Applicant tracking systems help employers collect, organize, search, and manage applications, but they do not all evaluate candidates in the same way.
The Quick Answer
An applicant tracking system, commonly called an ATS, is software employers use to collect applications, organize candidate information, and manage the hiring process.
Your goal is not to “beat” the system. Your goal is to submit a resume that the software can process accurately and a hiring professional can understand quickly.
What Is an Applicant Tracking System?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is recruiting software employers use to collect, organize, search, and manage applications throughout the hiring process. Depending on the system and how the employer uses it, an ATS may help recruiters review candidate information, track applicants through hiring stages, and search for specific qualifications.
The software supports the hiring process, but it does not replace the people making hiring decisions. Different employers configure and use these systems differently, which is why there is no single ATS process that applies to every application.
- Publish job openings
- Collect applications
- Store resumes and contact information
- Review application questions
- Organize candidates by hiring stage
- Record interview feedback
- Manage offers and hiring decisions
- Search for specific qualifications
The ATS organizes the process. Recruiters and hiring managers still decide who moves forward.
What Happens After You Apply?
The exact process varies by employer and system, but many applications move through a similar sequence after submission.
Your resume, contact details, and application responses.
Your application is stored as a candidate record containing the information you submitted, such as your resume, contact details, and application responses.
The employer’s process determines what information is requested and how it is used.
Job titles, employers, dates, education, and skills.
The system may extract information from your resume—such as job titles, employers, dates, education, and skills—into searchable fields.
Recruiters can use available information to organize, search, or narrow the applicant pool based on criteria relevant to the position.
Responses to application questions.
Responses to application questions may identify whether you meet certain required qualifications or conditions for the role.
A recruiter, hiring manager, or another member of the hiring team may then evaluate your experience and qualifications.
Interview stages, notes, and status changes.
As you move through the process, your record may be updated with interview stages, notes, status changes, or other hiring information.
Recruiters and hiring managers still decide who moves forward.
The exact process varies by employer. An ATS typically helps organize and manage applications rather than making every hiring decision itself.
Does an ATS Automatically Reject Resumes?
Sometimes, but not in the simple way people often assume. An ATS may help employers apply screening rules based on application responses or required qualifications, but those rules are set by the employer and can vary significantly from one role to another.
For example, an application may be filtered out if a candidate indicates they are not authorized to work in the required location, do not hold a mandatory license, or cannot meet another clearly defined requirement. In other cases, the application may remain available for recruiter review even if it does not appear near the top of a search or filter.
There is no single automatic-rejection process that applies to every ATS or every application.
Does Every Resume Receive an ATS Score?
Some recruiting systems and related tools include matching, ranking, or recommendation features, but there is no universal “ATS score” that every resume receives.
Whether a resume is scored, ranked, filtered, or simply stored depends on the software, the employer’s configuration, and how recruiters choose to use the system. A resume scanner may also generate its own score, but that score should not be treated as a guaranteed prediction of how an employer will evaluate the application.
- Important information placed only in headers or footers
- Text embedded inside images
- Complex tables or multi-column layouts
- Unusual section headings
- Decorative graphics that replace written information
- Inconsistent or difficult-to-read formatting
Use ATS scores as feedback, not guarantees. A third-party score can help identify possible issues, but it cannot tell you exactly how every employer or system will evaluate your resume.
Resume Formatting That Can Cause Problems
Formatting problems can make resume information harder for software to interpret and harder for people to review. The goal is not to create a completely plain document, but to avoid design choices that interfere with clear structure or make important information difficult to extract.
Problems are more likely when key details depend on unusual layouts, decorative elements, or formatting that does not translate cleanly across systems.
- Important information inside images
- Scanned documents without selectable text
- Complex tables
- Text boxes
- Unusual columns
- Contact information placed only in a header or footer
- Decorative graphics containing essential information
- Unusual spacing between letters
A resume can still look polished and distinctive. The safest approach is to make sure the core information, your experience, skills, education, and contact details, remains easy to identify even when the document is viewed or processed in a different system.
What a Machine Readable Resume Should Use
A machine-readable resume does not need to be stripped of all design. It needs a clear structure that allows important information to remain easy to identify when the document is processed, viewed, or searched.
Standard section labels, readable text, consistent formatting, and a logical information hierarchy generally make the document easier for both software and people to understand.
Clear Structure
- Standard section headings
- A clear reading order
- Consistent employment dates
- Simple bullet points
Readable Information
- Selectable text
- Readable fonts
- Recognizable job titles and company names
- Contact information in the main body
The goal is not to design for software at the expense of the reader. A strong resume should remain easy for both systems and hiring teams to navigate.
Should You Submit a PDF or Word Document?
Both PDF and Word files can work well, but the best choice depends on the employer’s instructions and the system being used. A PDF usually preserves the appearance of your resume more consistently, while a Word document may be preferred by some employers or application systems.
The safest approach is to follow the file type requested in the job posting or application portal. If no preference is given, choose a standard format that keeps your resume readable and intact.
- Preserves layout more consistently
- Helps prevent unintended formatting changes
- Commonly accepted by modern application systems
Word Document
- May be specifically requested by an employer
- Can be easier for some systems or recruiters to work with
- Allows formatting to change depending on software or device
Employer instructions should take priority over general rules. If the application asks for a specific file type, use it.
Do Keywords Matter?
Keywords matter because employers and recruiting systems may use specific terms to identify relevant skills, tools, qualifications, and experience. When those terms accurately reflect your background, including them can make the connection between your resume and the role easier to recognize.
Start with the job description and look for language that appears repeatedly or describes qualifications that are clearly important to the position. Then use those terms naturally where they genuinely match your experience.
Job-related skills, Software platforms, Certifications, Licenses, Industry terminology, Technical methods, Core Competencies, Credentials, Relevant job titles, and Industry Tools.
The goal is not to copy the job description word for word. Use relevant terminology to describe experience you actually have, and let the surrounding content provide the evidence.
Bullets, summaries, and skills sections.
Keywords do not replace evidence.
Why Keyword Stuffing Does Not Work
Repeating the same terms over and over does not make a resume more relevant. Keyword stuffing can make the writing sound unnatural, reduce readability, and weaken the credibility of otherwise strong experience.
Keywords are most useful when they appear in context, inside bullets, summaries, and skills sections that show how you actually used the skill or qualification.
Keyword-stuffed version
Salesforce, forecasting, national accounts, sales, CRM, account management.
Clearer version
Managed 120 national accounts using Salesforce to track customer activity, maintain sales forecasts, and identify opportunities for account growth.
Use the terminology employers are looking for, but let your experience support it. A keyword is much more persuasive when the surrounding sentence shows what you actually did with that skill.
Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Artificial Intelligence the Same?
No. An applicant tracking system is a broader recruiting platform used to collect, organize, and manage candidate information. Some ATS platforms may include artificial intelligence or machine-learning features, but the two terms are not interchangeable.
AI-assisted features can vary by system and employer. They may help with tasks such as matching qualifications, surfacing candidates, summarizing information, or supporting recruiter workflows, but the presence and role of those features are not the same in every hiring process.
AI may assist with:
- Candidate matching
- Search or recommendation features
- Resume or profile summarization
- Workflow prioritization
- Recruiting analytics
The practical takeaway is simple: do not assume that “ATS” automatically means “AI,” or that every employer uses the same automated features.
How to Create a Resume for Software and People
A strong resume has to work in two environments at once: it should be structured clearly enough for recruiting software to process and written well enough for a person to quickly understand your qualifications.
In practice, those goals usually support each other. Clear organization, relevant terminology, readable formatting, and specific accomplishments make the document easier for both systems and hiring teams to evaluate.
Use Standard Headings
Use familiar labels such as Professional Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, and Projects.
Make Key Information Easy to Find
Present your name, contact details, experience, and education clearly. Avoid placing essential information only inside images, headers, footers, or text boxes.
Include Relevant Terminology
Use qualifications from the job description when they accurately reflect your experience.
Explain Your Accomplishments
Keywords establish relevance, but accomplishments show the value you created.
Keep the Reading Order Simple
A hiring professional should be able to move through the document without wondering where to look next.
Check the Uploaded Information
Review any fields the system fills automatically and correct inaccurate employment, education, or contact details.
You should not have to choose between an “ATS resume” and a “human resume.” The strongest document is one that communicates clearly to both.
Common ATS Myths
ATS advice is full of oversimplifications. These common myths can make job seekers focus on the wrong problems, or worry about systems that do not work the way they assume.
Every Resume Is Rejected by a Robot
Some applications are screened automatically based on employer-defined rules. Many others are still reviewed by recruiters or hiring managers.
Every Candidate Receives a Universal Score
Some tools offer matching or ranking features, but there is no universal ATS score shared across employers.
You Must Copy the Job Description
Relevant terminology can help, but copying the posting does not prove that you possess the experience.
PDFs Are Always Rejected
Many modern systems accept PDFs. The document should contain selectable text, and the employer’s file instructions should be followed.
A Plain Resume Guarantees an Interview
Readable formatting can reduce technical issues, but it cannot replace relevant qualifications, strong accomplishments, or clear writing.
Your goal is not to “beat” the system. Your goal is to submit a resume that the software can process accurately and a hiring professional can understand quickly.
ATS Resume Checklist
Before submitting your resume, use this checklist to confirm that the document is clear, relevant, and easy for both recruiting software and hiring teams to review.
File and Format
- Follow the employer’s file instructions
- Confirm the text can be highlighted and copied
- Maintain an easy reading order
- Use clear section headings
- Avoid unnecessary graphics and complex formatting
- Keep contact information in the main body
Content and Relevance
- Make employers, job titles, and dates easy to identify
- Include relevant terminology from the job description
- Support that terminology with real experience
- Emphasize accomplishments rather than only duties
- Tailor the resume to the position
Final Review
- Answer every application question carefully
- Review fields completed automatically by the system
- Confirm the resume is easy for a person to scan
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an ATS Read a PDF?
Many modern systems can read properly created PDFs. The document should contain selectable text rather than scanned images. Always follow the employer’s instructions when a preferred file type is listed.
Are Word Documents Better?
Not necessarily. Both Word documents and PDFs can work when they are properly formatted and accepted by the employer.
Do Columns Prevent a Resume From Being Read?
Not every system struggles with columns, but complicated layouts can increase the chance that information is extracted in the wrong order.
Can I Be Rejected for Missing One Keyword?
An employer may require a specific qualification, but there is no universal rule that every resume is rejected for missing one exact word.
Should I List Every Keyword From the Job Description?
No. Include terminology that accurately reflects your experience. Copying the entire posting or adding unrelated skills can damage your credibility.
Is the ATS the Reason I Am Not Getting Interviews?
It may be one factor, but it is rarely the only explanation. Your role alignment, qualifications, accomplishments, competition, timing, and resume clarity can also affect the outcome.
Final Thoughts
Applicant tracking systems are tools that support the hiring process. They can help employers collect, organize, search, and manage applications, but they do not replace the judgment of recruiters and hiring managers.
The most effective approach is not to design a resume around imagined software rules. Focus on making your experience clear, relevant, and easy to understand for both the system processing the document and the person ultimately reading it.
Use these priorities to guide your final review:
- Follow the application instructions
- Use a readable document
- Include relevant terminology
- Describe your experience truthfully
- Show measurable accomplishments
- Make your value easy to understand
You do not need to “beat” the ATS. You need a resume that communicates your qualifications clearly through it.
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