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ATS Score Guide

Understanding Your ATS Score

Learn what ATS systems look for, how they rank resumes, and how to optimize your score without sacrificing readability.

How ATS Systems Work

When you submit a resume, the ATS:

  1. 1Parses your document, extracting text and attempting to categorize it into fields (name, email, experience, etc.)
  2. 2Searches for keywords that match the job description and required qualifications
  3. 3Ranks candidates based on keyword matches, experience level, and other criteria
  4. 4Filters out candidates below a certain threshold before a human ever sees the resume

What ATS Systems Check

Positive Signals

  • • Keywords from job description
  • • Required skills listed
  • • Relevant job titles
  • • Education requirements met
  • • Years of experience
  • • Certifications mentioned
  • • Clean, parseable formatting

Negative Signals

  • • Missing key requirements
  • • Unparseable formatting
  • • Images instead of text
  • • Non-standard section names
  • • Missing contact info
  • • Excessive graphics/tables
  • • Scanned/image PDFs

Common ATS Compatibility Issues

Keyword mismatch

Problem: Your resume says 'Project Management' but the job says 'PM'

Fix: Include both the full term and common abbreviations

Hidden text in headers/footers

Problem: ATS can't read content in document headers/footers

Fix: Put all content in the main body of the document

Complex formatting

Problem: Tables, columns, and text boxes break parsing

Fix: Use simple single-column layouts with standard formatting

Graphics and icons

Problem: ATS can't interpret images

Fix: Use text instead of icons for contact info, skills, etc.

Creative section headers

Problem: 'My Journey' isn't recognized as 'Experience'

Fix: Use standard headers: Experience, Education, Skills

How to Improve Your ATS Score

  1. 1Read the job description carefully and identify key skills and requirements
  2. 2Include exact keywords and phrases from the posting in your resume
  3. 3Use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills)
  4. 4Keep formatting simple: single column, no tables or graphics
  5. 5Save as a text-based PDF or DOCX (not scanned/image)
  6. 6Include both spelled-out terms and abbreviations (Search Engine Optimization, SEO)
  7. 7Quantify achievements with numbers and metrics
  8. 8Match your job titles to industry standards when accurate

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