What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Applicant tracking system

You may have heard the term “applicant tracking system” (ATS) before, but what exactly is an ATS? Put simply, an ATS is the first stage of vetting that your resume has to pass. It's a type of software that stores resumes and scans them for relevant keywords. Recruiters may also manually search for certain keywords, and if your resume is particularly rich in them (but not too rich), it'll rank higher in their search results.

This is why it's important to work with an expert to create a resume that will meet complex ATS criteria. Though an ATS facilitates the recruitment process for employers, countless highly qualified applicants fail to make it through the system simply because their resumes aren't worded appropriately. These candidates are rejected before a real person ever sees their resumes.

How Common Are Applicant Tracking Systems?

At least in larger companies, close to 100% of employers claim to utilize an ATS in the recruitment process, so writing an ATS-optimized resume is crucial for your job-hunting success. Due to this fallible software, as many as 75% of candidates fall through the cracks and fail to land a job even if their qualifications perfectly match the job's requirements. Since the majority of jobseekers don't know how to compose ATS-optimized resumes, the problem is widespread.

Let Resume Writing Experts Handle It

The good news is that it's absolutely possible to beat this software and write a resume an ATS will rank highly. These systems are extremely difficult to beat if you don't know what you're doing, but luckily, we at ProofreadingServices.com do. We know the right keywords to add and the correct formatting to use to help an ATS favor your resume.

Don't let a poorly worded resume overshadow your qualifications and competencies. Work with our resume writers to dramatically elevate your chances of landing your dream job!