An introduction to applicant tracking systems

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

What’s in this letter 📧

• Job seeker question of the week: I got my offer rescinded after negotiating salary - is this normal?

• A brief intro to applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Question from a job seeker…

I (27m) recently received a job offer for a role in software development with a proposed salary of 70k (GBP, which is about 95k USD).

I've been in the field for around 5 years and the average salary for this type of role is approximately £90k (GBP). The job also involved some travel and long hours, so I decided to negotiate my offer.

I've always been a bit wary of negotiation, although I know that many of my colleagues and friends don't bat an eye when they're put in that situation. I asked for GBP80k as a counter-offer. I really didn't want to lose this opportunity, but I also wanted to gain some experience in negotiation.

To my surprise, I received a call saying that my counter-offer had made them reconsider their original offer. They were now comparing my proposed salary with their current workers' salaries and the industry average. They stated that my counter-offer made them reevaluate the experience level they were looking for in the role.

Needless to say, I was taken aback. I tried to convince them to rethink their decision, but their reply was that they would potentially consider it, but would likely only offer me GBP65k this time (around USD88k).

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Answer

The company’s response is definitely unusual here. It sounds like the 80K offer you asked for would have been higher than what they’re existing staff was making, so they just decided to pull the plug.

I’d say you dodged a bullet here, because you don’t want to work for a company that pays below market rate. Don’t let this discourage you from negotiating in the future though - you’re going to be successful negotiating more often than not.

Want to share your stupid interview questions? Email [email protected].

Applicant Tracking Systems

In the world of job hunting, understanding the basics of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can significantly improve your chances of landing that ideal job.

First, what is an ATS?

To start, an ATS is essentially a software tool, similar to a database, that helps companies organize and evaluate job applications. Imagine a multinational corporation that receives thousands of resumes for a single job posting. Without an ATS, sorting through these applications manually would be daunting!

The ATS simplifies this process by organizing the information, making it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to identify suitable candidates.

One or many ATS?

There are many ATS platforms available, each tailored to specific recruitment needs. A few common ones include:

• SmartRecruiter

• Taleo

• Workday

• iCIMS

While one might specialize in managing job postings across different platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed, another could excel in parsing and organizing resumes. Despite these differences, they all serve the primary purpose of making the hiring process more efficient.

“Beating” the ATS

The myth of "beating" the ATS needs to be debunked, right now. Some believe that an ATS is an autonomous "bot" that decides the fate of an application, which just isn't true.

Every applicant is 100% visible to the recruiter; the ATS simply assists by streamlining and organizing the data. For example, the system might filter and rank applications based on specific criteria, such as years of experience or relevant skills, but ultimately the decision rests with the human recruiter.

Steps you can take to make your resume more ATS friendly

Making your resume ATS-friendly is crucial. To do this, it helps to think of your resume layout as a book. In a book, your name (the title) comes first, followed by your contact information (the book's publishing details), then your skills (like a prologue), and finally your employment history (the main content).

For the best chance of success, stick to a conventional layout and avoid:

• Charts

• Graphs

• Icons

Keywords

Just as you would use keywords to run a search on Google, recruiters use them to find suitable candidates within the ATS.

Let's say you're applying for a Data Analyst position. Your skills section should list relevant keywords, such as “SQL”, “Python”, or “Excel”, at the top or bottom of your resume. When the ATS scans your document, these key skills will be easily identifiable, effectively enhancing your visibility in the system.

Pro Tip: focus on functional skills such as those listed above in order demonstrate technical proficiency in your field. Soft skills like “communication” or “creativity” are great, but do not belong on your resume - recruiters assess those during the job interview.

Focus on the real people, not the bots

Remember that a real person will eventually read your resume. Optimizing it for an ATS scan is fine as long as you remember to also tell a compelling story that is authentic and engaging to your human audience.

About the Author

I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.

I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.

If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!

If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.