Career Advice for Job Seekers
8 resume hacks that will get you noticed by applicant tracking systems
Most students and recent grads know they need a strong resume to land interviews. What many don’t realize is that their first “reader” won’t be a recruiter or hiring manager—it will be a piece of software. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by the vast majority of medium and large employers to sort, rank, and filter job applications.
That means before your resume can impress a human, it has to pass the machine test. If your resume isn’t ATS-friendly, it may never even be seen. But don’t worry: optimizing your resume for ATS isn’t about tricking the system or stuffing it with jargon. It’s about making your skills and experiences clear, structured, and relevant. Here are eight resume hacks that will help you beat applicant tracking systems and get noticed by employers.
1. Use Keywords That Match the Job Description
One of the biggest factors ATS software looks for is alignment between the resume and the job posting. If the description says the role requires “customer service” experience, and your resume says you have “client relations” experience, the system may not recognize the connection.
The hack here is to mirror the employer’s language. Skim the job description, highlight the recurring terms, and incorporate those exact words into your resume. That doesn’t mean copying the job ad word-for-word. Instead, work those keywords naturally into your descriptions. For example:
- Job posting asks for “event coordination” → Resume should say “coordinated events”
- Job posting lists “Excel proficiency” → Resume should say “Microsoft Excel” (not just “spreadsheets”)
By speaking the same language as the posting, you signal to both the ATS and the recruiter that you’re a strong match.
2. Keep Formatting Clean and Simple
It’s tempting to use flashy templates filled with colors, graphics, and text boxes. After all, you want your resume to stand out. But with ATS, that “stand out” design can actually make your resume disappear.
ATS software reads resumes like scanners, pulling text from top to bottom. Anything inside tables, columns, or graphics can confuse the system. If the ATS can’t parse your information, it won’t get scored properly.
The hack? Stick with straightforward formatting:
- Use a single column layout
- Stick to fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman
- Bold headings for clarity (“Experience,” “Education”)
- Save as a Word file (.docx) unless the employer requests a PDF
Think of your resume as a digital text document, not a design project. Clarity always wins.
3. Ditch Images, Icons, and Logos
Some students add headshots, logos from past employers, or skill icons to their resumes. The problem is that ATS can’t read images. That shiny Adobe logo? The system will skip right over it. Your smiling headshot? Totally invisible.
The hack is simple: go text-only. Use words to describe your skills and experiences instead of relying on images or icons. If you want to showcase visual creativity, link to an online portfolio. But keep the resume itself plain and ATS-friendly.
4. Spell Out Acronyms (At Least Once)
ATS systems aren’t as smart as humans when it comes to interpreting abbreviations. If you write “MS Excel,” it might miss the fact that you’re proficient in Microsoft Excel. If you say “RA,” the software might not know you mean “Resident Assistant.”
The fix? Spell out acronyms at least once and then include the short form. For example:
- “Microsoft Excel (MS Excel)”
- “Resident Assistant (RA)”
- “Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”
That way, no matter which version the ATS is looking for, you’ll get credit.
5. Optimize Your Job Titles for Clarity
Employers don’t always give student jobs or internships titles that match industry standards. For example, you might have been a “Campus Brand Ambassador.” To the ATS, that might not sound like relevant experience. But if you tweak it to read “Campus Brand Ambassador (Marketing Intern),” suddenly the role looks far more relevant.
The hack: add clarifying details to unconventional job titles. Stay honest—never fabricate—but adjust wording so the system (and the recruiter) understands the role’s context.
6. Avoid Keyword Overstuffing
Once students learn that ATS relies heavily on keywords, some think the best strategy is to load their resumes with every skill word imaginable. They’ll copy-paste the entire job description or repeat the same keyword five times in a row.
The problem? ATS systems are designed to detect unnatural keyword stuffing. Even if the resume gets through, a recruiter will quickly spot the overkill.
The hack: balance keywords with readability. If a job requires “project management,” weave it in naturally a couple of times: once in your skills section, once in your experience. Always write for the human reader after the system.
7. Save in ATS-Friendly Formats
Even if your resume is perfectly written, the wrong file type can trip you up. While PDFs have become more accepted, some older ATS software still struggles to parse them. Word documents (.docx) remain the safest option.
Unless the job posting specifically asks for a PDF, the hack is to submit a Word document. That ensures your text can be read cleanly, without formatting issues.
8. Tailor Every Resume You Send
This may be the most important hack of all. A one-size-fits-all resume rarely works. Each job has unique requirements, and ATS systems are designed to identify those matches.
The hack is to customize your resume for every application. That doesn’t mean rewriting from scratch. Small tweaks—reordering bullet points, adjusting phrasing, or swapping in the right keywords—can make a big difference in your match score.
It takes more time, but tailoring shows employers that you care enough to highlight what’s most relevant to them. And it dramatically increases your chances of being noticed.
Why These Hacks Work
ATS software isn’t trying to trick you. It’s trying to help recruiters sift through hundreds of applications by surfacing the ones that appear most relevant. But without knowing how to format and phrase your resume, qualified candidates can get filtered out before a human ever looks at them.
By using these eight hacks—matching keywords, simplifying formatting, spelling things out, and tailoring for each job—you’ll not only beat the system, you’ll also present yourself more clearly to the recruiter who eventually reads your resume.
Final Word
Your resume isn’t just a document; it’s a bridge. It connects your academic and early work experiences to the opportunities you want. If the bridge is shaky, employers won’t cross it. But if it’s solid, clear, and built with ATS in mind, you’ll give yourself a fair shot at making it to the interview stage.
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