ATS Trackers - A Guide for Job Seekers 2024

Imagine you spent multiple hours drafting your resume. You took care of how the employer would perceive every word on that resume, and yet the applicant tracker systemof the company rejects you. This can be very disheartening. You can’t even guess what might have gone wrong or why you were rejected by the software.

In this blog, we will learn all the details regarding the ATS so that you won’t get rejected again because of it.

What is an ATS?

Companies hire ATS systems to lighten their recruitment workflow. It is software that allows companies to manage the recruitment process. This includes everything from posting a job vacancy to handling the onboarding process for the candidate. It is called applicant management software, and almost every well-established company has one. The software is convenient to use and saves precious time for the company.

How Does an ATS Work?

Every ATS has a unique way of working for their clients since they are highly customizable. But the following is done by almost all ATS:

• When the candidate applies for the position, the ATS stores the data by scanning the resume.
• To reduce the number of candidates, the system rejects resumes that do not fit the basic parameters.
• Then, to decrease the number even more, the ATS trackers checks the answers to questions regarding relocation, certification courses, and similar. If the applicant has a different answer than expected, they are rejected.
• Some advanced ATS let the company put in eligibility parameters like experience, location, and education, and the ATS rejects or accepts applications on that basis.
• Then, it compares resumes to the job description and makes a report on how compatible an applicant will be for the post. The recruiter manually goes through the most compatible resumes for the job.

Basic Features of ATS

Some of the basic features of applicant tracker system in the USA are:

• Candidates sourcing:The applicant tracker systemin the USA allows the company to search for and reach potential candidates. It has many channels of candidate sourcing, like social media, references, and job boards.
• Reports: The ATS makes an analytical report on every applicant and their compatibility with the job. This gives the employer an idea of how well the job can be handled by the applicant.
• Data collection: ATS scans and stores the candidate's data. Hence, even if the candidate gets rejected for the current job, the company can contact them afterwards based on the information they have on him regarding his skills and experiences.
• Interviews: The applicant tracker system has become so advanced that the employer does not even have to say anything about scheduling interview with the potential employee. It manages it on its own according to the employer's schedule and even sends the candidates emails accordingly.

Is ATS 100% Accurate?

As surprising as it may sound, even the ATS in the USA is not fully accurate. ATS is software, after all. Hence, it can never match human acumen in screening and rejecting candidates. A human can read the whole resume and decide not to reject it because of some unique things mentioned in it.

On the contrary, an applicant tracker system will only pay attention to the keywords that are necessary for the job. It cannot understand the real-life experiences mentioned by the candidate and will not understand their importance. So, no, the ATS is not 100% accurate.

Why Do You Need a Resume that is ATS-Friendly, and How Can You Make It?

As we learned above, ATS does not understand the words and what you want to say through them. It takes the words literally and concentrates on keywords. Hence, there is a high possibility that it will reject you even if you are one of the best candidates the company could ever have.

Also, there are numerous companies in the USA now. Not everyone can afford a high-class, expensive ATS. Hence, they go for an open-source applicant tracker system. This makes it essential for every job seeker to learn how to crack this ATS and get through the recruitment and selection process. Below are some tips that can help you make your resume ATS-friendly.

Add Keywords

While making your resume, search for a few repetitive skills or qualifications from the job description that the company is expecting. For instance, if you are applying for the post of legal consultant, the company might use words like company law, court experience, and so on.

Be sure to include these words in their resume. But do not be too repetitive, as it may sound unprofessional and suspicious. The applicant tracker system will instantly identify these words and pass on your resume to the next step.

Upgrade Your Resume

You should never submit the same resume for every job posting you are applying to. Update the resume according to the description of the job and highlight the most relevant points to the job in your resume. Put effort into drafting every sentence. Remember, multiple people are applying for the same job from the whole of the USA. You need to stand out and make updates to your resume, which many candidates ignore.

Keep It Short

Keeping your resume short and up-to-date will make it easier and less confusing for the applicant tracker system to scan. It will also make it simple and interesting for the recruiter to read. They will not have to search for relevant information on irrelevant pages.

Avoid Using Short Forms

Be professional in your resume. Do not use only acronyms for any purpose. You can use them in brackets after the full form. For instance, instead of using R&D, use research and development (R&D) while writing it on your resume.

Avoid Tables and Graphics

It might look fancy, but using tables, graphics, charts, and columns in your resume might cause the applicant tracker system to immediately reject you as it is less likely to understand your creativity. So keep it simple.

Avoid Fancy Fonts

Using fonts that the ATS tools does not understand could also reject your resume instantly. To be on the safe side, use traditional fonts like Times New Roman, Serif, or Sans Serif.

Use Predictable Headings

Keep your headings and titles as predictable as possible. Using unpredictable and uncommon headings can lead to the rejection of your resume. For instance, using ‘What did I study?' rather than qualifications can confuse the applicant tracker system into thinking it is something else and not considering it at all as your qualifications.

Conclusion

ATS is the future of hiring. Within a short period, every company in the USA will have ATS software to hire the best candidates for their company. So, this makes it important for every job seeker to know how to craft their resume so that the ATS does not reject it. ATS not only eases the burden of hiring off the shoulders of the recruiter but also guarantees quality hires. Hence, if you are qualified enough and the only thing that is stopping you from getting into the company is ATS, read this blog and apply the tips to your resume. These will surely help you crack the company's hiring code.

Pitch N Hire is one of the best applicant tracker systems 2024. It allows you to hire top talent in a hassle-free way. We bring the power of cutting-edge ATS and CRM to you with great ease. We will provide you with a high-quality, pre-assessed candidate pool for easy hiring. So visit our website to experience an elevated recruitment process.

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