Why an ATS-friendly resume is important

Summary

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  Online applications usually go through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Older systems struggle with fancy formatting.

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  ATS friendly rules:

  • •Black text on white only, no colored text blocks or backgrounds
  • •Single column, multi column layouts (skills sidebars) can be unreadable to some ATS
  • •No images, photos, or infographics
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  Yes, that means a “dull” official resume, that’s intentional for online apply.

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  Optional: keep a second creative version to send directly to a hiring manager once you know who they are.