:
Adjust your summary to reflect the specific role and company:
Reorganize your work history to emphasize relevance:
Fine-tune your skills to match the job requirements:
Create a comprehensive "master resume" that includes all your experiences, accomplishments, and skills in detail. For each application, you can then efficiently create a tailored version by selecting and adjusting the most relevant sections from your master document.
With Woberry's resume builder, you can maintain multiple versions of your resume and quickly customize them for each application, saving hours of repetitive editing while still sending perfectly tailored applications.
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software used by employers to manage job applications. It helps recruiters organize, search, and filter resumes, often using keyword matching algorithms to identify qualified candidates. Most medium to large companies use an ATS to handle their high volume of applications.
According to research, recruiters spend an average of just 6-7 seconds initially reviewing a resume before deciding whether to read it in more detail or reject it. This is why having a clean, well-formatted resume with key information prominently displayed is crucial.
For most ATS systems, a standard PDF or Microsoft Word (.docx) file is recommended. Avoid using image files, specialized formats, or PDFs with unusual formatting. Simple, clean formatting with standard fonts and minimal design elements works best for ATS compatibility.
Yes, incorporating relevant keywords from the job description is essential for ATS optimization. However, avoid keyword stuffing and ensure all included terms are used naturally and accurately reflect your skills and experience. Focus on including industry-specific terminology, required skills, and qualifications mentioned in the job posting.
You can test your resume's ATS compatibility by using specialized resume scanning tools, checking if text can be easily selected and copied from your PDF, using simple formatting without tables or text boxes, and ensuring all important information is in the main content rather than headers or footers. Woberry's resume builder automatically checks for ATS compatibility.
Continue improving your resume with these expert resources
Learn how to effectively showcase your professional history with impactful achievements.
Discover how to effectively use keywords to optimize your resume for ATS systems.
Create an attention-grabbing professional summary that hooks hiring managers in seconds.