How to Beat ATS Systems: The Complete 2025 Guide

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) reject 75% of resumes before a human ever sees them. If you've been applying to jobs and hearing nothing back, there's a good chance you're being filtered out by software—not ignored by recruiters.

This guide will show you exactly how ATS systems work, why they reject qualified candidates, and the proven strategies to get your resume through the filter and into human hands.

What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

An Applicant Tracking System is software that companies use to manage job applications. When you submit your resume online, it doesn't go directly to a recruiter—it goes into the ATS first.

The ATS scans your resume, extracts information, and ranks candidates based on how well they match the job description. Only the top-ranked candidates get forwarded to human recruiters.

Key fact: Over 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software. Popular systems include Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever, and iCIMS.

How ATS Systems Scan Your Resume

Understanding how ATS parsing works is the first step to beating it. Here's what happens when you submit your resume:

1. Text Extraction

The ATS converts your resume file into plain text. This is where formatting issues cause problems—tables, columns, headers, footers, and text boxes often get scrambled or lost entirely.

2. Section Identification

The system looks for standard sections: Contact Information, Work Experience, Education, Skills. If you use creative headers like "My Journey" instead of "Experience," the ATS may not recognize them.

3. Keyword Matching

The ATS compares your resume against the job description, looking for matching keywords, skills, and qualifications. The more matches, the higher your score.

4. Ranking

Candidates are ranked by match percentage. Typically, only the top 25% make it to human review. If you're below the threshold, your resume never gets seen.

Why Qualified Candidates Get Rejected

The frustrating truth is that ATS systems aren't smart—they're just pattern-matching software. Here's why good candidates get filtered out:

Missing keywords: You have the skills but used different terminology than the job posting
Poor formatting: Tables, columns, or graphics that the ATS can't parse
Wrong file type: Some older ATS systems struggle with PDFs
Non-standard section headers: Creative labels the ATS doesn't recognize
Keyword stuffing: Newer ATS systems penalize obvious manipulation
Missing information: Gaps in employment or vague job titles

10 Strategies to Beat ATS Systems

1. Mirror Keywords from the Job Description

This is the most important strategy. Read the job posting carefully and include the exact phrases and terminology used.

Example: If the job says "project management," don't just write "managed projects." Include "project management" as a phrase.

Focus on:

Job titles mentioned
Required skills (both hard and soft)
Tools and software named
Industry terminology
Certifications or qualifications

2. Use a Simple, Clean Format

The best ATS resume format is simple:

Single column layout (no tables or columns)
Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman)
Clear section headers (Experience, Education, Skills)
No headers, footers, or text boxes
No images, graphics, or icons
Bullet points for achievements (standard bullets, not fancy symbols)

3. Put Your Job Title in the First Line of Your Summary

Research shows that resumes with the exact job title in the first line of the summary get 10x more callbacks. If you're applying for "Senior Marketing Manager," start your summary with:

"Senior Marketing Manager with 8 years of experience driving brand growth..."

4. Submit as a .docx File (When Possible)

While modern ATS systems handle PDFs well, older systems can struggle with them. When given the choice:

Use .docx for maximum compatibility
If you must use PDF, ensure it's text-based (not a scanned image)
Test by copying text from your PDF—if it doesn't copy cleanly, neither will the ATS

5. Spell Out Acronyms (Then Include the Acronym)

Don't assume the ATS knows that CPA means Certified Public Accountant. Write both:

"Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with expertise in..."

This ensures you match whether the job description uses the full term or the abbreviation.

6. Use Standard Section Headers

Stick to headers the ATS recognizes:

✅ Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
✅ Education
✅ Skills
✅ Certifications
❌ My Journey
❌ What I've Done
❌ Career Highlights

7. Include a Skills Section

A dedicated skills section makes it easy for the ATS to find and match your qualifications. List skills mentioned in the job description first.

Format example:

Skills: Project Management, Agile/Scrum, Microsoft Project, Stakeholder Communication, Budget Management, Risk Assessment, Team Leadership

8. Don't Hide Keywords in White Text

This old trick—adding white text with keywords—no longer works. Modern ATS systems detect this and may automatically reject your resume. It's also considered dishonest if a recruiter discovers it.

9. Quantify Your Achievements

Numbers stand out to both ATS systems and humans. Instead of vague descriptions, use specific metrics:

❌ "Improved sales performance"
✅ "Increased sales revenue by 45% ($2.3M) through strategic account development"

10. Tailor Your Resume for Each Application

Yes, it takes more time. But a generic resume will rarely score high enough to pass ATS filtering. For each application:

Analyze the job description for key requirements
Adjust your summary to match the role
Reorder skills to prioritize what they're looking for
Add relevant keywords you may have missed

How to Test If Your Resume Is ATS-Friendly

Before submitting, test your resume:

Copy-paste test: Copy your resume text into a plain text editor (Notepad). Does it maintain its structure? Is all text present?
Parse test: Use a free ATS simulator to see how your resume gets parsed
Keyword check: Compare your resume side-by-side with the job description. Are the key terms present?

The 60-Second ATS Optimization Hack

If manually optimizing every resume sounds exhausting, that's because it is. The average job seeker applies to 100+ positions. Spending 30 minutes per application means 50+ hours just on resume tailoring.

This is exactly why tools like Themis exist. Themis analyzes job descriptions, extracts keywords, and optimizes your resume automatically—in under 60 seconds. You get an ATS-optimized resume and matching cover letter without the manual work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a creative resume design?

Only if you're applying directly to a hiring manager or the company doesn't use ATS. For online applications, stick to simple formatting. You can have a separate "pretty" version for interviews.

Should I use a resume template?

Yes, but choose wisely. Avoid templates with columns, tables, or graphics. Simple one-column templates work best for ATS.

How many keywords should I include?

There's no magic number. Focus on including all relevant keywords naturally. Keyword stuffing (repeating terms unnaturally) can hurt you.

Do ATS systems read cover letters?

Some do, some don't. It's worth optimizing your cover letter with keywords too, but the resume is the primary document being parsed.

The Bottom Line

Beating ATS systems isn't about tricking software—it's about communicating clearly. Use the language from the job description. Format your resume simply. Include all relevant information in a scannable format.

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for the ATS to understand that you're qualified. Once you get past the robots, you can impress the humans.