We’ve all been there: You find the perfect job opportunity, customize your resume and cover letter, submit your application online, and then pray it will pass the infamous six-second resume review test. Unfortunately, more often than not, your job application is lost in the resume “black hole” and you’re left wondering why the employer wasn’t that into you.
What many job seekers don’t realize is that 75 percent of job applications are rejected before they are seen by human eyes. Before your resume reaches the hands of a live person, it often must pass muster with what is known as an applicant tracking system.
Below is everything you need to know about applicant tracking systems — and what you can do to optimize your resume and beat these bots.
What is an applicant tracking system?
An applicant tracking system — or ATS, for short — is a type of software used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for their open positions.
The applicant tracking system was initially created for large corporations that are accustomed to dealing with several thousand inbound job applications on a weekly basis. Today, approximately 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on ATS software to help streamline their recruitment process. However, what began as a recruitment solution for large employers has turned into a commonplace tool for companies of all shapes and sizes.