HBCU Careers Magazine
55
The conversation about resumes is never ending. The size, format, font – everything from ‘summary’
and ‘objective’ conversations to what constitutes a skill set worthy of inclusion. What is most
important today is getting your resume past the elusive Applicant Tracking System (the
ATS) and into the hands of someone who can help you (a human).
What is an ATS and how does it determine your ability to land an
interview? In a nutshell, the ATS is a type of software that not only
accepts large volumes of resumes sent to an employer, it assist the HR/
recruiting process by assisting in determining which applicants best fit the
“requirements” stated in a job posting. It looks for key words and then excitedly,
highlights them. When the ATS “searches and finds” a minimum of key words, that
resume will be forwarded to a recruiter for further consideration (aka scrutiny).
Although this may seem like a somewhat ‘inhuman’ approach, it saves a great deal of time and helps
employers/recruiters stay organized and objective; key words are presented and names, location and
(even misspellings) are not picked up by the ATS and cannot be used to disqualify an otherwise worthy
candidate.
Additionally, Social Media does play a role in how the ATS can help or hurt your job search efforts. There
are some Applicant Tracking Systems that can be programmed to “pick up” social media sites (such as
LinkedIn/FB) and can read these in the same way they can review the resumes of potential employees.
*Having a professional presence on Social Media is more important than ever before. Putting it simply,
ATS will look for the same keywords on social media as they would in their database. Remember the
influence your postings, tweets and updates have on the population you are trying to impress.
While this system is looking for keywords, it is really looking for concrete details about your experience
that tie you to the posting – the available opportunity. A good example is if you are looking for an
Administrative position, the ATS will look for that title, as well as Office Coordination, Office support or an
Administrative certification in the Education section of your resume. The ATS will not, however, search
out and highlight words like “outgoing” “innovative” or “detail oriented”. Those are interview words and
not a relevant function of the position that is available: be mindful of each word on your resume and
how it can move your past that ATS.
Some key points in getting past the ATS would be: avoid sending your resume as a PDF or including
Is Your Resume ATS Ready?
By: Amy Soricelli
Assistant Vice President
Career Services & Alumni Relations
Berkeley College