# ATS
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is software that employers use to collect, organize, and filter job applications before a human recruiter ever sees them. Over 97% of Fortune 500 companies and roughly 75% of all mid-size employers use some form of ATS. When you apply online, the ATS reads your resume first--extracting your name, contact info, job titles, dates, skills, and keywords. It then scores your resume against the job description. If your formatting is broken or your keywords don't match, your resume may never reach a human. Understanding how ATS works is the first step to getting your resume seen.
## Deeper Context

How ATS actually processes your resume: Step 1 -- File parsing. The system converts your PDF or Word doc into structured data fields (name, email, phone, experience entries, education, skills). Step 2 -- Section mapping. It identifies standard headings: "Experience," "Education," "Skills," "Certifications." Creative headings like "My Journey" or "What I Know" often get missed entirely. Step 3 -- Keyword extraction and scoring. The ATS compares terms in your resume against the job description. Some systems use exact-match; others use semantic matching. Either way, mirroring the job description's language improves your score. Step 4 -- Ranking. Your resume gets a compatibility score. Recruiters typically review the top 10-20% of scored resumes. Layouts that break parsing include: multi-column designs (ATS reads left-to-right across columns, mixing content), tables (dates and bullets get scrambled), text boxes (sometimes invisible to parsers), headers and footers (some ATS skip these areas entirely), and graphics or icons (ignored completely). The safe approach: single column, standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica), clear section headings, bullet points, and a text-based PDF. Popular ATS systems include Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, Taleo, iCIMS, BambooHR, and SmartRecruiters. Each parses slightly differently, but a clean single-column layout works across all of them. The 7-point ATS checklist: (1) Single-column layout. (2) Standard section headings. (3) No tables, text boxes, or graphics in the body. (4) Keywords from the job description in your experience bullets. (5) Standard fonts at 10-12pt. (6) Text-based PDF or .docx file. (7) Contact info in the document body, not in headers/footers.

## Related Terms

- [ats-friendly](https://foliox.me/glossary/ats-friendly)
- [resume-format](https://foliox.me/glossary/resume-format)
- [resume](https://foliox.me/glossary/resume)
- [resume-keywords](https://foliox.me/glossary/resume-keywords)


## FAQ

### What does ATS stand for?

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System--software employers use to receive, store, and filter job applications before a human recruiter reviews them. Over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use one.

### How do I get my resume past an ATS?

Use a single-column layout, standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills), readable fonts, and bullets that include keywords from the job description. Avoid tables, graphics, text boxes, and multi-column designs. Save as a text-based PDF or Word doc.

### Can ATS read PDF resumes?

Yes, when the PDF is text-based (not a scanned image) and uses a simple single-column layout. Multi-column or heavily designed PDFs often cause parsing errors. If unsure, also prepare a .docx version.

### What are the most common ATS systems?

Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, Taleo (Oracle), iCIMS, BambooHR, SmartRecruiters, and Jobvite are among the most widely used. Each parses resumes slightly differently, but a clean single-column format with standard headings works across all of them.

### Do all companies use ATS?

Almost all mid-size and large companies do--estimates range from 75% to 99% depending on company size. Even many small companies (under 50 employees) use basic ATS or applicant management tools. Assume your resume will be parsed by software unless you're applying directly to a person.

### What percentage of resumes get rejected by ATS?

Industry estimates suggest 70-80% of resumes are filtered out before a human sees them. This isn't always the ATS "rejecting" you--it's often that the resume wasn't formatted correctly for parsing, or didn't contain enough matching keywords to score highly.

---

Canonical URL: https://foliox.me/glossary/ats
Markdown twin: https://foliox.me/glossary/ats.md