Tips to Avoid Ats Resume Errors

I reviewed 547 resumes for a Data Scientist role on my team and found that 53 had parsing issues with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Here’s what I observed and some practical solutions: Problem 1: ATS Struggles with 'Modern' Resume Styles 9 resumes were blank or had no content. I believe this is due to: 🔸 These resumes often used fancy Word templates with two-column layouts. For example, one column had contact details, education, and skills, while the other had work experience.  I believe we can avoid this by 🔹 using a simple, clean formatting (LaTeX works well for this) 🔹 submitting resumes in PDF format rather than Word documents 🔹 sticking to a one-column layout to ensure clarity 🔹 maintaining consistent margins (minimum 0.5 inches) and line spacing (1.0 minimum) Problem 2: Distorted Content 44 resumes were harder to read. I believe this is due to: 🔸 Use of icons, images, charts, tables, or colors 🔸 "Justify" text alignment, which creates inconsistent word spacing 🔸 Fonts with ligatures (e.g., "fi", "fl", “ft”, etc), where letters merge and confuse the ATS (e.g., "artificial" becoming "arti cial") 🔸 Special characters like apostrophes (') and ampersands (&) may not render correctly I believe we can avoid this by  🔹 using fonts like Arial or Calibri and avoid italics 🔹 disabling ligatures: In Word: Select the text, go to Text Effects -> Ligatures -> None In LaTeX Option 1: Use the microtype package to disable ‘f-ligatures’: \usepackage{microtype}  \DisableLigatures[f]{encoding = *, family = *} Option 2: Globally disable ligatures with: \input{glyphtounicode}  \pdfgentounicode=1 🔹 using “Left Align” instead of “Justify” for text alignment 🔹 spelling out “and” instead of using the ampersand (&) Note: In my experience, ATS systems are tools for coordinating applications and do not auto-reject resumes based on formatting. Auto-rejections occur when specific rules are set by the hiring team, such as answering “no” to a key question like, “Do you have 5+ years of experience with R?” Be cautious of services that sell “ATS-compatible” resume templates or promise better ATS scores. These services may intentionally lower your scores to sell their premium services. It’s best to focus on clear, simple formatting and content that aligns with the job description. #resume #ats

Just talked to a candidate who sent his resume to the same company 2xs —zero response. I ran it through my ATS to see what was going on… His name came through as a job title. His phone number showed up as his email. His school? Apparently now his first name. That’s what happens when your resume is full of columns, headshots, graphics, and “fancy” formatting. Applicant Tracking Systems can't read that stuff! Format your resume like you’re using a typewriter—if you even know what that is. (I'm old enough to!) Plain white background. Black text. That’s it. If you're not hearing back from real humans, this might be why. End of rant. PSA done. 😁 #ResumeTips #ATS #Recruiting #SkilledTrades #JobSearch

After reviewing thousands of resumes throughout my career, I’ve noticed common mistakes that hold job seekers back. One of the biggest trends right now? Over-reliance on AI. AI tools can be a great starting point. They help with formatting, ATS optimization, and save time. But when candidates don’t take the time to proofread or customize their resumes, recruiters immediately notice. A generic, AI-generated resume won’t set you apart, it will blend in. Another misstep? Trying to “hack” ATS systems with tactics like white ink keyword stuffing. Not only does this not work (since modern ATS software reformats the text), but it risks making your resume unreadable if a human reviewer does see it. At the end of the day, your resume’s goal isn’t just to get past software. It’s to engage the person making the hiring decision. Clarity, strategy, and relevance matter. In my latest carousel, I break down the five most common resume mistakes and how to fix them. Take a look, and if you need a professional audit of your resume, reach out. #ResumeTips #CareerCoaching #JobSearchSuccess

I used a resume five years ago, which got multiple auto-generated rejections from companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Deloitte, Meta, and more 🛑 I'm sharing this with everyone here as an example of mistakes you SHOULDN'T make when crafting your resume. Find a list of everything that was wrong with my resume and solutions for it👇🏻 🚫 Having more than one page in my resume despite being new to the job market. It looked unnecessarily cluttered. 🛠 Your resume shouldn't be longer than 1-2 pages if you have less than ten years of professional experience. Confused? Follow this formula: one page = every ten years of experience. 🚫 A lengthy summary that did not align with my work experience. 🛠 Your summary should cover your brightest career moment or contain a short and catchy summary of your expertise and what you bring to the table if hired. 🚫 Did not use an ATS-compliant template. 🛠 Basic guidelines to follow up would be: avoiding the sidebar, removing any images or infographics, and making sure all the necessary sections are present (Education, Experience, Skills, etc) 🚫 Too many bullet points for each work experience. 🛠 Only add relevant points and optimize them to include keywords from the job description to justify your fit for the role. 🚫 Lack of relevant keywords. 🛠 Optimize your resume to align it with the job description. This might get a little tricky, but it gets easier with practice. My favorite trick: read the job description carefully and make sure to include some of the keywords from it on your resume. Don’t overdo it though! 🚫 Contains irrelevant personal information while missing LinkedIn address. 🛠 Information like nationality, gender, complete residential address, etc., is not required on the resume. Also, ALWAYS add your LinkedIn profile address. If you don’t have time to update a resume yourself or are looking for an affordable, ATS-optimized, professionally written one, give Careerflow.ai's AI Resume Builder a try: https://lnkd.in/drNZrQkX Even if you are not actively looking for a job, it is wise to invest some time in keeping your resume up to date. Here is why: - Prepares you for the interview. Most employers will use your resume as a guideline when they interview you. Therefore, they will ask you to explain in detail many of the statements you have made in your resume. - Organizes you. You are preparing a resume that forces you to assess your skills. This, in turn, will help you evaluate the many employment options open to you. It will also help you plan an effective job search campaign. Did you find this helpful?👇🏻 ❌❌ Just maximize it to get a better view ❌❌ Let's help each other by adding the right value🤝 If you liked this content, ♻️ repost this and follow Nikita Gupta

These common mistakes are sending your resume straight to the "no" pile 🙅 I've been doing free resume reviews in my Discord for a couple months now and I'm seeing very qualified, very talented people make some rookie mistakes that may be costing them interviews. 💸 Look, we have all done it before. It's hard to be a good job seeker and editor at the same time. So not trying to throw shade. 🛋️ I've gathered the data and I'm here to help. 💻 ⬇️ 1️⃣ Check your spelling. And then check it again. Even minor accidents like "Riot Game's" 🚫 being changed to "Riot Games" ✅ could help you pass screening and get in the queue. 2️⃣ No more fancy formatting. 🚫 🎨 Your designs, however commendable they are, are not getting through digital screening and a company's ATS. Which could be a good thing, because that's more time you can spend making sure that you are adjusting your content for the role your applying for. 3️⃣ Put the role you're applying for in your headline. If you're applying for a "Unity Programmer" role, you're headline should at least read that 🙂 , or even something more exciting like "Senior Unity Programmer | Optimizing Gameplay Systems." 😄 It's a surefire signal to the person reading it that you are exactly what they are looking for. 4️⃣ Ditch that "seeking to" language. Far too often I'll see resumes that state what a candidate is aspiring to do in their next role instead of stating what they are capable of. 💪 An employer hires based on skills, experience and successes that are already in play. They can't bank on you hoping to get somewhere, so just leave it out. 5️⃣ Always include results. 🎯 If you have a bullet if your experience section, always, ALWAYS talk about what you achieved. This can be a business result or an operational result and remember, numbers 🔢 always get more attention. The video game industry is super competitive, so we just need to be better competitors. Keep farming for knowledge 🧙♂️ and you'll never be feeding. #careerhelp #resumehelp #jobsearch #gamingcareers