Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems

By Candice White, CARW

Have you wondered if anyone ever reads your online job applications? Do you feel like a rejection email came too quickly and that the only explanation could be your attempt was automatically rejected by an anonymous computer program? Perhaps you’ve endured the frustrating experience of uploading your resume only to have to copy all your information into the application fields.
If so, you are not alone! I often get questions from clients asking how to stand out when submitting online job applications. The key is knowing how to navigate an applicant tracking software system (ATS), which many companies use to manage the hiring process and organize applicants. Think of them as virtual filing cabinets that store your application information, which hiring managers can pull up at any time, including if the same or similar job opens again. They are intended to make life easier for hiring managers.

Any quick online search will pull up all kinds of comments about ATS that are misinformed at best or even fearmongering at worst. Some of the misconceptions are probably because there are so many of these systems, each functioning a little differently. But it’s not that complicated to cater to the common denominators.

Here are five tips to help you navigate through any ATS and maximize the odds of being called in for an interview>>