How To Write An Impressive ATS-Friendly Resume in 2025! A Guide To Applicant Tracking Systems!

hey does your resume feel outdated or invisible in today's job market are you tired of applying for jobs only to be rejected or completely ghosted well don't worry because in this episode you'll learn how to transform your resume in just minutes with five proven ATS friendly resumé hacks that work and stick around because I'm sharing a few of my signature AI powered prompts to help you streamline the entire resumé writing process plus a special one time link to the first 20 people to join me inside of our most popular career resource the career advancement toolkit

hey if you're new here I'm Heather Austin a university Professor turned entrepreneur and I love turning complex job search tasks into simple actionable strategies you can use right away so if you're ready to dive into this episode make sure you tap that like button and subscribe to this channel if you're tuning in on YouTube and for our podcast listeners a quick Reading and Review on your favorite podcast platform would mean the world to us now before I dive into five super simple ATS friendly resumé hacks that can help you land more interviews and better job

offers let's quickly break down what the ATS actually is now it's a tool that scans it sorts it ranks and it filters resumés based on specific criteria most companies rely on these systems to save them time time to help them streamline the hiring process and to identify the best candidate but here's the catch even if you're the perfect fit for the job if your resume isn't optimized for the ATS it might never get seen by human eyes so let's make sure your resumé passes these filters and lands where it matters most right in front of

the hiring manager now let's kick things off with step number one and that is to Showcase your target job title and key skills your rume first first impression matters and it all starts with the top part so to immediately capture attention start by placing the exact job title you're applying for right at the top of your resume just below your contact information this simple tweak instantly tells recruiters you're aligned with the position next add a power packed Trio of key skills right beneath the headline these are skills pulled directly from the job description for example

let's say you're applying for a senior business analyst position your key skills might be something like data analysis stakeholder management and process Improvement now if you're struggling to pinpoint the most important key skills let AI do the heavy lifting for you using either chat GPT or Google Gemini you can ask something like hey can you identify the top five to 10 key words and skills from this job description you'll then paste the job description and your AI assistant will analyze it highlighting the key skills that matter most now don't stress if you're not a master

of every skill listed employers value problem solving and the ability to adapt quickly so highlight skills you are familiar with and confident that you can build on it's all about showcasing your potential to grow into the position now here's the cool thing inside the career advancement toolkit you'll find our career experts and template Vault with over 75 templates to help you with your resume your cover letter your LinkedIn profile interview responses and followup plus essential AI prompts for job Seekers so the first 20 people to use the link in the description of this video or

in the show notes of this podcast can snag the toolkit for over 60% off which leads us to step number two and that is to turn your resume into a highlight reel now this is where you make the ATS see that you're not just a good choice but the best choice your resume should be more than just a list of jobs it really needs to be a compelling highlight reel of your professional achievements so the key is to be selective only showcasing the skills and the experiences that closely match the job you're applying for and

of course cutting out anything else that doesn't add value so I want you to start by focusing on your most recent and relevant roles highlight each position with bullet points that feature the keywords and skills you identified earlier now remember relevance is King it's easy to want to list everything especially if you have a long work history if it doesn't align with the job you're targeting it's just noise to the ATS for each role craft bullet points that tell a story of impact did you drive Revenue growth did you streamline a process lead cross functional

teams always quantify your achievements where possible to add credibility and context for instance instead of writing managed project timelines you could say something like managed project timelines reducing delivery time by 30% and saving 50k annually now if you need help making these bullet points pop let chat GPT or Google Gemini be your co-writer draft your initial bullet points then prompt your AI assistant with something like hey can you refine these bullet points to highlight impact and results by leveraging AI you can ensure your bullet points are not just descriptive but impactful and results driven remember

the goal is to make every line count and paint a vivid picture of your professional Journey that resonates with both the ATS and the recruiter who will eventually read your resume moving on to step three and that is to optimize your layout for quick scanning so formatting your resume for the ATS is crucial it's all about presenting your information in a way that's easy for these systems to read and process if your resume isn't formatted correctly it might not even make it past the initial scan meaning you could miss out on opportunities before you even

get started so first things first Simplicity is key complex Graphics tables and fancy design elements might look impressive but they can confuse the ATS causing it to misread or skip important details so stick to straightforward formatting bullet points clear headings and standard text alignment choose a professional like Cambria calibri or Ariel avoid anything decorative or hard to read and keep the font size to at least an 11 point to ensure both the ATS and recruiters can easily digest your information remember readability is the priority your resumé structure should include the standard sections like your contact

information your professional summary work experience Education and Training and of course any other skills you also want to use clear conventional titles like work experience rather than creative ones like my career highlights as the ATS might not recognize unconventional headings and could misplace crucial content you also want to align your text to the left and use consistent formatting with your dates your locations and your job titles this keeps your resume organized and ensures the ATS can accurately parse your information without errors you can save your resume using either a do doc which is word or

a plain PDF format also avoid using images special characters or embedded Graphics within your file because these elements can disrupt the ats's ability to scan and interpret your resume correctly remember the goal is Clarity and functionality by sticking to clean organized formatting you ensure that your resume isn't just ATS compliant but also easy on the eyes of the recruiter who will actually be making the final call now step four of writing your ATS friendly resume is to Leverage The Power of keywords to optimize your resume so keywords are your resume's secret weapon they're the specific

skills abilities and experiences that the ATS is actually programmed to prioritize I want you to think of them as the essential ingredients that really help your resume past the initial screening but the challenge is identifying the right keywords for each job you're applying to and using them strategically start by diving into the job description I want you to think of this document as your blueprint for what the employer values most pay close attention to the skills the qualifications and of course specific terms that the employer uses multiple times or emphasizes for example are they seeking

someone with datadriven decision-making skills or maybe they need someone skilled in cross functional team leadership or process optimization the goal is to mirror the exact language from the job description because this is the language that the ATS is programmed to detect here's a quick hack to speed up the process use chat GPT or Google Gemini again to help you tailor your resume and the keywords you're using for the position so you can ask something like hey can you help me better tailor my resume for this position or you could even say something like based on

the job description which which of my skills and experiences should I highlight but don't just scatter these keywords randomly throughout your resume instead weave them into your bullet points and accomplishments in a way that feels natural and impactful for example if process Improvement is a key skill don't just list it as a buzzword instead bring it to Life by saying something like implemented process improvements that reduced project turnaround time by 30% enhancing team productivity I really want you to think of your resume as a narrative that showcases your professional Journey Guided by these crucial keywords

now each bullet point should not only reflect your skills but also demonstrate the results you've achieved by using those skills let the keywords guide your storytelling you want to show how you've applied these skills to make a difference in past roles Now by thoroughly integrating keywords into your resume you're not just off optimizing for the ATS right you're also creating a compelling case for why you're the best candidate for the position if this is all coming together for you you might want to consider joining us in the career advancement toolkit it comes packed with templates

video lessons instructions and guides to help you streamline every part of your job search like your resume your LinkedIn profile your cover letter and even your job interview strategy be one of the first 20 people to use the link in the description below this video or in the show notes of this podcast to snag the toolkit for over 60% off finally step number five is the Personal Touch This is where you really want to show your personality so this step is actually a GameChanger at the end of the day it's people not machines who make

the final decision on your application even though your resume must be ATS optimized to pass that first hurdle it also needs to resonate deeply with the humans who will read it afterward this is where your ability to tell your professional story truly matters so throughout your resume use language that goes beyond listing achievements it should really evoke your professional Journey your bullet points shouldn't just be a collection of numbers and facts even though those are important they also need to tell a compelling narrative that reflects the impact that you've had so when you describe an

achievement consider how it felt felt what you learned how it contributed to the bigger picture this doesn't mean writing long paragraphs but it does mean choosing words that breathe life into your experiences here's an example of what I'm talking about instead of something like let a team to improve project delivery you want to bring the experience to life you can say something instead like spearheaded a high impact team project streamlining processes that cut delivery time by 30% boosting client satisfaction and energizing team morale so do you see the difference this approach infuses your work with

energy and connects on a human level and remember your resume isn't just about ticking boxes for the ATS it's about establishing a connection with your future colleagues and mentors your professional narrative should make the reader think hey this is someone who can bring value passion and personality to our team now which of these resume hack do you think will make the biggest difference for you drop your thoughts below this video or DM me on LinkedIn to let me know that you made it this far in the episode and if you're interested in joining me inside

the career advancement toolkit be one of the first 20 people to snag the toolkit for 60% off you can use the link in the description below this video or in the show notes of this podcast episode now if you found this episode helpful don't forget to tap the like button and subscribe to to this channel below if you're on YouTube or if you're a podcast listener take just a few seconds to give us a rate and review and I'll see you in the next episode [Music]