5 ways to beat the resume ATS

Applicant tracking systems filter most resumes before a human sees them. Here's how to get through.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan your resume for keywords before a recruiter ever reads it. To get past them:

1. Mirror the job description. Use the same terms the posting uses for skills and titles.

2. Keep formatting simple. Avoid tables, columns and images that confuse parsers.

3. Use standard section headings like Experience, Education and Skills.

4. Save as a text-based PDF, not a scanned image.

5. Quantify your impact with numbers so both the ATS and the human are impressed.