First of all, the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a type of software that is used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for job vacancies.

Lingo Africa has put together a few fun facts about the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that all jobseekers should know, so, they can be aware of just how important it is to have a CV/resume that is tailor made to whatever job vacancy they are applying for.

1. The ATS is now mostly used by a lot of companies - both smaller and large. Unlike before, when only big corporations made use of the system.

2. The ATS admits job applicants using job-related keywords. If for instance, you are applying for a job in Human Relations Management, your CV should have skills keywords like Assessed, Identified, Handled, Centralized, Coordinated, Coached, Implemented, Persuasive, Tactful, Innovative, Detail-oriented, Troubleshooter, Resourceful, etc.

3. The ATS does not focus on the most qualified job applicants. Rather, it focuses on removing the least qualified job applicants. So, if your CV/resume is not written with the appropriate use of relevant keywords, you can be removed by the ATS as a least qualified applicant.

4. ATS will identify fancy CV/resume templates as least qualified. So, when preparing your CV/resume, avoid using fancy templates and fancy fonts. Stick with classic templates and classic fonts.

5. Remove all graphics and photos from your CV/resume if you want to successfully scale through the ATS review.

6. Word documents are more compatible with ATS than PDF documents.


Source - Lingo Africa www.lingoafrica.com