ATS Optimization Techniques: Pass the ATS and Recruiter Scan
Learn how applicant tracking systems parse resumes, where recruiters look first, and the formatting and keyword techniques that help your resume get read.
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Quick answer
To optimise a resume for an applicant tracking system, use a simple single-column layout, standard section headings and fonts, and a PDF or Word file. Mirror truthful keywords from the job description in your summary, skills and bullets, then make the top of the page easy for a recruiter to scan in seconds.
Key takeaways
- An ATS parses your resume into searchable fields, so clean formatting and standard headings matter.
- Place relevant keywords naturally in your summary, skills section and achievement bullets; do not stuff them.
- Recruiters skim quickly, so put your name, title, summary and most relevant experience at the top.
- Avoid tables, text boxes and information hidden in headers or footers.
- Tailor each application: analyse the posting, adjust your summary, reprioritise bullets and match your skills.
Before a recruiter sees your resume, it often passes through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Knowing what that software does, and what a recruiter looks at next, tells you where to spend your effort.
How do ATS systems work?
An ATS extracts the text from your resume and organises it into a searchable profile. Employers use platforms such as Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS and Jobvite, which handle resumes in broadly similar ways.
- Initial parsing: the system reads your text, identifies sections and sorts experience, skills and education into fields.
- Keyword matching: it compares your resume with the job description, looking for terms that indicate the required skills and experience.
- Scoring and ranking: depending on how the employer configured it, candidates may be ranked by relevance for recruiter review.
- Searchable database: your details stay in the employer's candidate database, so recruiters can search for credentials or skills later, including for other roles.
What does the recruiter scan look like?
Recruiters skim a resume quickly before deciding whether to read on, so the top of your page does most of the work. They typically check, in order:
- Identity and relevance: your name, current job title and employer, and whether your latest role fits the position.
- Experience: your summary and previous positions, looking for matching terms and the right level.
- Education and skills: a quick glance to confirm the basics.
After this skim a resume is rejected, kept as a maybe, or read in detail. Put your most relevant qualifications where the eye lands first and use clear formatting that guides it.
What are the key ATS optimization techniques?
Six habits make a resume easier for software to parse.
ATS optimization essentials
- Choose a simple, clean format: a standard layout with clearly defined sections and minimal design elements.
- Use standard section headings: "Work Experience", "Education" and "Skills" are conventional titles that systems are built to recognise.
- Incorporate relevant keywords: include industry terms and skills from the job description that match your real qualifications.
- Avoid complex formatting: skip tables, text boxes, headers and footers, and graphics that can confuse parsing.
- Choose ATS-friendly file formats: a standard .docx or text-based PDF unless the posting says otherwise.
- Use standard fonts: Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman display properly across systems.
How do I choose the right keywords?
Keywords are the foundation of ATS optimization. To find them:
- Read the job description closely and highlight required skills, qualifications and experiences.
- Research industry terminology and common abbreviations, and use both the full term and the abbreviation where possible.
- Compare several postings for similar roles to spot terms that recur.
Where should I place keywords?
Place important keywords in your professional summary, naturally within achievement bullets, and in a dedicated skills section organised by category (technical, soft, industry-specific). Avoid keyword stuffing: it looks unnatural to recruiters and can work against you.
Where do recruiters look on a resume?
Recruiters tend to read the top of the page most closely, then scan down the left edge, so structure matters. The table shows how to use each zone.
| Resume zone | Attention | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Name and contact information | High | Place it at the top with a professional email. Avoid creative titles. |
| Professional summary | Very high | Keep it to 3-5 impactful sentences with relevant achievements and skills. |
| Current job title and company | High | Bold your title, use recognisable company names and show dates clearly. |
| Skills section | Medium-high | Group related skills and prioritise those in the job description. |
| Previous experience | Medium | Focus on achievements, not responsibilities, and use bullet points. |
| Education | Medium-low | List degree, institution and graduation year clearly. |
| Bottom of the page | Low | Put less critical information here. |
This table is general guidance, not measured data. Three habits follow from it:
- Put your name, title and summary at the top, where they are read first.
- Align job titles and headings to the left, where they are noticed more.
- Lead each position with your strongest one or two bullet points.
What are the top reasons resumes get rejected?
Resumes fail either at the ATS stage or at the recruiter's skim.
| ATS-stage problems | Recruiter-stage problems |
|---|---|
| Missing crucial keywords from the job description | Relevant experience not clearly displayed |
| Unreadable file format or complex formatting | No quantifiable achievements or results |
| Incorrect or missing section headings | Poor formatting that is hard to scan quickly |
| Non-standard resume structure | Spelling and grammar errors |
| Inconsistent employment dates | Too generic; not tailored to the position |
| File naming errors or special characters | Excessive length or unnecessary information |
| Graphics or images that cannot be parsed | Unexplained employment gaps |
In short, rejection usually comes down to relevance (the resume does not show fit for this role), formatting (hard to scan or parse) and impact (no concrete results).
What do before and after examples look like?
Small changes make a resume both easier to match and easier to read. The figures below are illustrative examples, not real results.
Before: Dedicated professional with extensive experience in marketing and communications looking to apply my skills in a challenging new role that allows for professional growth.
After: Results-driven Digital Marketing Manager with seven years of experience driving conversion rates and building brand awareness for B2B SaaS companies.
Improvements: added a specific job title, included years of experience, named the industry and gave business context.
Before: Responsible for social media management and content creation across platforms.
After: Developed and executed a data-driven social media strategy that grew the follower base from 5K to 50K within 12 months.
Improvements: starts with an action verb, names the approach and adds measurable results and a timeframe.
Before: Proficient in various digital marketing tools and platforms.
After: Technical Skills: Google Analytics, SEO/SEM, HubSpot, Salesforce, Adobe Creative Suite, HTML/CSS. Digital Marketing: Conversion Rate Optimization, Email Marketing, Content Strategy, PPC Campaigns.
Improvements: organised by category, names specific tools and matches job-description keywords.
How do I tailor my resume for each application?
Customise your resume for every application, because a tailored resume is easier for a recruiter to match to the role than a generic one. Follow four steps.
Analyse the job description
Identify the primary skills and qualifications (usually mentioned first or repeatedly), key responsibilities, company values and industry terminology.
Customise your professional summary
Reference the exact job title, highlight your most relevant experience and work in two or three key skills from the posting.
Reprioritise your experience
Lead with the most relevant accomplishments, expand on experience that matches the requirements and condense less relevant duties.
Adjust your skills section
Reorder skills to match the posting, use its exact terminology for skills you really have and consider a "Core Competencies" section.
Build an ATS-friendly resume and tailor it for each role.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATS (Applicant Tracking System)?
An ATS is software employers use to manage job applications. It helps recruiters organise, search and filter resumes, often using keyword matching to identify qualified candidates. Many medium and large companies use one to handle high application volumes, and each employer configures its own settings.
What file format should I use for an ATS-friendly resume?
A standard text-based PDF or Microsoft Word (.docx) file works for most systems, unless the posting asks for a specific format. Avoid image files, specialised formats and PDFs with unusual formatting. Simple layouts with standard fonts and minimal design work best.
How can I test if my resume is ATS-friendly?
Check that text can be selected and copied from your PDF, avoid tables and text boxes, and keep important information out of headers and footers. A resume scanning tool can also flag parsing problems.
Written by the Woberry Editorial Team
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