What is ATS?

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. The meaning of ATS in recruitment refers to software used by employers and recruiters to manage the hiring process, from receiving applications to tracking candidates through interview stages. Over 99% of Fortune 500 companies and 75% of all employers use some form of ATS for resume screening.

ATS screening is the automated process where the software parses your resume into structured data, extracting information like contact details, work experience, education, and skills. The ATS screening algorithm then ranks candidates based on keyword matches with the job description, required qualifications, and formatting compatibility. Resumes that don't meet the minimum screening criteria are automatically filtered out before a recruiter sees them.

An ATS score above 80% is generally considered good and means your resume closely matches the job requirements. Scores below 60% are likely to be filtered out. The ideal score depends on the specific ATS system and employer settings, but aiming for 80%+ significantly increases your chances of reaching a human recruiter.

The most common reasons ATS reject resumes are: missing keywords from the job description, incompatible file formats or complex formatting (tables, columns, headers/footers), missing standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills), lack of quantified achievements, and using images or graphics that ATS cannot parse.

A single-column layout with standard section headers, no tables or text boxes, simple bullet points, and standard fonts works best. Use PDF or DOCX format. Avoid headers/footers for critical information, fancy graphics, or multi-column designs. Keep section titles standard: Experience, Education, Skills, Summary.

Most modern ATS systems can read PDF files, but only if the PDF contains actual text (not scanned images). A text-based PDF created from Word or a resume builder is ATS-safe. However, PDFs with complex layouts, embedded images, or scanned documents may not parse correctly.

You can use CV-Crafter's free ATS checker to instantly score your resume against ATS criteria. Upload your resume and get a detailed breakdown of keyword matching, formatting issues, and specific suggestions for improvement. No signup required.

While not all companies use ATS, the vast majority do. 99% of Fortune 500 companies, 75% of mid-size companies, and an increasing number of small businesses use ATS. Even if a company doesn't use a full ATS, many use email filters or basic screening tools that work similarly.

The most widely used ATS platforms include Workday, Taleo (Oracle), Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, BambooHR, and SAP SuccessFactors. Each has slightly different parsing algorithms, which is why optimizing for general ATS best practices is more effective than targeting a specific system.

Naturally incorporate keywords from the job description into your experience bullet points, skills section, and summary. Use the exact terms from the job posting. For example, if the job says 'project management,' use that phrase rather than 'managed projects.' CV-Crafter's job-specific tailoring automatically identifies and weaves in the right keywords.