Okay, so for those who are unfamiliar, ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System (or sometimes Application Tracking Software). The purpose of this software is to scan resumes on behalf of hiring managers to identify keywords that indicate whether a candidate is a good match for the role.
The biggest challenge I see most candidates have is a lot of miss-information about ATS and its validity.
How important is it?
Some “experts” say it is ‘the be-all and end-all’ to the job application process, others say it is just one scam to install fear into the hearts of job seekers.
But what is the real truth?
Well, the truth is, ATS does play a significant role in the application process. It is designed to make the lives of hiring managers easier, especially when there are hundreds of resumes to consider. If you look at platforms such as LinkedIn, you will see it has an ATS like system imbedded in it.
Each job ad posted on the platform tells you how strong of a match you are to the role. It looks at ‘keywords’ in the job role, and compares them to the number of keywords within your profile – the more words (skills) you have in your profile, the higher the match you are to the role. It shares the same information to the hiring manager – this manager can then make a decision to investigate your application further or not.
Effectively, your resume is like your LinkedIn profile within an ATS system when you submit it to a job ad.
Does this mean that the software will remove your application if you are not a match?
No, it will not. It will either not flag your application as a hit, or it will move it to the bottom of the list. However, your application is still visible for any hiring manager to review. Nonetheless, IF the system flags 10 strong matches, it is highly probable those will be the first candidest the hiring manager will look at, and connect with. Out of those 10, if they can get 3 or 4 job interviews lined up, the chances of them feeling the need to scroll to the bottom of the list is low.
Nonetheless, there are recruiters out there who will open every application, regardless. The main point is, you do not know who is at the other end of the line running the recruitment process.
So, should you be writing your resume for an ATS or a Hiring Manager?
Both, however, focus more on the hiring manager than on the ATS, as the hiring manager is who will decide if you proceed to the next process or not (even if ATS clocks you as a strong match, it does not mean the hiring manager will resonate with your application). So ensure the following:
Grab our FREE resume writing guide here to ensure your resume is written correctly.
When it comes to ATS, you do not need to have a 100% match rate for a system to flag you as a match. That being said, ensure that relevant keywords are included in your resume. Keywords will also align with what a hiring manager is looking for in your application. The stronger your resume is with relevant keywords, the better it will be overall.
So should you worry about ATS? Does it really matter?
The long and short of it is – it DOES indeed matter. It is piece of the puzzle. Every little bit of your process counts towards something. A strong resume, a strong LinkedIn profile, a strong network…one, or all of them will work towards getting you on the career path you desire.
Imagine you are going to the gym and you work on every part of the body but ignore your gluts. You will still get fitter, stronger, you will still see great benefits, however, you may also notice that your gluts are not catching up to the rest of your body. There is a mis-alignment. You have not balanced out your workout and it eventually starts to show. You realise that you are not getting the entire result you hoped for. You are close, but you have also missed a great opportunity by ignoring one part of your body.
The same concept can be said when job searching – to have a complete picture, you need to have a complete process.
So, imagine you get calls from hiring managers whilst not focusing on ATS. You get calls, thats amazing- it means your resume is well written and working for you. But, now imagine you missed out on your dream job because you did not focus on ATS, because that was the one role where a hiring manager followed the ATS’s insights and ignored your application.
ATS is part and parcel when applying to jobs. Even if a person is the only one looking at your resume, they are going to be scanning for the same information the tracking software is.
Reframe your mindset.
Instead of thinking ATS vs Human – consider what is the most relevant information to include, where to include it and how. This way, you will appease both AI and hiring manager.
My Career Angels…become who you want to be