Resume Optimization: Beat the ATS

I've been the hiring manager drowning in resumes. I've been the qualified candidate lost in the noise. Both experiences suck. The question remains: how can I sort through 200+ applications? There are several applicant tracking systems nowadays: Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, iCIMS, Taleo, and the list goes on and on. They're all quite similar and pose a similar problem. Short of looking at these resumes 1x1, how can I possible sort these to have only look at the best resumes first?

Strategy 1

I'll keyword search. I'm looking for a software engineer who writes Java so surely all engineers would put Java on their resume if they knew Java? They wouldn't substitute it for JVM or put "Java Script" throwing a false positive while incorrectly spelling JavaScript.

In addition to Java, I'll add "software engineer" so I don't get baristas who specialize in the other kind of java we all know and love. Hopefully they aren't "software development engineers" or "swe" because both won't show up when searching for the exact string "software engineer".

These 2 keywords net 165 results. I suppose my keywords might not be the only way to go here.

Strategy 2

Filters. Yes, filters are the way. I can filter by years of experience, education, and companies worked. I open the left hand column and think Amazon or ex-Amazon engineers is what I'm after. I hit enter and...4 results. That can't be right? I remove the filter and search for Amazon by keyword: 87 results.

Maybe the filters aren't working quite right or didn't parse the resume exactly, I'll try years of experience. I can't hire someone just finishing their degree, they need at least 4-5 years of experience so I'll put 4+ years of experience: 155 results. I click into the first one to see if I can diagnose to find someone who graduated in 2025 with their CS degree. Their experience, however, includes their college job at the local ice cream shop 4 years ago.

Filters are out and way too unreliable.

Strategy 3

Application questions. I'll confirm everything in the job description with poignant application questions like, "how many years of professional experience do you have?" I craft 5 different questions, all with specific answers needed to make it to the next step.

A few days pass and I recheck the job posting, this time starting from scratch: 170 results. This is great! Not only did it reduce the original applicant pool but these should be perfect matches for what I need. "How many years of experience do you have coding in Java in a professional setting?" with a minimum of 4 years required. I review the first applicant. "Java" nearly no where to be found except the keyword stuffing section of "Technologies" on their resume where they list everything from Mojo and Carbon to Fortran and COBOL. They just went down the application questions and maxed out every one.

These questions won't do either.

Well...how can I adjust as an applicant?!

These are realistic challenges of recruiting and hiring manager teams. The problem usually isn't low applicant volume it's a blend of low applicant quality and it overshadowing high applicant quality. How in the world are you supposed to stand out in a sea of resume noise that dominates your inbox? Here's how:

Reorganize your resume

It's not a biography, it's a marketing tool, a snapshot. It should take the reader 3-seconds to understand exactly who you are at a high level. Your current formatting may be difficult to parse for human eyes and that's a problem. Upload your resume to ChatGPT with this prompt: 'Review this resume for visual hierarchy and readability. What takes longer than 3 seconds to find?'

Remove low value real estate

Your photo in the corner, those "summary" sections obscure your experience with subjective info that is meaningless and often go unread entirely. Even worse, it takes up the most important space on your resume the upper third section. Shrink your name to the font size of the rest of the resume, list your education at the top, and your professional experience to follow. Can't let go of those summaries, language/tech sections, or accomplishments? Put them at the very bottom. Now you give the reader a choice if they made it to the end of your resume and if they're really interested in continuing to read your resume.

Fix format

Resumes should be submitted only in PDF format. Parsing is difficult for most ATS's and standardizing your format will help. Remove BOLD text or highlighted section to avoid clutter and making your resume difficult to read. Limit the number of bullet points you have to 10 or less and decrease the number of bullets for each job the farther back you go.

Follow up

Your resume can only standout so much in a sea of applicants. Tech has its limitations and sometimes it will take some good, old fashioned follow up to get your resume seen by who matters most. Open the job description and use CMD+F to search for who the role reports to. Then, find their email (most email formats like firstname.lastname, etc.) - send them a short, direct follow up and attach your resume. Because your resume is formatted and written so well, they're more inclined to give you a shot.

Closing

TL;dr there's no magic bullet. Applying for jobs hasn't changed much in 25 years but it's the system we're left with. It isn't holding you down or position against you. Even those with the BEST resumes still have to apply (probably) to just as many jobs as you. That's the way this thing goes. Don't lose hope, continue your follow up, and network best you can.

You only need ONE job. The more you submit, the closer you get.