Never Hearing Back After Submitting Your Resume? Check if it's ATS-friendly!
If you feel like you're just tossing your resume into black holes and never hearing back, or getting declined quickly - you'll want to make sure your resume is ATS-friendly.
ATS what??
ATS stands for 'Applicant Tracking System' and is computer software that many organizations use to screen your resume before getting to the recruiter. It's used to sort, scan, and rank job applications. This is a more efficient way for large companies to get through the thousands of resumes they are sent for job openings!
Although you may have never heard of this, it doesn't have to be an intimidating thing. You probably just need to make a few tweaks to make your resume more computer bot friendly.
Here are some tips to make your RN resume ATS-friendly so you make it into the recruiters hands:
- Select the right file type for your resume
- Prior to submitting your resume, you'll want to be sure it's in an ATS-friendly format that the computer bots can easily read. Always follow directions and upload your resume to the file type that is requested. But - if nothing is specified you could use .doc or .docx
- Uploading as a PDF document also works, and preserves your formatting perfectly
- Another option is a plain-text file such as .txt
- Avoid pictures and graphics
- Truly, it's best to avoid any visuals at all on your resume. Focus on your content, not being pretty. Bots get confused and can't read the pictures. This includes sticking to simple bullet points, not anything fancy.
- Speaking of bullet points...
- Bullet points are a great way to format your resume to make it more readable, and easier to scan. Avoid tables and columns too. You want to keep things simple and clean.
- Use a basic font
- Although you may love a pretty, cursive-y font, the ATS does not. Stick with standard fonts. Calibri, Georgia, Cambria, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma - you know, the boring ones!
- Check you keywords
- Does the job description state specific skills or experience that is required? Use some of these keywords throughout your resume to show that you meet these minimum requirements. Making small adjustments to the language you use can make a difference on whether you are passed through or not.
- Spell things out
- Avoid using acronyms. And if you do, also type out the entire word below or next to it. For example, you can include 'RN' in your job experience, but also put 'Registered Nurse' next to it. Or under certifications, actually type out 'Basic Life Support' instead of just BLS.
- Use standard headings
- No need to be creative here. Keep things basic with simple headings.
- 'Work Experience' 'Education' 'Volunteer Experience'
There you have it! A few simple tips to make your resume more ATS-friendly to get in front of an actual human.
P.S. If you get a rejection email the same day that you apply - it may be worth resubmitting your resume in a different format. Or making some of these tweaks and sending it back through again. Odds are the ATS didn't like something and you never even made it to a recruiter!
