An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that employers use to screen resumes. It filters applications before a human reads them. Understanding how ATS works can help you get more interviews.
When you submit a resume online, the ATS scans it for specific keywords from the job description. It looks for skills, job titles, education, and certifications. Resumes that match more keywords rank higher. Those that do not match get filtered out.
Read the job description carefully. Find the required skills, tools, and qualifications. Include those exact phrases in your resume where they fit naturally. Do not stuff keywords randomly.
Use standard section headings like "Work Experience", "Education", and "Skills". Avoid tables, columns, text boxes, graphics, or unusual fonts. ATS software can fail to read these correctly.
Modern ATS platforms read PDF files flawlessly. Use a standard PDF to lock in your formatting, font styles, and margins, unless the job description explicitly requests a .docx file.
Write both the full term and the acronym. For example, "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)". This helps the ATS match either version.
If the job posting says "Software Engineer" and your previous title was "Developer", consider using "Software Engineer (Developer)" to help with keyword matching.
Nevira's ATS Resume-Job Fit Analysis helps you understand how well your resume matches a job description. Upload your resume and paste the job description to get:
After analysis, you can use "Improve My Resume" — a feature that asks you targeted questions about your experience and generates specific, actionable improvements to strengthen your resume. Or you could also discover other jobs that match your skills and experience.
You can test your resume against any job description using Nevira's ATS Resume-Job Fit Analysis. Visit the ATS page to get started.