{"id":36672,"date":"2026-04-30T17:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indafunds.com\/?p=36672"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:29:10","slug":"how-to-beat-applicant-tracking-systems-ats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indafunds.com\/?p=36672","title":{"rendered":"How to Beat Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Did you know that when you submit a job application online, it\u2019s probably read and filtered by a robot before a human ever sees it? No, this isn\u2019t Star Wars, folks\u2014just the 21st century job market. And that \u201crobot\u201d is something called an applicant tracking system (ATS).\n <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no way around it, but there are a few things you can do to help your application pass through the system to get to the next stage (human interaction)! Here\u2019s everything you need to know about ATS so you can beat the bots and get a real, live person to look at your resum\u00e9.\n <\/p>\n

What Is an Applicant Tracking System?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

An applicant tracking system is a type of software that helps filter and sort online job applications so recruiters can find the people who are the best fit for their company. Since most companies get hundreds\u2014if not thousands\u2014of applications, an ATS is a time-saving tool for HR because it can filter out spam and applicants who aren\u2019t a good match, store resum\u00e9s for future job openings, check references, and do other things that help with the hiring process. (Basically, it separates the sheep from the goats.)\n <\/p>\n

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But the downside is that sometimes a perfectly good application can slip through the cracks because it doesn\u2019t meet all the criteria the ATS is looking for. Luckily, there\u2019s a way to help prevent that!\n <\/p>\n

How Do Applicant Tracking Systems Work?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Every ATS is different, but when you submit an application online through an ATS, you\u2019ll usually be asked to answer some \u201cknockout questions.\u201d These can be short answer, yes\/no or other simple questions that are used to screen candidates and quickly filter out the ones that are a definite no. Think of these as deal breakers you might ask about on a first date (not a Wolverines fan? You\u2019re out). For example, if the company really needs someone who\u2019ll work weekends, but there\u2019s no way you can or want to, then you\u2019re just not a good fit for the job, and the ATS will reject your application.\n <\/p>\n

If knockout questions aren\u2019t part of the company\u2019s ATS\u2014or if your answers are compatible with what they\u2019re looking for\u2014your resum\u00e9, cover letter, background info and contact info are uploaded into the system and can then be used to keep narrowing down the candidate pool and help recruiters continue the search.\n <\/p>\n

How to Beat an Applicant Tracking System\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even if your application does<\/em> get uploaded into the database, there are still some things that can stop your resum\u00e9 from making it to an actual recruiter. Here are five tips to help your resum\u00e9 beat the ATS!\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 1. Use the keywords from the job description.\u00a0<\/h3>\n

In this situation, keywords are the hard and soft skills that the recruiters are looking for in a candidate. For example, a job description might list experience with Excel<\/em> or fluent in Spanish<\/em> as requirements. Those are keywords you want to make sure you include on your resum\u00e9 because recruiters usually search for candidates based on those exact terms. If you can work them into your resum\u00e9 more than once in a way that feels natural, go for it. And be honest! The company will find out pretty quickly if you don\u2019t have all the qualifications you said you did.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

One more pro tip: If the keyword you want to use can be abbreviated, use both the spelled-out version and the abbreviated version. For instance, if you\u2019re talking about your college degree, say Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)<\/em> instead of just BFA<\/em>.\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 2. Edit your resum\u00e9 to fit the job you\u2019re applying for.\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Because you\u2019ll be tailoring your resum\u00e9 based on the keywords, you definitely won\u2019t want to keep submitting the same document over and over to multiple companies. Not only will it be harder to beat the ATS because you might not have the exact right keywords from the job description, but any recruiter who sees your resum\u00e9 will be able to tell if it\u2019s just a generic one that you send to everyone. And that sends the message that you don\u2019t really care about working for their specific company. The Why I Want to Be Here section in my free Resum\u00e9 Guide can help show recruiters that this isn\u2019t just a cookie-cutter resum\u00e9.\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 3. Don\u2019t apply for too many roles in the same company.\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Along the same lines as that last point, don\u2019t apply for 20 different roles within the same company. It\u2019s okay to apply for multiple roles if the positions are similar, but don\u2019t apply to be a marketer, copy editor, customer service representative and developer at the same organization (even if you have the skill set for all of the above, which is seriously impressive). It just looks like you\u2019re not sure what you want to do, and it will definitely raise some flags.\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04. Make your resum\u00e9 simple and clear.\u00a0<\/h3>\n

A fancy resum\u00e9 with a ton of formatting will not make the ATS happy. Here are some ways to optimize your resum\u00e9:\n <\/p>\n