Question 1

What Is an ATS Resume Checker?

Accepted Answer

Many large companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software to filter through high volumes of job applications.

An ATS resume checker, uses software to evaluate your resume for keywords and formatting. It helps you get more interviews by optimizing your resume by including relevant keywords in the job description, thus presenting you as a more qualified candidate, so that you will make it past an ATS screening to be seen by human eyes.

How Does It Work?

An ATS will scan your resume for relevant keywords, skills, job titles, education, and experience that match what the hiring company is looking for. The system assigns a score based on how well your resume aligns with the job posting.

The higher your score, the more likely your resume will make it to the next round of consideration.

Often, it will also give you detailed feedback and let you know the necessary adjustments you need to achieve an ATS-friendly resume.

Why Does It Matter?

According to recent surveys by industry experts, up to 75% of resumes never make it past an ATS screening and into the hands of hiring managers. That means a human hiring manager may never even see your resume if it's not optimized for the application tracking system.

An ATS-friendly resume that scores highly can help ensure your resume makes it into the right hands and stands out amongst the sea of job seekers and also help you leave a good impression.

Question 2

Why You Need to Use an ATS Resume Checker

Accepted Answer

If you’ve applied for a job recently, chances are your resume was screened by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These handy tools help potential employers handle the influx of applications by automatically evaluating resumes.

The problem is, many resumes don’t make it past the ATS due to missing keywords.

Your resume needs to be ATS-friendly

To get picked up by an ATS, your resume should contain relevant keywords from the job listing. The ATS scanner looks for relevant keywords from the job posting to determine if you’re a good match for the role. If it can’t find enough matches, your resume may be rejected before a human even sees it.

Using an online resume checker allows you to optimize your resume for any ATS. You just enter the text from the job listing, and the tool will analyze your resume to ensure it contains enough relevant keywords and has an ATS-friendly layout. Things like clear section headings, a simple font, and lack of tables or images help the ATS read and score your resume.

An ATS score impacts your chances

Most ATS systems give resumes an overall score to rank candidates. The higher your score, the more likely you are to be considered for an interview.

By running your resume through an resume score checker before applying, you can get an estimate of your ATS score for that role and make improvements to get a higher score and increase your chances of ranking higher.

While ATS software aims to evaluate candidates objectively, it isn’t perfect. Using AI resume checker tools is the best way to ensure your resume has the strongest chance of making it past the initial screening so you can get in front of human eyes. With the job market more competitive than ever, you need every advantage to land your dream job in your job search journey.

Question 3

How does an ATS resume checker work?

Accepted Answer

ATS resume checkers will perform resume checks on the content of resume for keywords that are relevant for a specific job listing.

They evaluate things like:

• Keyword density: The number of relevant keywords and phrases for a job listing. The more matches, the higher your score.

• Keyword proximity: How close relevant keywords are to each other. Closer is better.

• Consistent formatting: ATS software prefers simply formatted resumes with clear section headings.

• No tables or images: Most ATS scanners can’t read tables, images or charts. Only include text.

Based on these factors, an ATS resume checker will provide you with a detailed analysis of your resume through a score and suggestions for improving your resume for that job posting to increase your odds of getting into the hiring process.

The higher your score, the more likely you are to make it past the ATS screening.

Question 4

How to Use Our Free ATS Resume Checker

Accepted Answer

Upload your resume

To get started, simply upload your new resume to our free ATS resume scanner in PDF, DOC or DOCX format.

Our AI will perform an ATS scan the content of your resume and compare it to the job title and job description you provide to check for any missing keywords or phrases.

Copy and paste the job description

Next, copy and paste the job description of the job posting you’re interested in. The job description will allow our artificial intelligence to determine what keywords and qualifications the hiring company and ATS are scanning for.

Get instant results and recommendations

Within seconds, our Free ATS Resume Checker will perform a free resume review for relevant keywords against our list of curated keywords. It also uses AI (artificial intelligence) to automatically perform a resume analysis and provide an instant ATS compatibility score on a scale of 0 to 100.

You’ll also get instant feedback in a detailed report of recommendations for specific keywords and missing keywords to add to your resume content to improve your score.

Revise your resume

Consider the recommendations and make the necessary changes to your resume according. Even small tweaks like rewording your job title and adding the missing keywords can make a big difference (but do not lie!) and give you a higher score. Be sure to keep your resume concise and avoid keyword stuffing.

Question 5

Are ATS resume checkers free to use?

Accepted Answer

Most of the best resume checkers are not free to use. Although they allow you to create a free account, the free service is usually limited in capabilities or number of resume checks.

This is why we build this online tool as a free service so that you can scan your resume against a specific job listing and provides an overall resume score and suggestions for optimization. With a simple user-friendly interface, it's easy to use and provides helpful, actionable feedback to help you make a good resume.

Question 6

Are ATS resume checkers worth using?

Accepted Answer

Yes, free resume checkers are worth taking advantage of.

They can help ensure your existing resume makes it into the right hands by providing an objective analysis of how ATS-friendly your resume is for a specific position. Using a checker is an easy way to access your resume's effectiveness, ensuring it adhere to best practices and industry standards, thus improving your chances of landing an interview.

And with free options available, there's no good reason not to use it to improve the ATS readability of your resume - you have nothing to lose and potentially more interviews to gain.

Question 7

What is an ATS Score?

Accepted Answer

An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) resume score is a numerical assessment assigned by automated ATS software that evaluates your resume’s ATS compatibility with a specific job description. This score is crucial in the modern hiring process, as it determines whether your resume progresses to the next stage of resume review by human recruiters.

The Function of an ATS Score

The primary function of an ATS resume score is to streamline the recruitment process by filtering out unqualified applicants. When you submit your resume, the ATS software scans it for key elements such as relevant keywords, job-specific skills, educational background, and professional experience. The system then calculates your resume's score based on how well your resume matches these criteria.

A ATS-friendly resume with a higher score will be brought to the attention of hiring managers and potential employers first.

Importance of Keywords

Having relevant keywords play a pivotal role in determining your ATS score. These are specific terms and phrases related to the specific job posting, often found in the job description itself. Including these right keywords in your resume ensures that the ATS recognizes you as one of the qualified candidates for the role.

For example, if the job description emphasizes "project management" and "team leadership," incorporating these terms can significantly boost your overall score.

Thus, keyword optimization to add in missing keywords is the best way to increase your resume's score during the ATS scan.

Question 8

Why is my ATS​ Score low?

Accepted Answer

A low ATS (Applicant Tracking System) resume score can be a significant barrier to securing job interviews. Several factors might contribute to this issue, and understanding them can help you optimize your resume for better results.

One of the most common reasons for a low ATS resume score is missing keywords. If your resume lacks the right keywords and phrases that match the job description, the ATS may not recognize your qualifications. To improve your ATS score, you need to do a keyword optimization and carefully review the specific job posting and incorporate relevant keywords throughout your resume.

Question 9

Why is ATS rejecting my resume?

Accepted Answer

Incompatible formatting

Many times, the ATS can’t actually “read” your resume because the formatting is incompatible. The ATS is programmed to scan for the necessary information in a simple format, like a basic Word doc or Google Docs with minimal formatting.

Using fancy fonts, tables, images or columns will confuse the system and cause it to skip over important details. Stick to a clean, straightforward layout and font for the best results.

Lack of relevant keywords

The ATS searches for specific skills, job titles, certifications and other keywords that match the position. If your resume is missing these necessary information, it may get passed over. Carefully read the job posting and note any keywords, then add them prominently to your resume where appropriate. You can include keywords in your resume summary, job title, work experience descriptions and the skills section.

Question 10

How do I make sure my resume passes ATS?

Accepted Answer

The best way to optimize your resume is to focus on making a ATS-friendly resume that is simple, relevant and optimized for keywords.

Tailor your resume for each position

Incorporate relevant keywords from the listing throughout your resume, especially in the Work Experiences section.

Avoid using complex resume templates

While templates may look nice, they often contain hidden formatting and tables that confuse ATS. This will cause parsing issue during the ATS scan.

Also, stick to a simple, clean, standard font and readable font size of approximately 12.

Save your resume as a .pdf file

Choose a ats-friendly resume file type such as PDF to preserve all formatting. Word documents (especially those exported from Google Docs) can sometimes become distorted when parsed through an ATS. PDFs display consistently across systems.

Use strong action verbs and quantify your key accomplishments

Rather than just listing job duties, emphasize key wins and measurable impacts.

For example, say "Developed a mobile app used by 50,000 users" rather than "Built a mobile app."

Keep your resume concise and focused, ideally one page

While ATS can scan longer resumes, recruiters prefer shorter ones.

Use clear section headings like “Professional Experience,” “Skills,” “Education,” and “Awards and Honors.”

Proofread carefully to ensure there are no errors before applying

While ATS scans for keywords, recruiters will review your resume next and errors make a poor impression.

For example, ensure you added the correct contact information - too many applicants are screened out because it's wrong!

Question 11

Do PDF resumes pass an ATS?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is yes, PDF resumes can absolutely pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Many major ATS systems are designed to accurately parse and read PDF files. As long as your PDF resume is formatted clearly without too many fancy design elements, the ATS should have no problem scanning and extracting the information.

Land More Interviews With Our FREE ATS Resume Checker

How it works

Upload Your Resume

Copy and Paste The Job Description

Get Recommendations to Optimize Resume

Check Your Resume Score

What Is an ATS Resume Checker?

How Does It Work?

Why Does It Matter?

Why You Need to Use an ATS Resume Checker

Your resume needs to be ATS-friendly

An ATS score impacts your chances

How does an ATS resume checker work?

How to Use Our Free ATS Resume Checker

Upload your resume

Copy and paste the job description

Get instant results and recommendations

Revise your resume

Are ATS resume checkers free to use?

Are ATS resume checkers worth using?

What is an ATS Score?

The Function of an ATS Score

Importance of Keywords

Why is my ATS​ Score low?

Why is ATS rejecting my resume?

​Incompatible formatting

Lack of relevant keywords

How do I make sure my resume passes ATS?

Tailor your resume for each position

Avoid using complex resume templates

Save your resume as a .pdf file

Use strong action verbs and quantify your key accomplishments

Keep your resume concise and focused, ideally one page

Proofread carefully to ensure there are no errors before applying

Do PDF resumes pass an ATS?

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