How to Spot Applicant Tracking Systems During a Job Search

If you’ve ever been locked in a serious job search, you’ve probably come across Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems are now standard in many industries, and they’re used to filter out candidates before a human even sees their applications. Whether you like it or not, you’ll likely be facing ATS in your job search, so it’s crucial to understand how to outsmart it. Here’s how to identify ATS and get around it.

Keyword Overload

By now you might have come across job descriptions that seem like they were written by a robot. If a job description is packed with repetitive buzzwords like “team player,” “detail-oriented,” or “proven track record,” or it lists oddly specific skills in a series of bullet points, you’re probably staring at an ATS-friendly posting. Employers craft these job descriptions to match the ATS’ keyword filters, which scan your resume for exact matches.

A posting that feels more like a laundry list than a story about the company and the role at hand is usually a dead giveaway. If you come across a job description like this, mirror the keywords in your resume while keeping the language as natural as possible. For example, if the description says, “project management expertise,” don’t just say “managed projects.” Instead, try to find a way to include the full phrase.

An Overly Complicated Application Process

When you hit “apply,” are you redirected to a third-party site? If so, it could be a sign of ATS. Lots of employers use platforms like Workday or Greenhouse to help streamline the application process, and those same platforms are all about ATS. Along with this, if you’re uploading your resume only to retype every detail into additional fields, it’s a strong sign that ATS is in play.

Another problem is ATS will often ignore fancy resume formatting or PDF files, so if you’ve spent countless hours designing your resume to perfection, you might be out of luck. Here, stick to a simple, ATS-friendly resume—plain text, standard fonts, and no giant headers or footers that might cause the ATS to ignore your application.

The Company’s Size and Industry

Big corporations like Fortune 500s or firms with more than 100 employees might rely on ATS to handle the flood of applicants. If you’re applying to a big company like Amazon, assume an ATS is screening your resume. The same goes for industries like finance, healthcare, or retail, where high-volume hiring is the norm.

On the other hand, some smaller startups may not use ATS. That said, startups that are venture-backed or seem to be scaling up particularly fast might implement ATS technology to keep up with constant applications. The bottom line is, do some research into the company and look for clues like these to determine whether it’s likely to be implementing ATS in its hiring process.

Instant Rejections or Confirmations

If you submitted your application and got a “we’ve decided to explore other candidates” email in under 24 hours, it’s a good sign that ATS is being used. These systems can flag missing keywords, experience gaps, or mismatched qualifications in seconds, which prompts an auto-response like the one mentioned above.

Even a simple “application received, we’ll be in touch” email can signify the use of ATS. In this situation, if you’re rejected fast, revisit the job listing, tweak your resume to include more keywords, and reapply if the listing is still available. In certain cases, the system will let you try again (or even multiple times).

The Lack of a Personal Touch

If the application process feels eerily impersonal, you might be onto something. Signs to look out for are no recruiter name, no direct email address (or a generic “careers@company.com), or a faceless third-party portal. Remember, ATS thrives on efficiency, not the human touch.

In addition to this, if you’re receiving follow-up communications such as assessment invites or next-step instructions and it all comes from a “do-not-reply” address, you’re probably dealing with automation. To get around this, simply look for a human connection. Try contacting the hiring manager on LinkedIn or networking with employees to gain access to the company.

Why Spotting ATS Matters

ATS isn’t going anywhere. In fact, studies suggest that more than 75% of large companies use these systems, and up to a staggering 90% of resumes get filtered out before a human even sees them—yikes. Spotting the signs lets you adapt, whether it’s optimizing keywords, simplifying your resume, or finding a backdoor through networking.

In other words, the trick isn’t to fight ATS. It’s to work with it by identifying the signs and adjusting accordingly. Once you’ve learned how to deal with ATS, your job search will become more effective, and your chances at actually landing a job will increase significantly.

Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.