You may not be familiar with names like iCIMS, Bullhorn and Ascendify, but these software gatekeepers  decide whether your resume or online application is passed through to a hiring manager or discarded. Commonly referred to by their acronym, ATS, Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) compares submitted resumes and online applications to job postings to determine whether there is a strong candidate match to what the employer is looking for.  Resumes and online applications are stored in a database and recruiters can search submissions using keywords and phrases to identify who to advance through the hiring process based upon applicant rankings. Avoid this one critical mistake so many job seekers make on their resume!

One ATS-unfriendly factor I see on many resumes is not including  contact information at the top of the resume within the content but rather in the header or footer. This single placement error will not only send your resume to the digital circular file but you won’t even receive an automatic status notification if ATS can’t find your contact info. Where you place your contact information is crucial to resume visibility.

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