How to Make a Resume with ATS: Tips for Getting Past the Filters

As a mid-career professional, you've built a wealth of experience, but navigating modern hiring processes can feel like a barrier. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by over 98% of Fortune 500 companies to screen resumes, according to Jobscan's 2023 report. These software tools parse your document for keywords, formatting, and structure, often filtering out 75% of applications before a human ever sees them. If you're wondering how to make a resume with ATS in mind, this guide provides practical, step-by-step advice tailored for professionals with 5-15 years of experience. We'll focus on optimization strategies to ensure your resume advances past the filters, highlighting your achievements without losing your unique voice.

Understanding ATS and Why It Matters for Mid-Career Professionals

ATS software, like Taleo or Workday, scans resumes to match job descriptions. For mid-career job seekers, this means emphasizing transferable skills and quantifiable accomplishments from diverse roles. A study by TheLadders found that recruiters spend just 7.4 seconds on initial reviews—ATS decides if you get that chance. Poor optimization can hide your leadership in project management or sales growth metrics, so aligning your resume with ATS best practices is crucial.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make a Resume with ATS

Creating an ATS-friendly resume starts with the basics and builds to advanced tweaks. Follow these steps to craft one that gets noticed.

Step 1: Choose the Right Format and File Type

ATS prefers simple, machine-readable formats. Save your resume as a .docx or .pdf (text-based, not scanned images). Avoid fancy graphics, tables, or headers/footers that confuse parsers—75% of ATS systems struggle with them, per HireRight data.

Actionable Tip: Use a clean, one-column layout with standard fonts like Arial or Calibri (10-12 pt). For mid-career pros, this keeps your multi-page resume (aim for 2 pages) scannable. Example: Instead of a colorful infographic for skills, list them plainly: "Project Management | Agile Methodologies | Team Leadership."

Step 2: Incorporate Keywords Strategically

ATS ranks resumes based on keyword matches from the job description. Mid-career resumes often fail here because they use vague terms like "managed teams" instead of specifics like "led cross-functional teams in Scrum environments."

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Copy the job description into a word cloud tool like Wordle to identify top keywords (e.g., "data analysis," "stakeholder engagement").
• Weave in 5-10 exact phrases naturally—aim for 80% match rate, as recommended by LinkedIn's career experts.
• Place keywords in your summary, skills section, and work history. Example: If applying for a marketing director role, include "SEO optimization" and "content strategy" in bullet points like: "Developed SEO-optimized content strategies that increased organic traffic by 40%."

Expert Insight: "Keywords aren't just buzzwords; they're your ticket past the gatekeeper," says Elena Voss, ATS specialist at Jobscan. For mid-career shifts, mirror industry jargon from your target role to bridge experience gaps.

Step 3: Structure Your Resume for Readability

Use standard section headings: "Professional Summary," "Work Experience," "Skills," "Education." ATS scans these predictably. For mid-career pros, lead with a 4-6 line summary highlighting 10+ years of expertise.

Example Structure:

• Professional Summary: "Seasoned IT Manager with 12 years in cybersecurity, driving compliance initiatives that reduced risks by 35%."
• Work Experience: List jobs reverse-chronologically. Use action verbs (e.g., "Orchestrated," "Optimized") followed by metrics: "Optimized supply chain processes, cutting costs by $500K annually."
• Skills: Bullet 8-12 relevant ones, like "CRM Software (Salesforce)" or "Budget Management ($2M+ portfolios)."

Avoid acronyms without spelling them out first (e.g., "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)"). Quantify achievements: Instead of "Handled sales," say "Grew sales revenue by 25% YoY."

Step 4: Test and Iterate

After drafting, test your resume. Upload it to free ATS simulators like Jobscan or Resumeworded, which score keyword matches (target 80%+). Revise based on feedback—mid-career resumes often need trimming fluff to focus on recent, relevant roles.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Optimizing for ATS

Even experienced professionals trip up here. Steer clear of:

• Overstuffing Keywords: This reads as spam; use them contextually. A 2022 Indeed survey showed 40% of rejected resumes were due to unnatural phrasing.
• Complex Formatting: No columns or images—ATS misreads 60% of such elements, per Textkernel research.
• Ignoring Job-Specific Tailoring: One-size-fits-all resumes pass only 20% of filters. Customize for each application.
• Neglecting Mobile Optimization: 50% of recruiters view on mobile; ensure your PDF renders cleanly.

Best Practice: Proofread twice—ATS flags spelling errors, and humans notice them too. Tools like Grammarly integrate ATS checks for efficiency.

Tool Recommendations and Best Practices

Beyond basics, leverage tools for edge. Free options: Google Docs templates with ATS plugins. Paid: Enhancv or Novoresume for built-in optimization (scoring up to 95% compatibility).

Best Practices for Mid-Career:

• Highlight promotions and leadership to show progression.
• Include certifications (e.g., PMP) in a dedicated section—ATS loves them.
• Update quarterly; stale resumes drop 30% in relevance, per CareerBuilder stats.

Industry Insight: "Mid-career pros must balance depth with brevity—ATS favors conciseness, but your story sells the hire," notes recruiter Sarah Johnson from Robert Half.

How ApplyEngine Can Help with ATS Optimization

If you're searching for how to make a resume with ATS, ApplyEngine.ai streamlines the process with AI-powered tools designed for mid-career professionals. Our ATS resume optimization feature provides real-time scoring, analyzing your document against job descriptions to achieve 90%+ compatibility—far surpassing manual efforts. Upload your resume, and get instant feedback on keywords, formatting, and structure, with suggestions to incorporate metrics from your extensive experience.

Connect with our AI Resume Specialists: Elena, our ATS expert, specializes in parsing filters for industries like tech and finance, ensuring your leadership roles shine through. For general tweaks, Jordan offers holistic optimization, while Sarthi crafts job-specific versions tailored to mid-career transitions. Choose from 20+ professional templates, editable section-by-section, to fit your 10+ years without overwhelming ATS.

Enhance further with our LinkedIn Chrome extension for profile syncing, and automate applications to bypass manual uploads. New users get $120 in free AI credits—start optimizing today and boost your pass rate by up to 5x, based on our user data.

In summary, mastering how to make a resume with ATS empowers mid-career pros to leverage their expertise effectively. Implement these tips, test rigorously, and watch opportunities unfold.

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