Improve Your Chances with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
You may have the experience, skills, certifications, and qualifications required for your dream job—but your resume may never reach the hiring manager. Why?
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
If you are applying for jobs online, understanding how an ATS works—and how to optimize your resume for it—can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed by recruiters.
An ATS is software that employers use to collect, organize, search, and sometimes screen job applications. Large companies can receive hundreds or even thousands of applications for a single position. Recruiters simply don't have the time to manually review every resume.
That's where an Applicant Tracking System comes in.
Your resume needs to accomplish two things:
First, it needs to be readable by the ATS.
Second, it needs to convince the recruiter that you are qualified for the position.
The good news is that ATS optimization doesn't require complicated tricks. It requires you to clearly communicate how your experience matches the employer's requirements.
Here are five ways to improve your chances.
1. Use Keywords From the Job Description
One of the most important aspects of resume optimization is using the keywords contained in the job description.
When an employer creates a job posting, it typically identifies the skills, competencies, qualifications, technologies, certifications, and experience required for the position.
These become important resume keywords.
For example, suppose you're applying for a Senior Project Manager position and the job description mentions:
Project Management
PMP
Leadership
Data Transformation
Data Analysis
Jira
Microsoft Project
Copilot
Agile
Stakeholder Management
Risk Management
PMO
If you legitimately possess these skills, your resume should use the same terminology.
This doesn't mean copying the entire job description into your resume.
Instead, review the job posting carefully and identify the most important skills and competencies. Then determine where those keywords naturally fit into your professional summary, skills section, and—most importantly—your accomplishment bullets.
For example, if the job description specifically asks for Jira, don't simply list Jira in a technical-skills section.
Demonstrate how you used it:
Managed Agile project delivery using Jira to track sprint progress, dependencies, risks, and team deliverables across a $5M technology transformation initiative.
Now the recruiter can see both the keyword Jira and the experience behind it.
The key principle is simple: If a job requirement genuinely matches your experience, make sure your resume clearly says so.
2. Focus on Hard Skills
Your resume should communicate more than your job titles and responsibilities.
It should demonstrate the hard skills that make you qualified for the position.
Hard skills can include:
Technical tools
Software applications
Certifications
Project management methodologies
Industry knowledge
Data analysis
Financial management
Process improvement
Business analysis
Technical implementation
Vendor management
For project management professionals, relevant keywords might include:
PMP, Agile, Scrum, Jira, Azure DevOps, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, PMO, Waterfall, SAFe, Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Vendor Management, Budget Management, Data Transformation, and Stakeholder Management.
However, simply creating a giant list of keywords isn't enough. Whenever possible, incorporate these skills into your professional accomplishments.
Weak:
Managed Agile projects.
Stronger:
Led Agile technology initiatives using Jira and Azure DevOps, coordinating cross-functional teams and managing project risks, dependencies, and deliverables.
The second example provides context. It tells the employer what you did, what tools you used, and how you applied your project management skills.
This is particularly important because recruiters don't hire keywords—they hire people who can demonstrate those skills.
3. Keep Your Resume ATS-Friendly
Your resume doesn't need to win a graphic-design competition. In fact, an overly complicated resume can potentially make it harder for an Applicant Tracking System to interpret your information correctly. When creating an ATS-friendly resume, simplicity is usually your friend.
Consider using:
Arial
Calibri
Aptos
Times New Roman
Use clear section headings such as:
Professional Summary
Core Competencies
Professional Experience
Education
Certifications
Technical Skills
Avoid excessive use of:
Graphics
Logos
Icons
Text boxes
Multiple columns
Tables
Charts
Decorative elements
Unusual fonts
Headers and footers containing critical information
An ATS needs to extract information from your resume and organize it into fields that recruiters can search. Complicated formatting can sometimes interfere with that process.
For example, imagine your resume contains a two-column skills section with important information scattered across the page. A human can easily understand it. An ATS may not interpret the information in the same way.
Your objective should be to create a resume that is easy for both software and humans to read.
A clean, professional resume doesn't mean a boring resume. You can still use bold text, clear headings, white space, and consistent formatting to make your resume visually appealing. Just don't sacrifice readability for design.
4. Quantify Your Accomplishments
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is writing resumes that describe responsibilities rather than accomplishments.
Compare these two statements:
Managed technology projects and worked with stakeholders.
Versus:
Developed integrated project schedules and implemented RAID tracking processes for a $10M technology transformation initiative, improving executive visibility and reducing delivery risks by 25%.
The second accomplishment is much stronger.
It communicates:
Action: Developed and implemented
Project scope: $10M technology transformation
What you did: Created schedules and RAID processes
How you did it: Implemented structured project tracking
Result: Improved visibility and reduced risk by 25%
A useful formula for writing accomplishment bullets is:
Action Verb + Project Scope + What You Did + How You Did It + Measurable Result
Start with a strong action verb:
Led, developed, implemented, managed, delivered, created, redesigned, optimized, reduced, increased, automated, transformed, negotiated, analyzed, or improved.
Then provide context.
What was the size of the project?
How many people were involved?
What was the budget?
What technology was implemented?
What business problem did you solve?
Finally, quantify the result whenever possible. Consider numbers such as:
Dollar savings
Budget size
Revenue
Percentage improvements
Number of employees
Number of projects
Team size
Time saved
Process improvements
Risk reduction
Productivity gains
For example:
• Automated monthly project reporting using Power BI, reducing manual reporting time by 6 hours per month and improving executive visibility across a five-project portfolio.
That's much more compelling than:
• Created project reports for management.
Numbers create credibility.
They give recruiters evidence of the impact you have made rather than simply telling them what your responsibilities were.
5. Customize Your Resume for Each Position
This may be the most important recommendation of all.
One generic resume is not enough in today's competitive job market.
Every position has different requirements. Even two Senior Project Manager positions at different companies may prioritize completely different skills.
One employer may emphasize:
Agile + Jira + Software Development + Scrum
Another may emphasize:
PMO + Budget Management + Portfolio Management + Executive Reporting
Another may prioritize:
Data Transformation + Business Transformation + Stakeholder Management
Your resume should reflect the position you're pursuing. Before applying, compare your resume against the job description.
Ask yourself: What are the five to ten most important qualifications this employer is looking for?
Then determine whether your resume clearly demonstrates those qualifications.
If you have the experience, make sure the relevant keywords and accomplishments appear prominently in your resume.
This doesn't mean you should claim experience you don't have. Never add keywords simply because you think an ATS will like them.
Instead, identify the legitimate overlap between your experience and the employer's requirements.
Stop Applying to 20 Jobs a Day With the Same Resume
There is a temptation to believe that job searching is simply a numbers game.
Apply to 20 jobs today. Another 20 tomorrow. Another 20 the next day.
Eventually, someone will hire you. Unfortunately, submitting large numbers of generic applications may not be the most effective strategy.
Instead, consider applying to one or two high-quality opportunities per day and spending more time customizing your application.
Research the company.
Study the job description.
Identify the most important requirements.
Customize your resume.
Write a targeted cover letter when appropriate.
Then submit a thoughtful application.
If your resume is closely aligned with the position, you may have a much better chance of getting noticed than if you submit the same generic resume to dozens of unrelated positions.
ATS Optimization Isn't About Tricking the System
There are plenty of articles online promising ways to "beat" or "hack" an ATS.
That's not the right approach. Your goal isn't to trick the Applicant Tracking System.
Your goal is to clearly demonstrate that your qualifications match the employer's needs.
Think of your resume as a bridge between the job description and your professional experience.
The employer says:
"We need someone with Jira, Agile, PMP, leadership, and project management experience."
Your resume should make it immediately obvious:
"I have Jira, Agile, PMP, leadership, and project management experience—and here's the evidence."
That's effective resume optimization.
Your Resume Has One Job
Your resume doesn't need to get you the job. It needs to accomplish something much more important at the beginning of the hiring process: Get you the interview.
The hiring process generally involves multiple stages.
Your resume needs to get past the ATS.
Then it needs to get the attention of a recruiter.
Then it needs to convince the hiring manager that you are worth interviewing.
Finally, your interview performance needs to demonstrate that you're the right person for the position.
Think of the process this way: Get past the ATS → Get noticed by the recruiter → Get the interview → Win the opportunity.
ATS optimization is therefore not a shortcut. It's an essential part of modern job search strategy.
If you're qualified for a position, don't let a poorly optimized resume prevent the employer from seeing what you can do.
Review the job description.
Identify the important keywords.
Highlight your hard skills.
Use an ATS-friendly format.
Quantify your accomplishments.
And customize your resume for every position that matters.
Your experience may already be strong enough to get the interview. Make sure your resume communicates it effectively.
Comments