ATS Optimization Guide

Learn how to make your resume ATS-friendly and get past automated screening systems used by 75% of employers.

75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before reaching a human

Don't let your resume get filtered out. Follow this guide to optimize for ATS systems.

What is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by employers to collect, scan, and rank job applications. ATS systems automatically screen resumes for keywords, formatting, and qualifications before a human recruiter ever sees them.

Popular ATS systems include Taleo, Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and iCIMS. Each system has slightly different parsing algorithms, but following ATS best practices ensures your resume passes through any system.

ATS Optimization Checklist

Your ATS Score

0%
Needs Improvement

Check items as you complete them to track your progress.

Formatting

Keywords

Content

Before & After Examples

❌ ATS-Unfriendly

PROFESSIONAL NINJA 🚀

Rockstar developer who crushes code

2020-Now | Tech Startup

• Did lots of cool stuff with computers

• Made things better

• Worked on projects

  • ❌ Non-standard job title
  • ❌ Emojis and special characters
  • ❌ Vague descriptions without keywords
  • ❌ Inconsistent date format
  • ❌ No quantifiable achievements

✅ ATS-Friendly

Senior Software Engineer

Tech Startup | 01/2020 - Present

• Developed full-stack web applications using React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL

• Improved application performance by 45% through code optimization

• Led team of 4 engineers on customer-facing features, increasing user engagement by 30%

  • ✅ Standard job title
  • ✅ Clean formatting, no special characters
  • ✅ Keywords (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL)
  • ✅ Consistent date format (MM/YYYY)
  • ✅ Quantified achievements with metrics

Popular ATS Systems

Taleo

~25% market share

Used by large enterprises and Fortune 500 companies

Workday

~15% market share

Popular for enterprise HR management and recruiting

Greenhouse

~12% market share

Common in tech startups and high-growth companies

Lever

~10% market share

Modern ATS popular with tech companies

iCIMS

~8% market share

Enterprise-level applicant tracking platform

Others

~30% market share

Various smaller ATS providers and custom systems

Build an ATS-Optimized Resume

SimpleCVBuilder's templates are designed with ATS compatibility in mind. Our AI-powered ATS analyzer scores your resume and suggests improvements.