If you're sending out applications and hearing nothing back, there's a 75% chance your resume is being filtered by an Applicant Tracking System before a human ever sees it.
What is ATS?
Applicant Tracking Systems are software tools that scan, parse, and rank resumes before they reach a recruiter's inbox. Every Fortune 500 company uses one. Most mid-size companies do too.
The 7 Mistakes
1. Using tables or text boxes. ATS parsers can't read them. Content disappears.
2. Non-standard section headers. "About Me" instead of "Summary". "Things I've Done" instead of "Experience". ATS doesn't know what to do with creative headers.
3. Missing keywords. Every job description contains implicit keyword requirements. If yours aren't in your resume, you score low.
4. Headers and footers. Contact info in a header? Many ATS systems skip it entirely.
5. Graphics, icons, and photos. ATS reads text. Everything else is noise — or worse, causes parsing errors.
6. Non-standard date formats. "Jan 2022 – Present" is safe. "01/22 to now" might confuse parsers.
7. Wrong file format. DOCX is safer than PDF for most ATS. Check the job posting's instructions.
The Fix
Use a clean, single-column layout. Match the keywords from the job description. Use standard section headers. Save as DOCX unless told otherwise.
Or let Crestion handle it — our resumes are ATS-tested and score 90+ on every major platform.
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