ATS-Friendly Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

Applicant Tracking System-Friendly Resume Template Example

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The best template for an applicant tracking system (ATS) friendly resume is in reverse chronological order, formatted so your most recent work experiences are at the top. Choose a clean, organized template with plenty of white space for readability. Also, be sure to select a resume template that will appeal to your audience. The key to creating an ATS-friendly resume is to carefully format and optimize keywords so your document advances to the next stage of the application process.

How To Write an Applicant Tracking System-Friendly Resume

Optimizing keywords and effectively formatting your resume is essential for ensuring your document meets necessary ATS requirements and benchmarks. An ATS uses a software algorithm to identify keywords in a resume that align with a company’s job description. Modern ATS tools employers use include Greenhouse, Breezy HR, Workable, BambooHR, and Lever. When formatting an ATS-friendly resume, avoid text boxes and graphics that can distract a human resources (HR) department from reviewing your resume. A simple format with essential keywords improves your chances of passing an ATS system’s standards and landing an interview.

Following are the essential components of an ATS-friendly resume and some guidance for writing a resume that will stand out.

• Contact information
• Profile
• Key skills
• Professional experience
• Education and certifications

Contact information

Include your address, email, phone number, and a website or LinkedIn profile if you developed an online presence. Your name and contact information should appear at the top of your high school resume.

Profile

Your profile is a concise, hard-hitting summary of your skills and success that highlights how you bring value to an organization. Write a succinct, engaging resume profile. Begin with your job title, years of experience, and three to four specializations that align with the job posting’s keywords. In the following sentences, illustrate examples, quantifying your accomplishments with statements that include monetary figures, percentages, data, and metrics.

Key skills

Highlight hard and soft skills using keywords the employer includes in the job description for an ATS-friendly resume.

Common hard and soft skills to include on an ATS-friendly resume

Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs

Action verbs add impact to your experience section, but it’s easy to run short during the resume-building process. It’s also common to overuse words like “accomplished” or “completed.” When writing an ATS-friendly resume, use concise language, avoid the passive voice, and vary your action verbs.

Here is a list of common action verbs for ATS-friendly resumes:

• Collaborate
• Coordinate
• Create
• Drive
• Enhance
• Execute
• Generate
• Grow
• Lead
• Manage

Professional experience

Write a success-driven professional experience section with bullet points that emphasize your career achievements. Include statements that showcase how you deliver value to a company. It’s best to incorporate skills and experiences relevant to the job description for an ATS-friendly resume. But avoid tricking the system by copying passages from the job posting into your resume.

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

Data, metrics, and monetary figures quantify your experience, so include these measures of your success in your ATS-friendly resume. Companies are looking for candidates that will drive results and revenue. Include examples of specific accomplishments and outcomes. For example, if a company seeks a sales-driven professional with a proven track record for generating new leads and you have this experience, state your qualifications and include figures.

Check out our example for a better idea of how to do this:

Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application

Many hiring managers use ATS systems to scour applicants’ resumes for key skills that align with the job description. That lets them focus on only the most qualified candidates. Any effective resume is ATS-friendly. To increase the chances of advancing in the interview process and landing an interview, customize your receptionist resume. Make sure some of the keywords included in the posting appear in your profile, professional experience, and key skills sections.

What if you don’t have experience?

Say you are creating an ATS-friendly resume for any career track but do not yet have job experience. Highlight roles you have served for organizations, clubs, internships, or volunteer experiences. Keep in mind the keywords and capabilities cited in the job description. Or, you might write a resume objective section that shares your intentions for advancing your career, showing hiring managers your commitment to professionalism and continuous learning.

Education and certifications

Detail your educational experience by listing the institution and its location, dates, and the formal name of the degree you earned. If you have certifications such as Microsoft Office Specialist or Certified Business Officer, note this in the Education and Certifications section of your resume. Review the job description carefully and include relevant certifications and education keywords so your resume will be ATS-friendly.

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Applicant Tracking System-Friendly Resume Example

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.