You followed every tip. Resume polished. Achievements quantified. Cover letter personalized. Application sent, confident, maybe even excited.
Then… nothing. No call. No email. No sign that your application was ever seen.
If you’ve experienced this digital silence, it’s not just you and it’s not just bad luck. In today’s hiring landscape, your first gatekeeper isn’t a recruiter. It’s a robot.
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software used by over 99% of Fortune 500 companies to scan, filter, and rank resumes. They’re designed to make the hiring process more efficient, but if you don’t know how they work, you’ll be one of the three out of four candidates who get filtered out before a recruiter even sees their application.
Fortunately, cracking the ATS code isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about speaking its language.
1. Keywords Aren’t Optional - They’re Essential
An ATS works like a search engine. It’s scanning for specific keywords related to the job.
If the job description says “project management” and “budget tracking,” your resume needs those exact phrases – not “oversaw projects” or “handled finances.”
2. Formatting Can Make or Break You
Fancy design may look great to you, but ATS bots hate it.
Avoid:
Tables and columns (they confuse parsing software)
Graphics or icons
PDFs (unless the job posting specifically allows them)
Stick with:
A clean, single-column layout
Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
A Word (.docx) file format when in doubt
3. Use Standard Headings
Think of your resume like a data file. The ATS scans for sections like:
- Work Experience
Education
Skills
Certifications
If you rename these sections to “My Journey” or “Things I’ve Learned,” the system might not recognize them and important info gets skipped.
4. Tailor, Tailor, Tailor
One-size-fits-all resumes don’t work anymore. Each role likely has slightly different keywords and priorities.
📌 Pro tip: Create a master resume, then tailor a new version for each application based on the job description.
5. Soft Skills Don’t Help You Pass the ATS
Saying you’re “hardworking” or “a team player” won’t boost your rank.
Instead, focus on quantifiable achievements:
✅ “Increased lead conversion by 23% through CRM optimization.”
✅ “Led 12 cross-functional projects with $2.4M budget responsibility.”
This not only helps with ATS ranking, but also stands out to recruiters.
6. Optimize Your Skills Section
Many ATS filters look at your Skills section to match you to a role.
📋 Make sure yours includes:
Hard skills (e.g. Python, Salesforce, SQL, Agile)
Certifications (e.g. PMP, SHRM-CP)
Tools (e.g. Figma, Asana, Tableau)
Don’t list soft skills like “Leadership” here – it waters down the match.
The Bottom Line
Getting past the ATS isn’t about “tricking” the system. It’s about speaking its language. That means clear formatting, the right keywords, and a tailored approach.
Because once you make it past the machine, you get to the human and that’s where the real opportunity begins.
News: Enfue featured on Tuổi Trẻ News: The Dream of a “Vietnamese LinkedIn” →