Understanding ATS Technology
Applicant Tracking Systems are software applications that help employers manage job applications at scale.
The ATS Process
- Parsing: ATS extracts text from your resume
- Categorization: Information is sorted into fields (name, email, experience, etc.)
- Keyword Matching: Resume is compared against job requirements
- Ranking: Candidates are scored and ranked
- Filtering: Low-scoring resumes are filtered out
Popular ATS Systems
- Workday
- Taleo (Oracle)
- Greenhouse
- Lever
- iCIMS
What This Means for You
Your resume needs to be optimized for both machines AND humans. An ATS-optimized resume uses:
- Standard formatting
- Relevant keywords
- Clear section headings
- Simple fonts and layouts