If your resume isn’t getting replies, it might not be “you”

Many strong candidates get filtered out because their resume can’t be read cleanly by ATS software or because the signal (impact + relevance) is buried under noise (generic bullets, messy formatting, missing keywords).

Below are practical ways to improve your odds—without stuffing keywords or rewriting your life story.

1) Start with a “target role” lens

Before editing, define the role you want and pull 5–10 recurring requirements from 2–3 job descriptions.

Quick exercise:

• Highlight skills/tools that appear repeatedly (e.g., SQL, stakeholder management, project planning)
• Note the verbs used (optimize, implement, lead, analyze)
• Identify measurable outcomes they value (reduce cost, increase conversion, shorten cycle time)

Then mirror that language naturally in your resume—especially in your summary and most recent experience.

2) Use ATS-friendly formatting (simple wins)

ATS systems prefer clarity over creativity.

Do:

• Use standard headings: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education
• Stick to one column layouts
• Use clean fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman)
• Save as .pdf (unless the application requests .docx)

Avoid:

• Tables, text boxes, headers/footers for key info
• Icons for contact details (write the words instead)
• Fancy section titles like “Where I’ve Made Magic” (ATS won’t know what it is)

3) Upgrade bullets with the “Action + Impact + Proof” formula

A strong bullet should show what you did, why it mattered, and how you know.

Before:

• Responsible for reporting and dashboards.

After:

• Built weekly KPI dashboards in Tableau to track funnel performance, improving visibility and reducing ad-hoc requests by 30%.

If you don’t have metrics, use credible proxies:

• time saved, volume handled, error reduction, cycle time, customer satisfaction, revenue influenced

4) Put keywords where they count (without stuffing)

ATS weighs keywords, but humans hate keyword soup.

Best places for keywords:

• Skills section: tools + methods + domain skills (group them)
• Recent job bullets: incorporate tools in context
• Summary: 2–4 role-defining phrases

Tip: If a job asks for “cross-functional stakeholder management,” don’t only write “collaboration.” Use the phrase once if it’s true.

5) Sanity-check your resume in 60 seconds

• Can someone tell your role and level in 10 seconds?
• Do your last 2 roles show impact, not just tasks?
• Are your core keywords present naturally?
• Is your formatting consistent (dates, dashes, spacing)?

Your turn: If you’ve applied to roles recently, what’s been the hardest part—choosing the right keywords, quantifying impact, or formatting for ATS?