Don’t let the requirements scare you.

One of the greatest concerns candidates have when applying to jobs is that they don’t 100% match the qualifications listed in the job description. Perhaps they’re missing a year or two from the “necessary” years of experience. This prevents many applicants from applying to jobs in the first place. Keep in mind many things may account for experience and highlight relevant and/or transferrable skills, including an advanced degree, leadership and management experience, and volunteerism. For many companies, the expectation isn’t that you’re a 100% match, so missing a skill or two isn’t likely to knock you out of the running.

Use keywords.

The job description is the best source for keywords, so use it to customize your resume. Start by reviewing the job qualifications and responsibilities, then highlight any critical hard or soft skills listed. Once you have a robust list, revisit your resume and ensure as many of those keywords are incorporated in your resume.

Applicant Tracking Systems are designed to match candidates to positions based on what percentage of words from their resume align with the words from the job description. To increase your percentage, be sure to use the same wording as the job description. For example, if the requirement is for a “Professional Project Management Certification,” make sure your resume states “Professional Project Management Certification,” and not “PMP certified.”

DOA (Don’t Overuse Acronyms).

Anytime you have an acronym, spell out what the acronym means, then place the shortened version in parentheses after, regardless of how common an acronym is. Applicant Tracking Systems may not catch acronyms alone, which means your resume could be the other DOA (Dead on Arrival).

Keep the format simple.

You may think your resume will stand out if you use graphics, boxes and other fancy design elements, but simple is truly the way to go. An ATS may not be able to recognize any content other than words and numbers. It is also important to use a standard font like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Courier. Finally,  it is better to send your resume as a Word document or in rich text format instead of a PDF, as scanners can miss some content in a PDF.

Spell check and proofread.

We’re not joking when we say that a single spelling mistake can be enough to exclude your resume. While a person may be able to figure out the misspelled word, an ATS will not be able to recognize a misspelling and your resume may be eliminated from the process. Spell check doesn’t catch all errors so make sure you check, recheck and have someone else check your resume before you submit it.