Applicant tracking systems aren’t going anywhere, so the most useful thing you can do is learn to work with them instead of against them. Here are five practical changes that make a real difference — no special software or subscriptions required.
1. Mirror the job posting’s own language
If the posting says “customer relationship management,” don’t write “client tracking.” If it says “forklift certified,” don’t just write “warehouse equipment experience.” Match the exact phrases the employer used wherever it’s honestly true of your background. This is the single biggest lever you can pull.
2. Keep formatting simple
Skip text boxes, columns, tables, and header/footer placement for your work history. Many parsing tools read left to right, top to bottom, and can scramble or drop information trapped in fancy layouts. A clean, single-column resume with clear section headings is more likely to be read correctly.
3. Spell out acronyms at least once
If you write “CRM,” also write “customer relationship management” somewhere nearby. Some systems search for the exact term the employer typed into their own settings, and you won’t know whether that’s the acronym or the full phrase. Covering both hedges your bet.
4. Use standard section headings
“Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills” get read correctly far more reliably than creative alternatives like “My Journey” or “Where I’ve Been.” Save the personality for your cover letter or interview — let your resume’s structure do its job quietly.
5. Tailor every single application
This is the one people skip because it feels time-consuming, but it’s the tip that matters most. A resume tuned to the specific posting — using its language, emphasizing the parts of your experience it cares about most — will consistently outperform a generic resume sent everywhere.
The honest tradeoff
Tailoring every resume by hand takes real time, and most job seekers are doing this on top of an already full life. That’s precisely the gap VermontConnect exists to fill — we do the tailoring, matching, and formatting work so you can focus on the interviews once they start coming in.