Not getting interviews for jobs you're qualified for? Applicant Tracking Systems aren't your enemy - your resume probably is.
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Applicant Tracking Systems are the ‘bad guys,’ the evil bots that decide whether or not your resume actually gets seen by a human or, more likely, gets tossed into a big black hole never to be seen again.
Well, that’s what a lot of people believe on forums like reddit or Qoura.
“Why should I have to jump through so many f****ng hoops just to apply for a job?”
“Totally over it. I’ve applied for over 100 jobs and all I get is silence. The system is broken.”
“Recruiters are just lazy with all this tech. If the lazy a***holes did their job properly, we might be able to get one too.”
High emotions and understandably so because high stakes are involved – paying rent or a mortgage, everyday bills, car loans, school fees, medical costs, food – basically having a life.
Well, I have both good and bad news for you. First the good. ATS are not out to get you. They are not sentient systems with thoughts, feelings or personal opinions.
But, if they were a person, they would be that one teacher you had at school that would never give you a break and never ‘look the other way’ when you just wanted to have a harmless bit of a laugh with your mates. Or that traffic warden that just wasn’t interested at all in your very plausible and very real reason why you were late back to your car - and slapped a parking fine on your windshield right in front of you.
Rules are rules and that is the rule – more on that later.
Think of ATS as more like a faceless glorified filing cabinet or an Excel spreadsheet on steroids with a sprinkling of AI magic on top. Once you fully understand what Applicant Tracking Systems are and why they are used, you can actually make them work for you rather than against you.
And the bad?
You probably need to re-write your resume and rethink your job application methods to make this happen – more on that later too.
Let’s dive in.
Key Takeaways
- Applicant Tracking Systems are not “rejecting you personally.” They are software tools designed to sort huge volumes of applications quickly and efficiently.
- Most ATS problems are caused by badly formatted resumes, missing keywords, or incomplete applications - not a lack of experience.
- Fancy resume templates with columns, graphics, tables, headers, and icons can confuse ATS software and stop your information being read correctly.
- ATS software grades your resume against the exact wording used in the job description, so relevant keywords and phrases matter more than people realise.
- Applying for more jobs does not increase your chances if you are applying for the wrong roles. Mass AI-driven applications are making competition and screening tougher for everyone.
- Small mistakes can cost you interviews. Misspelled keywords, unusual section headings, missing contact details, or incomplete application questions can all trigger rejection.
- Your LinkedIn profile now matters more than ever because some ATS platforms analyse it alongside your resume and application. Consistency is important.
- The safest approach is still the most effective: a plain reverse chronological resume tailored to the job description with clear achievements, relevant keywords, and readable formatting.
What are ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems?
Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, are recruitment software systems used by employers and recruitment agencies to handle response to advertised positions and manage and automate recruitment activity across their organisations.
The first versions were introduced in the 1980’s by IBM to handle high-volume applications for specialist roles. Over time they have become more complex and sophisticated through the introduction of more functionality and tools such as algorithmic job matching, candidate assessments and automated communications.
Originally they were very expensive, so they were only used by large companies but the emergence in recent years of cloud technology has given birth to a wide range of companies offering SaaS products that make ATS more affordable for SMBs struggling to handle their recruitment needs.
According to recent studies:
- Nearly 99% of all Fortune 500 companies use ATS platforms on a regular basis
- 70% of large companies currently use an ATS.
- 20% of small and mid-sized businesses currently use an ATS.
- 75% of recruiters use an ATS or another tech-driven recruiting tool to review applicants and strengthen the overall candidate experience.
- 25% of organisations are planning to implement an AI-driven ATS by 2027.
- The global ATS market will be worth $4.88 billion by 2030.
Given this, it’s fair to say that if you are applying for jobs online, it's more than likely that your resume will be processed by an ATS.
Why are Applicant Tracking Systems used?
Applicant Tracking Systems greatly reduce cost per hire and time per hire. A 2026 survey found that hiring managers primarily use ATS to speed up early-stage recruitment (60%) and manage high application volumes (50%).
You may be asking yourself why? Why now? Recruiters and HR didn’t use them in the past so why do they all use them now? The answer is twofold and simple – online job boards and the advance of AI. Both have made it way too easy for job seekers to submit multiple applications simultaneously. And, because it is so easy, so many people apply for so many jobs that they are absolutely not qualified for. It’s the “may as well, you never know’ tactic that everyone seems to have adopted these days.
Of course, sometimes that works, but the result is that 49% of online job applications do not meet the basic criteria stated in job advertisements. Actually, as a hands-on recruiter, I would challenge that figure. My everyday experience for certain roles is probably around 80% unsuitability thanks to AI tools that make it easier than ever to apply and tailor resumes at scale.
For example, Sonara is an AI-powered job search platform designed to automate the application process across multiple job boards. You set your preferences - role type, location, experience level - and it scans for jobs and fires off applications for you. It even gives you analytics so you can track activity and results. Sounds great doesn’t it. Until you realise what’s actually happening.
The real cost of mass applications
As an example, I just advertised a role for a Project Manager. I clearly stated in the job advertisement that candidates need a civil engineering degree and 5+ years onsite experience on road and bridge projects in Australia. But I am inundated with applications from Project Managers who have never stepped foot on a construction site and have spent their entire career working in the charity, IT, healthcare ( and loads more except civil) sectors.
But hey, it said Project Manager as a title so that’s OK, right? Wrong.
That’s the problem with mass automation in job searching. Applying for more jobs is not the same as applying for the right jobs.
You can see this type of behaviour on LinkedIn too where jobs are posted with full details on the position and instructions on how to apply, but so may people who are totally mismatched just write ‘Interested’ and expect to be contacted.
The impact on you and your career
This is incredibly frustrating for recruiters and HR but even more frustrating for you, the real candidate who is qualified for the position and serious about your applications. All these people being lazy and trying to game the system are taking valuable time of recruiters and employers - which means it is harming your chances of being seen.
Yet everyone still expects a response, whether qualified or not. Of course there is always the option to state “only shortlisted candidates will be contacted” on the job ads but I am certainly not a fan of this generic catch all tactic.
So there has to be a solution to handle this huge volume of applicants and an efficient way to screen for those that deserve an interview.
Love it, hate it, or simply don't understand it - the answer is ATS.
What Applicant Tracking Systems do when you apply online
There are many brands of ATS in the marketplace offering very basic functions right up to high-level tools so we will keep this simple. When you apply for a position online, this software normally performs four tasks.
1. Parse your information into a database
‘Parse' is the technical term for being able to read and scan the information on your resume. It is looking for basic things such as your name, address, contact details, work history, qualifications, and referees.
At this stage it is not filtering or judging, just collecting.
So, pretty simple right? What could possibly go wrong here? Unfortunately, many people fall at this first, simple hurdle.
If Applicant Tracking Systems cannot find this basic information due to you submitting an over styled fancy resume template, it is either going to reject your application completely or input your details with little information and no key data.
Not because of your skills and experience, but because your resume was not formatted in a way that it could easily access and read.
There is much debate about how many resumes don’t make it through ATS. Some say as high as 75% others say 8% but it really doesn’t matter.
What matters is that it could happen to you if you use the wrong resume format.
2. Filter your application against knockout criteria set by HR and recruiters
Once your resume has been added to the database, your response to any application questions set will be assessed.
If you were unwilling, unable or simply couldn’t be bothered to answer them, then rejection can still happen even if you have the right skills and experience.
These can be found right at the beginning of your application when you are asked questions such as whether you are eligible to work in a certain country or what your salary expectations are. They can also be towards the end where they ask for something specific to the role to complete your application.
Sometimes you have no choice in avoiding them because they will not allow you to submit your application without the information. Other times not. Never think that you have ‘got away with it’ though – it is very likely that a bot will either downgrade you or reject you if you haven’t provided what has been asked for when others have.
3. Grade your resume against a job opportunity
The ATS will look for key phrases and information that match a job description and also keywords and phrases set by HR or recruiters.
Put simply, the software will score and grade your resume to determine if you are qualified to join a shortlist where a human will take over the decision making.
Yes, that’s right. Still no human involvement until now.
Of course, real people can override the grade an ATS has given you at any time. After all they are there to guide us not decide for us. I’ve done this many times because I know they are not perfect and certain brands have their little quirks.
But, I don’t want you to rely on this, especially if you know there will be lots of competition. If they already have enough good candidates in the first run, they may not go back to manually check others just in case they slipped through the net later.
4. Send automated notifications to you and the hiring manager or recruiter
Once successfully parsed and graded, the system will let the recruiter or employer know it has populated a profile of you that is ready for them to view and assess.
Alternatively, if you failed to make it past pre-screening, you will receive an automated rejection letter.
Bear in mind though that even if you are rejected for the role you applied for, your details will be stored in their talent pool. Your details will be available to screen for all other future opportunities the recruiter or employer may have.
The ATS + people problem
I hinted at this just now, but it is worth noting separately here. The quality and accuracy of each ATS widely varies depending on brand and model. Some are closer to a basic database, and others are all signing all dancing automation wonders.
This means that rejections, and the ability to choose the criteria set to trigger them, will vary enormously. In turn, this means that you could apply for exactly the same job with two different recruiters and get rejected by one and shortlisted by another.
This is obviously frustrating for you but it is equally annoying for employers and recruiters. Many times I have worked with a client with an aggressive filter that send out rejections before I got a chance to see the candidates. So, many times, I have needed to cal these people and explain what happened and add them back to my shortlist.
Then there is the other side of the problem - human error and ability. For example, it may be a great system with high level tools but if an employer doesn’t understand how to use them, there can be issues. Equally, a recruiter may set inappropriate pre-selection criteria if they are inexperienced and they don’t really understand what makes a great candidate for a role. This can and does lead to perfect matches sometimes being rejected. That’s a hard fact to swallow but true all the same.
The bottom line is, unless you apply directly, your online applications are going to face ATS processing and scrutiny. You can’t control this. But you do have total control over the one vital thing that makes the biggest difference – the style and content of your resume.
12 ways to optimise your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems
There are so many blogs, threads and videos on 'how to beat ATS', but I want you to reframe this in your mind right now because, if that's your focus, it's not healthy and you will go about this with an angry and frustrated mind. It's not about gaming the system and using the latest viral TikTok hack - which, incidentally, is usually from people who have never hired, or hired at volume, in their life. It's about working with it, not against it, to help get you shortlisted when you apply for a position.
The number one way to do this is to submit the right resume. This takes some time and effort on your part but, given the gravity of the situation, isn't it worth the effort?
1. Don’t use a heavily designed template
Sorry, but this is non-negotiable. I know your fancy template looks great with its bold colours, charts and graphs. And yes, I know you chose it because you want to stand out from the competition and show some personality, but the truth is that it is probably making you invisible.
Many Applicant Tracking Systems have trouble parsing information from boxes and tables and weird columns. The most up to date are getting better at this but you don’t know what system each company is using so just assume it isn’t the latest model and don’t take a chance.
You won't necessarily get rejected outright, but your profile will be so sparse it will be worthless.
Use a plain reverse chronological format. Name, Contact Details, Profile, Work History, Education & Qualifications, Referees.
2. Don’t use a partially designed template either
So, you took my advice and opted for a plain design but then you thought you would add 'just a little' touch of design. Maybe logos after company names, or a nice header and footer to just to frame the content? What harm can that do? Potentially lots for the same reason as above.
Again, use a plain reverse chronological format. Name, Contact Details, Profile, Work History, Education & Qualifications, Referees.
3. Be very careful with your contact details
If an ATS cannot easily find your name, physical address, email address, and phone numbers, the chances are high that your application will be rejected or a message will come up to HR or the recruiter to ‘input manually’. Bearing in mind they receive a high volume of applications every day, there is more chance of them deleting you rather than taking the time to find your details and type them in.
So how can your contact details be so hard to find?
- Contact details encased in a pretty header or footer. Looks nice but can’t be read so can’t be found. In some cases, an ATS may pull a telephone number or address from elsewhere – remember they have no sense just a job to do - such as one of your referees. I have literally had this happen to me before when I tried calling a candidate.
- Physical address left out - because you don’t want to include it for some reason? Big mistake if it is a required field and besides a recruiter wants to know this basic information.
- Do you put a qualification or something else next to your name? Don’t do it. This can confuse ATS systems and prevent them from seeing your real name when it adds everything into the name field. I literally had this problem yesterday when I was using ours. I was looking for a candidate called Mark Winters. He just wasn’t coming up but then I searched further by key skills and found a Mark B.Eng on the database. He had put Mark Winters B.Eng on his resume so the ATS put his surname as his middle name and his qualification as his surname. Don’t rely on a recruiter or HR to have the time or inclination to do this in a very competitive market.
So no design please.
Again, use a plain reverse chronological format. Name, Contact Details, Profile, Work History, Education & Qualifications, Referees.
4. Take care with your bullet points
It is a great idea to use bullet points as ATS have no problem with them and humans like them too but don’t opt for little icons instead of the basic points. Those special arrows, ticks and images will look nicer, but they may confuse ATS and work against you.
5. Choose your font wisely
Stick to one sans-serif font like Verdana, Tahoma or Calibri instead of serif fonts like Times New Roman or Cambria that have little tails added to their letters because some older version of ATS may have difficulty reading these. While we are on this subject, you should also never use script type fonts and don’t use anything smaller than an 11 point in size. You're not just optimising for ATS but humans too when it comes to scanning your resume.
6. Don’t just use acronyms
Use both acronyms and their spelt-out forms on your resume. Whether its titles, processes, certifications, or companies, do this because you don’t know what the ATS is programmed to search for and they are looking for exact matches. For example, use both HSE Specialist and Health Safety & Environment Specialist
7. Call your Work History “Work History”
Tell it as it is. Remember it is software and it doesn’t understand the subtleties of the English language. Sometimes job seekers refer to their work history as their “Professional Experience” or “Career Achievements” (or some other variation on that theme) so sometimes the ATS will completely skip over this section because they didn’t understand what it was. This is your chance to sell your suitability for a role so keep it simple, understandable and readable.
8. Mirror your resume to the job description
The ATS will be looking to match and grade you on key words so try to integrate the key essential requirements from the job description naturally into both your profile and the first two bullet points of your most recent roles if possible. But, always be honest and don’t go overboard and stuff keywords everywhere. If you get through, and that’s the whole point of this exercise, a human will read your resume, and they won’t be impressed if you have lied or overused this tactic. Recruiters and ATS are savvy about tricks some job seekers use to game the system (such as typing false qualifications in a white font just so ATS picks them up).
Be very mindful too that you have to use exact words and phrases.
“I applied for a Continuous Improvement Manager role and was rejected almost instantly by the ATS because it said I didn’t meet the requirements. So sick of this. The ATS is useless because my resume clearly showed I’d led Kaizen workshops and process optimisation projects for five years.”
Problem was he didn’t say Continuous Improvement anywhere in his resume. That is what the ATS wanted so he needed to say it exactly.
9. Don’t worry about submitting a long resume
You are dealing with an ATS, not a human who may get bored! It will scan your resume regardless of whether it’s two pages or ten. In fact, submitting a longer resume that allows you to pack in more relevant experience and keywords and phrases increases your chances of ranking higher in the system. Please note. Humans also don’t get bored reading a longer resume as long as it is relevant and presented correctly.
10. Play it safe with a Word doc
Most ATS can now read PDF’s but some still lack the ability to easily parse them so play it safe and submit as a Word doc unless the site specifically asks for a PDF version. Never send a Pages or Google Docs resume.
11. Don’t forget your LinkedIn profile
Some Applicant Tracking Systems now pull in and analyse your LinkedIn profile alongside your resume and application. This means inconsistencies, outdated information, or missing keywords can work against you. Make sure your LinkedIn profile supports your application, reflects the same skills and experience, and includes relevant industry keywords tied to the role you want.
12. Check for spelling mistakes
Human beings can figure out what you mean but an ATS will have no idea what you’re talking about if you spell words and phrases incorrectly. So double, triple, and quadruple check your resume before sending it in.
FAQ
Can recruiters still see my resume if the ATS rejects it?
Mostly, yes. Recruiters can manually search ATS databases and override rankings or rejections. But in competitive markets with high application volumes, many won’t go digging through low ranked or rejected applications unless something specifically stands out.
Do cover letters help with Applicant Tracking Systems?
Yes, they can. Some ATS platforms scan cover letters for keywords and relevant experience just like resumes. A tailored cover letter can strengthen your overall application, especially for competitive roles. And once you get in front of a human, a thoughtful cover letter can make a real impact too.
Is it better to apply through LinkedIn or directly through a company website?
Usually directly through the company website if possible. Applying directly often gives you access to the employer’s own ATS workflow and can reduce the chances of your application getting lost between platforms.
Can AI-written resumes hurt your chances?
Yes. Recruiters are increasingly seeing resumes filled with generic AI-generated wording that sounds polished but says very little. If your resume reads like everyone else’s, it becomes harder to stand out plus you lose your credibility as a serious candidate.
Should I customise my resume for every job application?
For important roles, absolutely. And, if they are not important, why are you wasting your time applying? You don't need a complete rewrite every time. If you have a solid core resume and adjust keywords, skills, and achievements to match the job description you can dramatically improve your chances of getting shortlisted with very little effort.
Conclusion
Given all this information, you may now be tempted to run your resume through one of the many online ‘ATS software scanners’ out there to see how you stack up. But I urge you not to.
You need to bear in mind that it is only useful for the specific Applicant Tracking System they will be using. So what if you get through say Bullhorn for example? What about all the others because you don't know which an employer or recruiter is using?
As discussed earlier, there are so many types of ATS being used with varying degrees of complexity and sensitivity. Getting through one doesn’t mean you will get through them all.
In addition, there are many threads on reddit where people have used these with different results each time. To be clear, they are uploading exactly the same resume, apart from a different address, and it gives conflicting advice.
Remember, these companies are not being charitable and wanting to help you get a job. They want you to buy a resume writing service from them.
Stick to a plain reverse chronological format rich in key words from the job description.
Not only will the ATS prefer it, but humans will too because it allows them to quickly understand what you have to offer without needing to navigate boxes, columns and weird images.
