How ATS Works

ATS software turns your resume into text, extracts key fields (titles, dates, skills), and makes you searchable. Many systems support ranking via keyword relevance, but humans still decide who gets interviews.

Step 1: Parsing

ATS converts your resume into structured fields. Clean headings help. Columns/tables can scramble text.

Step 2: Indexing

Your content becomes searchable: “SQL,” “Product Strategy,” “Workday,” etc.

Step 3: Filtering + Shortlists

Recruiters filter by requirements (years, location, skills). Some roles use knockout questions (work authorization, required license).

Step 4: Human review

Humans review the shortlist. ATS gets you seen, not hired.

TL;DR Checklist

  1. Use standard section labels

  2. Keep one-column formatting

  3. Match the role keywords

  4. Quantify impact

FAQ

  • Does ATS “score” resumes?

  • What breaks parsing?

  • Why do job portals ask for resume + manual fields?

  • Is keyword density important?

  • How do recruiters search candidates?

Want to see it in action?

Run Fit Check to see what ATS sees, then optimize in seconds with Perfect Match.

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