How To Beat The ATS System And Get Your Resume Seen

[@snowdude1080]

Thank you so much for out 1 on 1 consultation session back in summer! I was able to finally land an offer of a 30% increase in salary and fine tuning all of my easy mistakes and get on track towards my career goals.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Awesome!! Glad to hear these success stories! BTW, I'm looking for testimonials - if interested, send me a note through my email.

[@dhenderson1810]

Dating profiles and resumes have something in common. Everyone lies on them, and those who do have success. Honesty is not the best policy when it comes to them. It just encourages lying.

[@NeoSoulCrew]

Yes let's spend another 9999999 hours on our job searches because recruiters gave up reading

[@wayneguy6043]

Snowflakes

[@davidthedeaf]

I know a guy who hires for Hot Topic in my state and he HATES the corporate filter system! He said people who know how to work the AI system can get their resume seen, but are usually totally wrong for the job. He KNOWS there were great people who didn’t know how to navigate the filter who had exactly what he wanted in those sales and manager positions who he will NEVER be able to interview. Corporations should listen to their good HRs, and fire those who are lazy. It will actually make them more money with quality employees.

[@ShadCollins]

ATS stands for Applications to Shred for those that didn't know. I have implemented ATS solutions multiple times and I always hate how HR ends up configuring them.

[@MagnumCarta]

Well HR does stand for Human Redundancy, right?

[@newagain9964]

U should be making videos. Ppl with actual knowledge how ATS works and employers uses.

[@monicarenee7949]

I was trying to get into a new company after being with mine for over a decade and the last time I got hired was after a career fair where I talked to real people, and then more real people came on campus, so my resume was read by real people. Now that I’m applying and have 10+ years of experience in the field, and the exact experience these jobs are asking for, I keep getting automated emails a day after applying saying my experience and qualifications don’t match the requirements. I can’t imagine someone is actually reading the resume. I couldn’t imagine being jobless right now and having to go through this.

[@ebros2898]

I’m a fresh graduate and couldn’t attend the job fair due to Covid. Anyone from class of 2020 and 2021 are in this situation… still haven’t got hired yet 15 months later and didn’t get a penny of unemployment insurance either :(

[@alexchirpy4086]

I definitely was one of those people with the cute templates that were unreadable to the system haha! I had to completely redo my resume last year when I found that out. I didn't know about Word vs PDF though! I'm kind of appalled that these systems aren't specially designed for reading a PDF and Word is actually better. I was always given the impression that resumes in Word were unprofessional. Thanks for teaching this stuff!

[@newagain9964]

This is inaccurate, word converted to pdf is better.

[@kaptivatingstudios676]

One caveat, it’s hard to do the “custom” resume for many jobs and replacing keywords every now and then when you have a few more opportunities than just one career goal

[@songlore4617]

thank you for the video. I found particular value in the part about using docx instead of PDF. I didn't realize it was harder for the system to read PDFs.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

You can use PDF. For the most part ATS systems have become sophisticated enough now to read them without too many issues. Older ones may struggle.

[@songlore4617]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff ah okay.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Learn how to write a recruiter and ATS compliant resume: a-life-after-layoff.teachable.com/p/resumerocketfuel

[@american-professor]

There are online services that will parse your resume and output the score based on how likely it is to be parsed by a real ATS correctly. I definitely started to receive more attention from the recruiters once I fixed my resume and made it as friendly to those ATS as possible

[@atomiccritter6492]

I am currently looking for work and my unemployment advisor has requested I put my CV through one of those checkers. My once nicely formatted CV is now bare bones. I changed font size only and it improved my score a lot...so much for content!

[@ReeshaLowell]

which one do you use and did it work?

[@danielschein6845]

When I am the one doing the hiring, I insist on reading every single resume with no filters. Yes - I spend many hours tossing crap in the garbage and HR is absolutely horrified. However, it takes just seconds to see that an inappropriate resume is inappropriate. The best candidates often have unusual backgrounds and you'll never find these people unless you actually read all the awful resumes. That said - I know that people like me are one in a million so better follow the advice in this video or your resume will never be seen by human eyes.

[@mikkykyluc5804]

bless you, I wish more people had your humanity!

[@the_expidition427]

LMAO

[@rockarollawmn]

Already know you're lying as completed resumes & applications MUST be kept for 30 days MINIMUM by law- regardless of state. Either that or you're intentionally doing something that could get your company in some deep $hit.

[@haute03]

@@rockarollawmn 🙄

[@leanysealvarado7499]

This video is right on time!!! Thanks ☺️ for all your hard work.

[@sethkang4410]

1 tip for resume everytime u apply different job. copy some of their job description. youre welcome :)

[@griffinina]

That explains! I didn’t know ATS don’t work well with pdf. I always hate it when people send their CV in word format.

[@ShadCollins]

I never send my CV/Resume/Bio in word format. Frankly if the company's ATS is so old that it can't handle a basic PDF then they have other issues that would probably cause me to not stay long if I got a role there.

[@SaleProofCarReviews]

I JUST complained about this in your last video! You are the Messiah after all!

[@uacbpa]

Another great video with excellent information. An ATS system couldn't read the QR Code that linked to my LinkedIn profile, and didn't accept the URL either, but the job post required a link to our LinkedIn profile. Those systems aren't perfect, but most of the times it boils down to unrealistic was in which some HR departments work.

[@SaleProofCarReviews]

I think this is a great topic you covered. I would have liked to see you go into further detail as the tips you provide seem a little general for me. Can you go into more detail about beating Taleo, or Jobvite or any more specifically named ATS?

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

They all work the same on the backend.

[@SaleProofCarReviews]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff perhaps you could film a more detailed walkthrough and review of each ATS on the backend? I know I would find that very helpful and I feel like I’m not alone in that sentiment

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

@@SaleProofCarReviews Appreciate the idea, but unfortunately I don't have access to these ATS systems to do that deep of a dive. But they all operate the same - it doesn't really matter which one the company uses, the advice is universal.

[@darkskyinwinter]

I'm in IT (information technology), and I definitely make it hard for the ATS system. I don't want to work for anybody who buys garbage software.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Nearly every company over 100 employees has an ats system.

[@ShadCollins]

The software isn't garbage, well some of it is. The way recruiters/HR uses it usually is where the fault lies.

[@alexisauld7781]

Ah yes, the Applicant Tracking System System! :P (But seriously frick these things)

[@mattbiz7910]

I go to an online Word Cloud and paste the job description to pull out the keywords. Make sure those were in my resume.

[@ReeshaLowell]

which one do you use and does it get you an interview?

[@ButterflyBree]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! I applied for a federal job last week. Federal job applications and resumes can be time consuming and intimidating. However, there are several USAJobs videos that provide strategic insights on how to best submit a federal resume. I tried to upload a PDF version of my resume but USAJobs said is wasn't searchable. I uploaded a word doc resume and it accepted that version. What's concerning to me are people who aren't computer literate enough to know how to use different doc formats. Have you ever recruited for the federal government? If so, will you please make a video advising best resume formats/practices? Thank you for your great advice!

[@HiroNguy]

I guess computer literacy is one of their requirements.

[@nicoleenesse]

This is really good!! I am planning on creating a video, but modifying this for cybersecurity & It job seekers. I will reference you!!

[@LittleDemonInside]

Do you have any advice on how to get by those online "personality tests" that are given when you send in an online resume? I tried applying for an entry level position in the USPS, and apparently I failed the test? I didn't know you could fail having a personality??

[@SD-ci6kz]

Pretend you’re Mary Poppins when answering

[@DRaven-of2lv]

Lie your ass off and be consistent with it

[@saulreed5286]

Do you have a video about how to pass those online “personality assessments” that some employers (like Walmart and the Postal Service) make you take?

[@Bradimoose]

Marine Max wanted me to take a 3 hour caliper personality test. I said no and the jobs still open months later. What a waste of time.

[@sethkang4410]

walmart test is so easy. its common sense i dont even read the question lol and still passed

[@atomiccritter6492]

I've never had a decent job where they have required personality tests. To me it's pseudo science at best and you may as well be filtered out of jobs by astrological sign

[@SlickRCBD]

@@atomiccritter6492 Comcast/Xfinity gives you a 45 minute personality test, then another 45 minute competence/skills test to apply to be one of their technicians. It takes over two and a half hours to apply for a job with them. Then again, I haven't tried in over a decade since it seems that I have to do the whole thing over again every year.

[@jaykay4367]

Once you pass the ATS, you have to get through the recruiter, hiring manager and others. A lot of times, they barely read your resume, ask you dumb questions and then sometimes insult your intelligence. For example you have been doing the exact job for years, know more than they do but ask are you familiar with xyz... uh it's on the resume.

[@ShadCollins]

This happens all the time. Recruiters don't seem to actually read the resume. I have seen hiring managers not bother to read the resume either. There are a lot of people who have no business being part of a hiring process. Then they wonder why they can't get good candidates or they have turnover problems. It is a cultural issue in the company.

[@natehorsfall8379]

I literally encountered this last week. The recruiter knew nothing and clearly didn't read the resume. She flat out admitted she knew nothing and then proceeded to ask me the most basic idiotic questions I've ever had. Such as "Do you keyframe" I'm an animator, so yes, literally thats how animation works. May as well as a car driver if he uses gas pedal. I've been looking for a few months eight now and I'm absolutely floored at how ignorant recruiters are. As job seekers we're expected to know everything, including how to beat ATS. but a recruiter can just be 100% ignorant about what they're recruiting for, and thats just fine. What a racket it is.

[@YamanoRyuu]

@@natehorsfall8379 Exactly, redundant questions that are in the resume!

[@newagain9964]

Ikr. I hate when interview asks me something clearly on my resume. And not done for more context.

[@atomiccritter6492]

One thing I've heard is that you can paste a copy of a job description into an invisible part of your CV and the system will use those keywords to put you through as a good match....myth?

[@dhenderson1810]

These systems greatly benefit those who crack the code. It benefits those who lie on their resume, and know how to game the system. It is a poor and lazy way to recruit, which doesn't find the BEST candidate. I wouldn't want to work for a company who can't give my resume due consideration. Why should I give my time to someone who can't devote a few minutes to even consider trading my resume properly. Formatting, key words, what rubbish.

[@ShadCollins]

Unfortunately, I agree with you. It is a lazy way to hire people. I will say that have a tracking system makes sense, using it to filter who applied for a job is lazy. When I put out a posting for a job, I use an ATS but that is only so I know where everyone is at in the process. I read every resume. I usually end up with 100-150 people applying for a single position and I still read every resume. They bothered to apply and I at least owe it to them to see if they are a fit or might be a fit for something else.

[@newagain9964]

The goal isn’t to find the most qualified candidate. The goal is the find the person that can navigate the game while being most likable.

[@asadb1990]

i just copy paste the description in white text after the main resume. it seems to work for me.

[@TY-zl1vw]

I just applied a job last week I felt it should be 80% match to what I put into my resume. Have not heard anything back. I uploaded my resume on 2 of online ATS resume checker tool. Only got score 6% and 42% and telling me I have 0 matching skills. I really feel upset now. So possibly, all the jobs applied in the past years where I spend so much time applying making sure its good skills fit, but not even getting enough interviews were due more to my resume not ATS friendly😟 rather than not fully matching the job requirements?

[@StylinandProfilinBBsandBBQ]

ATS and AI are 10000000% responsible for me getting 0 call backs in a 9 month job search.

[@officialnotesonlifepodcast]

AI, for sure. Even Indeed is relying very heavily on it now.

[@intheworldbutnotofit8002]

It would be far more beneficial to show visual examples of the do's and don'ts of résumé writing. We are NOT experts on the ATS systems that are currently in use. To be honest, they are not user-friendly to anyone because we are not software systems; we are humans. I'm sick of HR employees appointing these ridiculous systems in order to circumvent screening to their advantage. We're just trying to make ends meet and don't like having to jump through hoops just to get as a qualified candidate.

[@DRaven-of2lv]

Really wish I'd known about this stuff 10 yrs ago, but better late than never. I appreciate you for the information bruv

[@product_designer_lp]

Thanks for the video! I just have a question regarding keywords: is it ok to add keywords in skills sections as a list? Or does it look unprofessional?

[@novadhd]

Forget about the ATS . The real way to get hired is thru referrals

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

100% agree.

[@newagain9964]

Referrals may be the best way to an INTERVIEW. But the cost/benefit of constantly networking is not worth it.

[@dhenderson1810]

I think that ATS systems are dumb, because a potential applicant is more than a resume, a piece of paper. This method doesn't measure if someone is reliable, diligent, works hard, is loyal or a team player.

[@american-professor]

so your suggestion is?..

[@dhenderson1810]

@@american-professor My suggestion is for the employer him or herself to decide, since the successful candidate will be working day to day with them. My point is that you are hiring a person, and you need more than keywords, or spelling, or them having years and f experience. You need to gauge their attitude, reliability, whether they can be on time. You don't want a difficult employer,. and this system means that you miss out on someone outstanding, all because they used the wrong font or didn't use keywords. There had to be a better way.

[@ShadCollins]

@@dhenderson1810 That would require the employer to put more effort into it. A lot of them don't want to.

[@dhenderson1810]

@@ShadCollins Then they need not complain when they end up with a bad employee.

[@ShadCollins]

@@dhenderson1810 They frequently seem to. They blame the employees or perspective candidates.

[@nicoleono2326]

Write down the keywords at the end of your résumé, highlight them, and paint them white - boom 😈

[@SlickRCBD]

Many ATS systems only look for keywords in the "Work experience" section. They will ignore the keywords if they are outside the "experience" section. After all, they are looking for you having experience with those keywords. Also if they can't match it to a job, it gets ignored. So you have to work the keywords into your prior jobs.

[@bobroberts2371]

6:45 File format What about a notepad ( .txt ) file ?

[@rosamoreno4794]

ATS is old and ancient and agencies cannot afford to upgrade, not even government agencies.

[@MrOsasco]

Copy the job add and past it to your resume.

[@Robert-tj3jq]

I heard that putting keywords in white text on your resume works. The ats program can see the text but the people reading it wont unless they highlight it.

[@ElIngSalas]

Hi, thanks for your videos they are great. I have one question about the document format. I have read stories where the external recruiter asks for a .docx file so they can edit it, that's why I've never sent .docx files. What is your opinion on that? Maybe we should send .docx to direct recruiters and .pdf for external recruiters? Thanks

[@SlickRCBD]

There are ways to password protect the document against changes in Microsoft Word (not Wordpad). I always send them a password protected document because once a recruiter doctored my resume and when I showed up for an interview with Aon-Hewitt, they asked me about my experience with something I had no experience with, and then they said "but it says so on your resume." I wound up showing them my actual resume and said "It looks like your staffing company doctored my resume, because that is not MY resume. This is my resume. I did not write this, and I"m shocked at the unprofessionalism. " They still showed me the door even though I wasn't the one who lied, but I don't think they believe me.

[@alicia_nicole]

Why would they want to edit it? I'd assume if it doesn't look right then they just toss it.

[@SlickRCBD]

@@alicia_nicole Because many many companies hiring an outside placement firm who will want to alter your resume to make it seem more attractive for what they think the employer is looking for. Usually it's just changing the formatting to better fit into their database, but I once had somebody completely doctor my resume for a position that got me kicked out of an interview because what they had did not match my experience and when I handed them my real resume (I still bring printed copies) they were upset, and seemed to blame me. It is because of the latter case that I use the "document protection" on Microsoft Word to give them a .doc or .docx they can't alter without a password.

[@tinat5484]

Can’t you just use white font for some of the dumb keywords that way it doesn’t show up on your résumé but in ETS will pick up the keywords

[@ArchitheFA]

Great, now resume have to be machine readable AND appealing for humans...

[@newagain9964]

Don’t forget. Now AI is stating to score your job application. So keywords isn’t enough.

[@ArchitheFA]

@@newagain9964 Yeah, lot of progress in a year

[@teaiz94]

Does using a PDF format cause problems with the ATS system?

[@ronaldmorey3396]

Any thoughts on how to Market high intelligence or is being smart not an asset? Is it a detriment?

[@HiroNguy]

It is a detriment indeed. Most morons prefer to hire morons, and most employers today, it seems, are morons.

[@JohnVianneyPatron]

If recruiters require a highly cusomised resume, why do they send out shitty generic rejection letters? So you have received hundreds of resumes and therefore can't provide any feedback. How about showing some reciprocity, after all many candidates are applying to hundreds of jobs and have to tailor their resume for each one. Surely the argument applies both ways?

[@martingomez8142]

Great video, i have a question with the ATS, I have my CV set up in Canva. Do you think this format is similar to jpeg or PDF where the ATS might not catch a certain word?

[@nihilistcipher]

Canva is for graphic design, not resumes. Canva is not a format. You export your design in the different file types which it allows you. And I believe those formats are png and jpg, which the ATS cannot read whatsoever, and most places won’t accept this format anyway.

[@martingomez8142]

@@nihilistcipher wow. Ok, thanks for the reply, will definitely switch formats.

[@martingomez8142]

@@nihilistcipher Hey, just reviewed, and it allows me to download PDF format. is this fine?

[@kennethng8346]

I understand that spelling counts. But what if recruiters commonly spell it wrong? For example, I am very good with an application call securid. But quite often in job descriptions I see it as securEid (I'm using the case to make it obvious). If I spell it wrong that is a hit against me. But if I spell it right recruiters may not find me.

[@atomiccritter6492]

Welcome to the machine

[@joecortizo]

We usually find those website pages whith a form to upload cv files. Is the .txt format recommended over .docs? Thanks a lot.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

I’d stick to Word or google doc files.

[@coffeeshopping]

I tend to prefer PDF because I don't want to send anything that can be edited out of my hands.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Major corporations won’t edit your resume. Headhunters might.

[@coffeeshopping]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff well even if it’s not intentional still kinda worry about formatting issues as things can get muddled up in attachments

[@HiroNguy]

Don't be Isuzu sidings to be thought massing and final regurgitate. Translation: Don't rely on autoincorrect to be your main and final editor.

[@mrFalconlem]

A jpg? That’s a sign of technology laziness, I’d bin that resume.

[@DaStrangeWeasel]

Ahhh, I've been making the mistake of having my resume as a pdf so it's unsearchable. D'oh! 😖😖😖

[@lindaadhola4514]

You mean an ATS resume should not be PDF. ?

[@katr.2666]

Can you please dispel the myth that an ATS can magically calculate the applicant's age and auto-reject them? People tell me this all the time and I know it's not true. (I'm also a recruiter)

[@ZetaCancri]

"can you Photoshop the wrinkles off my face so I can have a good looking picture for LinkedIn? I don't care of you have other work to do. ALSO I AM A SALES PERSON SO I'M GOING TO SHOUT LIKE BILLY MAYS AROUND EVERYONE"

[@Eag757]

HR police is working hard to ensure humans are unemployed by default.

[@DallenPearson]

By columns does he mean avoid using like a Microsoft table?

[@ShadCollins]

Yes. Frankly using tables with hidden lines is a standard formating method. The issue is what you need to make something look decent is the opposite of what you need for an ATS because the parsing systems in the ATS are so god-awful.

[@DallenPearson]

@@ShadCollins any suggestions for an alternative? I use a table to keep my resume condensed/organized.

[@ShadCollins]

@@DallenPearson I do the same. It does cause problems with ATS. People who write ATS systems seem to think they are only used for people just coming into the industry and have limited or simple job backgrounds. ATS systems work best with tabs but that is a horrible way to format your resume. Some ATS solutions expect location to be after company and some look for it on the following line. Part of the problem is there are many styles of a resume and the ATS solutions only know how to deal with very limited formatting options. I think ATS that try and turn applicants resumes into keyword searches are effectively off the mark. They should just keep up with an applicant's status for a particular job.

[@sunnohh]

Computers: smart computers also: as dumb as it is programmed for

[@icwhatudont]

100% disagreeing with you. My 'cute stuff' has lead to more serious conversations than anything else. My resume is also story book in length and has enough information to ram through ATS.

[@UdayKalyan_undela]

Lazy recruiters make dishonest employees which is bad for the society

[@CarlosValenzuela-sx9xb]

We live in a dystopia

[@julieomalley9442]

Wouldn't changing your title be lying?

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

If you were an accountant and said you were a director of finance, then yes that would be lying.

[@jacquelinehoward5445]

By "change," he means "tweak." If you worked at a bank that called your position "Customer Relationship Assistant" instead of "Bank Teller," it's okay to just put Bank Teller on your resume so other people know what you did at a glance. The ATS system is just software, so people (recruiters, it sounds like) set the parameters in that software. They will set the ATS to look for "Bank Teller" or "Teller" as that is the custom, common title for that role. Lying would be saying you were a Manager when you were really just working the front desk, etc.

[@ShadCollins]

It depends on what the hiring manager thinks of the change. They may think it is okay. I personally don't like when people change their titles. When people say, oh titles don't matter. That usually means they are going to not pay you properly because you can't find a salary comparison for the title they made up. Titles do matter a lot. I use an ATS as most everyone else does but I leave the search parameters pretty open as I want to see who applied for the position(s) I am hiring for.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

@@ShadCollins You won't have as much success doing a Boolean search on the backend database with titles that are too proprietary. At Amazon I had 1,000,000's of applications I could do keyword searches on. Discoverability is crucial to the job seeker.

[@ShadCollins]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff I think one of the issues is that recruiters set up filters that are overly precise and miss a lot of great candidates.

[@neli5183]

.Word file ? So that everyone can modify it ? No thanks.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Has this happened to you? If so, what did they change and what did they do with the modified resume?

[@neli5183]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff By mistake yes. The hr unintentionally delete some parts of my resume. I had a paper version on me this day, but it still happened. If someone in the process has an interest in destroying applications to place the boss's son, his own cousin or a friend of a friend, and it is easy for him to delete elements that will make you better. Plus, it also happened to me with a consulting firm, they modified my cv to add skills that were bonus to the offer, but skills i didn't had at that time (obviously when the hiring manager ask me about those skills, i was totally out of touch and they didn't hired me).

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

@@neli5183 Yikes, that's crazy! I've not heard of anyone doing that before. I don't think you'll see that with larger companies.

[@ShadCollins]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff In the past I have had a recruiter modify my resume. They cut out some of my accomplishments for a role and removed some of my employment history.

[@neli5183]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff Well another example this week. One commercial from my consulting company PROBABLY modified my cv and send it to one client without noticing me. As it was not up to date, missing all my work of 2021, he PROBABLY adds some keywords to suit the cv better to the needs for the mission. Our Corporate cv are findable in word format (i should consider only upload pdf version after that).

[@HunkyMan777]

ATS need to be made illegal