How to make your Resume ATS friendly & what is ATS?

ATS-friendly Resume

Logical representation

A statistical representation of your profile creates a profound effect on your profile. The data and numbers will help to showcase credibility and authenticity.

Example:

• I got 5 years of experience in Website design.
• I have helped the organization increase 45% of sales.

Visual representation

Creativity helps in drawing attention. Bullet points and infographics help your resume to showcase the skills that you got. The icons will help to showcase the key areas that will engage the ATS to scan and shortlist your resume according to the keywords. However, the design should be simple and clean, considering the Resume layout should not become crazy and wild with design elements. Resume design ideas exclude graphics, unnecessary tables, inappropriate charts, text boxes, and unusual fonts.

Structure effective Overview

Accentuate the key elements that will create an impact on your resume. Utilize the exact words that are related to the Job posting. However, it is recommended to avoid the repetition of the keywords. Whether you are fresher or experienced, showcasing the skills that the employer or recruiter is looking for is better. Highlight all the relevant work experience and qualifications and build a structured career objective.

Highlight CSR activities

All organizations value CSR activities. Organizations consider volunteering activities to develop skills that can prepare you for the job apart from your work experience. However, if you have a lot of work experience, this section can be ignored.

Build confidence

Avoid using a weak tone and sound confident that would showcase authority on your resume. It would make the recruiter feel that you are the right candidate for the job. Avoid using the following words:

• "I hope…"
• "Some of it…"
• "which more of…"

Use strong words that would make your resume strong:

• "I cultivated…"
• "I devised…"
• "which implemented…"

Highlight your sections accurately

When you are writing your Curriculum Vitae, it is necessary to highlight all the sections accurately. If you are mentioning qualification then you should name it as Education Qualification. If you are mentioning your Work Experience then it should be named accordingly. Accurate names of the section will help the system to understand your profile. When you are mentioning your work experience, maintain the chronology of your service. The current job would come first, followed by your previous work experience. The same thing should happen with the education qualification. When you are showcasing any details, you should showcase the present scenario, then followed by your previous qualification.

Example:

Work Experience

• Aug 2018 - To date Working with <Company Name> as a Training Manager. Supporting the US Healthcare for its Revenue Cycle Management. Helping the business to create resources for operations. Working with the TNI and TNA to identify the gaps in the business. Help the team with proper Reporting system and MIS. Managing the training team with throughput and building an employee-friendly workplace.
• Jan 2015 - Aug 2018 Worked with Innov as a Senior Executive Trainer. Helped the team by delivering Process Knowledge and conducted various Process Knowledge Tests. As a trainer, I helped the team to create Job Aids and SOP and actively participated in Business Transition.

Use Resume Keywords wisely

Keywords play a critical role while you are building your CV. These keywords would help the CV to shortlist your profile according to the requirement set by the Recruiter or the Employer. The system will match those keywords with the profile as per the requirement. For example, if the employer is looking for a Python Developer, then the ATS will look for keywords related to Python Programming. However, we should also not use frequent keywords as that may cause an adverse situation. The weightage should be maintained wisely to make your CV more prominent.

Build the Resume Easy to Read

When you are writing a CV, you should maintain some formats that would help the ATS scan your resume properly and get it shortlisted easily.

• Use simple sentences and avoid complex sentences. It will help the ATS and your recruiter to comprehend you.
• Use normal fonts like Garamond, Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica. It will help to make the feel of your CV professional.
• Font size should have a regular format of 11-12 pt for regular text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Do not make the CV overcrowded and maintain a margin of 1 inch across the sides.
• Always present your CV in a word document or PDF document so that the software can easily scan your profile.

The Resume Writing Technique and Resume editing always go hand in hand. You should go through the Job description and your profile multiple times to understand the requirement and the features that you have posted are matching with the profile. That’s the key towards making your resume ATS friendly.