ATS Format Resume for UAE

Applicant Tracking System-friendly resume has become a must in today’s job market. Companies get hundreds of thousands of CVs for each position, and they don’t have much time to go through all of them. To save recruiters’ time, the Applicant Tracking System has been introduced.

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

The Applicant Tracking System, also known as ATS, is a software recruiters use to manage the entire application process. The software basically scans the resumes of all the applicants who have applied for the position, and after scanning them, it ranks the applicants based on their qualifications, work experience, skills, etc.

In the very beginning, ATS was mainly used by large corporations or MNCs, but nowadays, ATS software is quite common in other companies as well. Around 99% of Fortune 500 Companies use ATS software in their recruitment process.

What is an ATS Resume Format?

An ATS format resume is a resume that is created in such a way that when the Applicant Tracking System software is used to scan the resume, it ranks the applicant at the top of the list. An ATS-friendly resume contains keywords that matches the job ad, highlights relevant work experience, and includes professional skills.

ATS software is a really strong tool used by companies, because if your CV doesn’t play well with the software, then it does not stand a chance to go through the human recruiter. It will only end up in the recruitment black hole, and you will lose that golden opportunity.

Creating an ATS-friendly Resume

You may be perfect for the position, but if your CV doesn’t match the criteria set in the ATS software, then your application will simply be rejected or will be ranked lower, in either case, your chances of getting selected for the position decreases tremendously. Here are a few steps that you could follow to create an ATS-friendly resume:

Step 1 – Tailor Your Resume

If you have created one resume and you are applying for different positions with the same document, then you are making a huge mistake. You should always tailor your resume because tailoring the resume increases your chances of at least being called for an interview. Sending a generic resume, makes your chance of becoming the ideal candidate come near to zero.

Step 2 – Pick a Template

With the help of the internet, you can find millions of ATS-friendly templates that have been optimized for the ATS resume test. With so many options on the internet, you can easily be misled. Make sure that your template has lesser graphical elements, because the ATS software does not scan any text written in graphical figures. Moreover, the template should be in a PDF format, so that you can copy the text and paste it into a blank document.

Step 3 – Fonts & Formatting

While writing an ATS-friendly resume, do not try to be overly creative with the fonts. Stick with the regular font types that look professional and simple as well. When choosing the right font, keep one thing in mind, the font type must be readable to humans and machines alike.

For the formatting, if you are choosing a template from the internet, then you don’t need to worry about the formatting of your CV. However, if you are making it from scratch, then you can use several resume formats, such as chronological resume, functional resume, combination resume, etc. depending on your likeliness. Even though all of these formats are ATS-friendly, the chronological resume is your safest bet as no ATS software will have problems parsing it.

Step 4 – Labeling Headings

When you are done with the formatting, you will notice that your resume has been divided into different sections. To highlight each section, you have to give relevant headings. Mentioning the section headings makes the content easier to navigate.

Labeling headings not only helps the ATS software to navigate the sections easily, but it also helps the recruiter to easily identify the sections during the 6-second human scanning process. By mentioning headlines, you also avoid confusion or cluttering of the data, and it also makes your resume look more professional and cleaner.

Step 5 – ATS Resume Keywords

Incorporating the right keywords can increase your chances of getting past the ATS software. Using the right keywords is the most essential part of the ATS Format Resume for UAE. Before choosing the right keywords to incorporate in your CV, you first have to go through the job description thoroughly.

After going through the job description, you need to identify all the relevant keywords that the recruiter has mentioned. Once you have identified the relevant keywords, tailor your resume according to those keywords. By doing so, your chances of landing the job increases, as the ATS software will identify the keywords in your CV, which will automatically increase your ranking.

Step 6 – Skills

Every recruiter becomes very selective when they go through the skills section. Normally, people ignore the skills section, and try to focus more on the work experience part or the qualifications part. Though they are important as well, but mentioning relevant skills is also crucial to increase your chances of selection.

When you go through the job description, you will notice that recruiters usually add what skills they need in the candidate. If you have the relevant skills, then you could add them to your resume as well. Synonyms or similar phrases could be used, but it is advisable to use the original wording at least once. This not only helps you pass the ATS scan, but will also impress the recruiter by showing them that you are a perfect fit for the job.

Final Thoughts

Whenever creating an ATS-friendly resume, make sure that you do not go overboard to show your creativity. Keep it simple and professional!

Pro Tip: Before sending the CV to the recruiter, proofread the entire document at least once, there’s a good chance you will find a mistake in it.