Pod Insights No B.S. Job Search Advice Radio Crack the Code Your Guide to Beating the ATS About this episode EP 3062 Are you sick of applying online only to be GHOSTED by the "evil ATS system"? You've been LIED TO! That dreaded Applicant Tracking System isn't some rogue AI out to destroy your career dreams. It's mostly just a DATABASE for recruiters to manage thousands of applications. The TRUTH About ATS Systems and How to FORCE Recruiters to See Your Resume! ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTERPeople hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search and succeeding in your career easier. Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at www. TheBigGameHunter.us. You will also find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at JobSearch. Community You can get free copies of 25 Interview Questions and Answers, How to Craft a Compelling Elevator Pitch in 20 Seconds or Less, Get Ready for the Job Jungle, Diagnosing Your Job Search Problems, No BS Resume Advice, and Prove Your Worth First, Then Negotiate. Receive free weekly suggestions and more. Subscribe to No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the #1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 3000 episodes. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www. TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to www. TheBigGameHunter.us makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay. Please contact us to negotiate the use of our content as training data.
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1:00 Speaker 02 Okay, so you've been there, right? You hit submit on that job application, pour your heart into it, and then silence. It feels like your resume just vanished into, I don't know, a digital black hole.
1:11 Speaker 03 Oh, absolutely. That feeling is incredibly common. And that black hole, that's usually the applicant tracking system, the ATS.
1:18 Speaker 02 Right. And today, we're diving deep. We're not just going to talk about what happens after you click submit. We want to show you how to navigate that system, that ATS, so your resume actually gets seen and lands you more interviews.
1:31 Speaker 03 Exactly. The mission here is, uh, let's bust some myths around the ATS. There are so many misunderstandings.
1:37 Speaker 02 Totally. And give you real, actionable strategies. Stuff that actually works based on what recruiters are looking for.
1:44 Speaker 03 And, you know, there's a real aha moment waiting for people here. When you understand how these systems really work, it's not about tricking them.
1:52 Speaker 02 Right.
1:52 Speaker 03 No, it's about understanding the process. And that gives you a massive advantage. Seriously. It saves so much time and honestly frustration.
2:01 Speaker 02 Okay, let's start with that common idea then. The one that paints the ATS is this, like, evil AI gone rogue, just waiting to shred your resume.
2:09 Speaker 03 Yeah, the resume destroyer myth. Let's clear that up right away. An ATS, fundamentally, it's a database. It's basically sophisticated software that helps companies manage huge numbers of applicants.
2:21 Speaker 02 Huge numbers, like how many are we talking?
2:23 Speaker 03 Well, think about big companies. They might have thousands of open jobs, maybe tens of thousands of applications coming in. It's just a tool for organization and efficiency.
2:33 Speaker 02 So not Skynet for resumes, then?
2:35 Speaker 03 Uh huh, no, definitely not. And that whole rogue AI thing, it's misleading. The system does what humans tell it to do. The recruiting teams, they set the parameters for filtering.
2:45 Speaker 02 Ah, so people are setting the rules. It's not the machine randomly deciding, nope.
2:49 Speaker 03 Exactly, it's more accurate to say a recruiter's filtering using the system based on criteria they decided were important for that specific role.
2:56 Speaker 02 Okay, that changes things because you hear that stat, right? Like seventy-five percent of resumes never get seen by human eyes. You automatically think it's the ATS keyword scanner just trashing them.
3:06 Speaker 03 Right, and that's where the nuance comes in. While yes, many applications are filtered out automatically, it's often not because of a keyword scan of the resume itself, initially, anyway.
3:17 Speaker 02 So what is the main reason for that first automatic cut?
3:20 Speaker 03 It often comes down to what we call knockout questions. These are direct questions you answer when you apply. Simple yes/no stuff, usually.
3:29 Speaker 02 Like?
3:29 Speaker 03 Like, are you legally authorized to work here? Or maybe this role requires thirty percent travel? Are you willing to do that? Or do you have the required certification, like a specific license?
3:40 Speaker 02 And if you answer no to one of those?
3:43 Speaker 03 If it's flagged as a critical, non-negotiable requirement by the recruiter, then yes, the system will likely automatically filter you out right then and there. It's based on your direct answers, not necessarily the resume content at that stage.
3:54 Speaker 02 Wow, okay, that makes so much more sense. So most companies use an ATS for organizing everything?
4:00 Speaker 03 Mm-hmm, virtually all large and mid-sized companies do.
4:02 Speaker 02 But fewer use it to automatically rank resumes based just on scanning the document for keywords.
4:09 Speaker 03 That's a much better way to think about it. Some do use keyword scanning, absolutely, but it's often more about stack ranking.
4:15 Speaker 02 Stack ranking, what's that?
4:17 Speaker 03 It means the system scores your resume based on how well it matches the keywords and criteria from the job to And then it presents the applications to the recruiter in a ranked list. Best matches on top.
4:29 Speaker 02 So you're not necessarily rejected by the scan.
4:31 Speaker 03 Yeah.
4:32 Speaker 02 You might just be like number 300 in the pile.
4:35 Speaker 03 Exactly. You might be buried if your resume isn't a strong match. The recruiter facing that long list is naturally going to start reviewing from the top. They might only look at the first 20 or 50.
4:45 Speaker 02 So the big takeaway here seems to be focus on making your resume appealing to the human who will eventually see it, assuming you get past those initial knockout questions.
4:55 Speaker 03 That is the absolute golden rule. Optimize for the human reader. If you do that well, you'll almost certainly be optimizing for the ATS ranking too. The goals are aligned.
5:04 Speaker 02 Okay, that feels much less daunting. So rule one, optimize for the human. Let's break down how to do that. What's the first big strategy?
5:12 Speaker 03 Number one, and this is non-negotiable. Customize your resume every single time.
5:21 Speaker 02 Every time, really? That sounds like a lot of work.
5:23 Speaker 03 It is work, but sending a generic resume is honestly just wasting your time. It's such a missed opportunity. Think about it. Each job is different, right? They need specific skills.
5:33 Speaker 02 True.
5:33 Speaker 03 Your resume needs to scream, "I have exactly what you're looking for for this specific role." A generic one just whispers, "I'm generally qualified for something."
5:41 Speaker 02 Okay, point taken. Tailor it directly to the job description, which brings us nicely to the next point. Keywords, they're still important, even if it's not just about robot scanning.
5:51 Speaker 03 Oh, absolutely crucial. Maybe even more crucial now we understand stack ranking. Recruiters actively search the ATS database using keywords. It's like Google for resumes.
6:00 Speaker 02 So if the keywords aren't on your resume?
6:02 Speaker 03 You simply won't appear in their search results. It doesn't matter how perfect you are for the job if they can't find you.
6:07 Speaker 02 Okay, so how do we find these magic keywords?
6:10 Speaker 03 They're usually hiding in plain sight, right there in the job description. That's your cheat sheet. Read it carefully. Note the skills, the qualifications, the specific software mentioned, the responsibilities.
6:22 Speaker 02 Use the language they use.
6:24 Speaker 03 Precisely. Mirror the language. If they say "project management," use "project management." If they list specific tools like Salesforce or Python, make sure those are listed in your skills or experience if you have them. There are even some online tools that can help analyze a job description and highlight likely keywords.
6:42 Speaker 02 But wait, we shouldn't just cram every possible keyword in there, right? Like, fill the margins with white text or something.
6:48 Speaker 03 Oh, please don't do that. That's called keyword stuffing, and it's a terrible idea. First, some ATS systems are smart enough to flag it, or they strip formatting and suddenly that white text is visible.
6:58 Speaker 02 Ouch.
6:59 Speaker 03 And second, even if it gets past the ATS, a human recruiter will notice, and it looks desperate and unprofessional. Your resume still needs to be readable, make sense, and tell your career story naturally. No synergy and ingo stuff.
7:11 Speaker 02 Right, keep it professional. Which leads to another point. Standard titles and terms. What if your company uses weird internal job titles?
7:23 Speaker 03 That's a great question. If you have a unique title, like "innovation catalyst,"
7:28 Speaker 02 Okay.
7:28 Speaker 03 Consider using a more standard industry equivalent on your resume, like maybe "product development manager," if it accurately reflects what you did. Recruiters search for standard titles.
7:38 Speaker 02 So translate your internal title to the common industry language.
7:42 Speaker 03 Yes, exactly. And also vary your terminology slightly for common things.
7:45 Speaker 02 Yeah.
7:46 Speaker 03 Like, use both IT and information technology. Use VP and vice president. This covers more bases for how a recruiter might search.
7:53 Speaker 02 Makes sense. And along with professionalism,
7:55 Speaker 03 Yeah.
7:55 Speaker 02 accuracy, spelling, and grammar, still super important.
7:58 Speaker 03 Absolutely critical.
7:59 Speaker 02 Mm-hmm.
7:59 Speaker 03 Non-negotiable, keep it polished, no cutesy stuff, as we said. But typos, especially typos in keywords, that can kill your chances.
8:05 Speaker 02 Ouch.
8:06 Speaker 03 Well, think about it. A recruiter isn't going to search for "project manager" with a K. If you misspell a key skill or software name, the ATS search won't find you. And a human recruiter will just see it as sloppy. Proofread. Get someone else to proofread.
8:21 Speaker 02 Good advice. Okay, now let's get into the really techy part. Formatting. This is where the ATS can apparently get really tripped up, right?
8:28 Speaker 03 Oh, massively. This is a huge hurdle. Complex formatting is the enemy of many ATS parsers. They just can't read it properly.
8:35 Speaker 02 So what should we do? What's safe?
8:37 Speaker 03 Stick to clean, simple, standard formats. Avoid columns. Definitely avoid text boxes. No fancy graphics or images embedded in the text. Don't use tables for layout. Keep the fonts standard and simple, like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman.
8:52 Speaker 02 Why no columns or tables? They look organized.
8:54 Speaker 03 They might look organized to us, but an ATS often reads columns straight across, mixing up the text, or might just ignore the content in tables or text boxes entirely. Key achievements could just disappear.
9:05 Speaker 02 Wow. Okay, here's a practical tip I heard. If you upload your resume and the system makes you retype a ton of information that's clearly on your resume...
9:13 Speaker 03 That's a huge red flag. It means the ATS couldn't parse your formatting correctly. Go back and simplify your resume design immediately.
9:20 Speaker 02 What about file types? Worddoc, .pdf... Something else?
9:25 Speaker 03 Good question. Generally, Word documents .doc or .docs are the safest bet. Most ATS systems handle them well.
9:33 Speaker 02 And PDFs. People love PDFs.
9:35 Speaker 03 PDFs are usually okay these days, but they can still sometimes cause issues, especially if they were created from a complex design or are image-based. Some older ATS systems just struggle with them. If the company gives you a choice, Word is often safer for parsing.
9:49 Speaker 02 And never, ever an image file, right? Like a JPG of your resume?
9:52 Speaker 03 Absolutely never. An ATS cannot read text in an image file at all. It's like submitting a blank page. Instant rejection.
9:58 Speaker 02 Okay, one more formatting detail. Heads and footers in Word. Safe place for contact info?
10:03 Speaker 03 No. Avoid putting critical info like your name, email, phone number, or even key skills in the header or footer. Some APS systems completely ignore those sections. Integrate all vital info into the main body of the document.
10:15 Speaker 02 Got it. And standard practice: reverse chronological order for work experience.
10:19 Speaker 03 Yes, stick with that. It's what recruiters expect, and it's what the ATS handles best. Most recent job first.
10:25 Speaker 02 And our last resume point. Standard section headers, simple but important.
10:31 Speaker 03 Very important. Use clear, common headings like work experience, education, skills, professional summary. Don't get creative with section titles like where I've been or my superpowers.
10:42 Speaker 02 Why not?
10:42 Speaker 03 Because the APS is often programmed to look for these specific standard headers to correctly categorize the information on your resume. If it doesn't recognize the header, it might misinterpret or even ignore the entire section. Keep it simple and clear for both the system and the human.
10:57 Speaker 02 Okay, so we've optimized the resume. It's tailored, keyword-rich, but natural, clean format, standard headers. Is that enough? Or are there other things we can do after applying online?
11:09 Speaker 03 That's a great question. The optimized resume gets you through the digital door, hopefully high up in the ranking, but applying online is just one path. It's often the most crowded path.
11:17 Speaker 02 So what's another path?
11:18 Speaker 03 It's what some people call back-channeling. Finding another way to get noticed besides just waiting for the ATS and recruiter to find you in the pile.
11:26 Speaker 02 Intriguing. How does back-channeling work?
11:29 Speaker 03 Well, once you've submitted your application online, you still usually have to do that part where you try to find a connection inside the company.
11:36 Speaker 02 Like who?
11:37 Speaker 03 Could be anyone. A former colleague, someone you went to school with, maybe even someone you connect with on a professional network like LinkedIn, perhaps an HR person, or even the hiring manager for the role, if you can identify them.
11:49 Speaker 02 And what do you do? Just ask them for a job?
11:52 Speaker 03 No, not usually. The approach is more subtle. You reach out, mention you've applied for a specific role you're really excited about, and politely ask if they might keep an eye out for your application, or maybe even mention it to the hiring team.
12:04 Speaker 02 Ah, so it's like getting someone on the inside to pull your resume out of the stack?
12:09 Speaker 03 Essentially, yes. It can dramatically increase the chances that a human, the right human, sees your application quickly. It shows initiative, too. Don't be afraid to do this. The worst they can say is no or just ignore you, but the upside is huge.
12:24 Speaker 02 That's a powerful tip, taking that extra step. Any final crucial advice before we wrap up?
12:29 Speaker 03 One last thing, and it sounds basic, but it trips people up constantly. Follow.
12:34 Speaker 02 Yeah.
12:34 Speaker 03 Instructions.
12:35 Speaker 02 Simple as that.
12:36 Speaker 03 Simple as that. If the application asks for a cover letter, provide one. If it asks for salary expectations in a specific field, fill it out. If it specifies a file format, use that format. Not following instructions is often an automatic disqualifier programmed into the ATS. It's seen as a basic test of attention to detail.
12:54 Speaker 02 Don't fail the easy test. Okay. This has been incredibly insightful. Now, I have a kind of provocative closing thought for you, for the listener.
13:03 Speaker 03 Let's hear it.
13:04 Speaker 02 Okay, so we know companies are swamped with applications, and we know there are now AI tools that let job seekers spray "apply" to hundreds of jobs with a click. Given that reality, if you're a qualified candidate and you do take the time to meticulously tailor your resume, would you actually prefer that companies use ATS sorting software?
13:24 Speaker 03 Hmm. That is provocative. You're asking if the system could actually be your friend in that scenario.
13:29 Speaker 02 Yeah. Could it help the good tailored resumes rise above the flood of generic mass applications?
13:37 Speaker 03 You know, that's a really interesting way to frame it. And maybe the answer is yes. If your well-crafted tailored resume gets highly ranked by the ATS because it's such a good match, that might be your best shot at getting noticed quickly amidst all that noise.
13:52 Speaker 02 So the ATS, instead of being the enemy, could actually be an ally for serious candidates.
13:58 Speaker 03 Potentially, yes. It could help filter out the noise, giving your targeted application a clearer path to the recruiter. It's definitely something to think about, a potential advantage hiding in plain sight.
14:08 Speaker 02 A fascinating perspective to end on. Thank you so much for breaking all this down. Hopefully, everyone listening feels much more empowered now.
14:14 Speaker 03 I hope so. It's about strategy, not fear.
14:17 Speaker 02 Exactly. Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into beating the ATS. We really hope these insights help you tackle your job search with new confidence. Remember, you're not fighting a mysterious black box. You're just learning its language. Put these strategies into practice. You might be surprised at the results. Visit jobsearch.community. Download the free content and become an insider to receive answers to your questions and coaching from Jeff Altman, the big game hunter.
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