What Is Keyword Stuffing And Why Is It A No-No

I see so many articles on the internet about how to “beat” the ATS system.

X Ways to Beat the ATS

Beat the Bots: How to Get Your Resume Past The ATS

X Easy Steps to Beat the ATS

I am sure it makes you scared that you must do what these articles say, or else you won’t get your resume seen.

Let’s stop the fear-mongering.

It is not about “beating” the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Focus on understanding how it works and write a resume that shows you have the skills, knowledge, and experience to prompt the organization to move you forward.

It may take some work, but this is not rocket science. You can do this.

The ATS Isn’t Scary

The ATS is simply a software tool. I remember when ATSs started to become standard. As a recruiter, I was thrilled to get away from paper resumes and files to track applicants. The ATS made the process so much easier for hiring teams and candidates.

Here are all the things an ATS did that no longer had to be done manually.

• Storing resumes

• Making resumes searchable

• Tracking the progress of candidates through the hiring process

More and more functionality was added, including:

• Sending automatic emails

• Scheduling and managing interviews

• Reporting

• Integrating with other HR systems so new hire paperwork could be auto-filled and digitally signed.

And

• Parsing resumes

ATS systems have benefits for both the employer and job seekers. ATS systems help organize the hiring process and make it faster. For candidates it allows candidates to apply quickly and onboard faster.

All that is good, but are ATS systems a problem for candidates?

The ATS Does Not Make Decisions Independently

First, let’s discuss the bots deciding who moves forward in the hiring process. In my experience, ATS systems are generally very customizable. Humans make decisions about the process flow, when rejection emails are sent, when candidates are automatically disqualified from the process, and how resumes are scored.

Knock Out Questions

The hiring team can set up these questions, usually in a yes/no format. You may be rejected if your answer is not aligned with a specific job requirement. A hiring team will set this type of question up if they cannot hire you because of legal or other internal requirements.

Examples might be:

“Do you have a valid driver’s license?” for a delivery driver job.

“Are you legally authorized to work in this country?”

“Are you available to work on Saturday?” when that is a required workday.

Please note: Not having certain keywords does not cause automatic rejection.

Resume Scoring

Typically an organization needs to enable the resume scoring feature within their applicant tracking system (ATS) for it to be used during the hiring process. This is because the scoring algorithms need to be set up and calibrated to the specific job requirements and qualifications the organization seeks.

In other words, humans have control of this, too.

Here is how it generally works.

Resume Parsing: The software scans your resume and creates a digital profile of your info, including your name, contact info, education, work experience, and skills.

Keyword Matching: The software looks for specific keywords or phrases related to the job and matches them with the ones in your resume. It then assigns a score based on how well your qualifications match the job.

Ranking: The software ranks the resumes based on the score and relevance so recruiters can prioritize candidate review.

Human Review: Finally, human recruiters review the resumes and decide who to invite for an interview.

Note: Some employers do not enable resume scoring. Even if resume scoring is enabled, it doesn’t mean that the recruiter will not review each resume.

What Is Keyword Stuffing?

Ok. Now we get to a practice called keyword stuffing. Job applicants try and manipulate the resume scoring systems used by companies.

Here are some ways applicants may do keyword stuffing:

• Using a long list of keywords at the bottom of their resume unrelated to their work experience or job qualifications.

• Repeating keywords excessively throughout the resume making it difficult to read and understand.

• Adding irrelevant or redundant keywords to their resume that do not accurately reflect their skills or experience.

• Using different variations of the same keyword or phrase multiple times to increase their chances of being identified by the ATS.

• Using font color or size to hide a long list of irrelevant keywords at the bottom of the resume, which is not visible to the human eye but is still picked up by the ATS.

Do you want to harm your chances of getting a job with an employer? Make it obvious that you are keyword stuffing. Recruiters hate this. For one, it makes your resume look cluttered and harder to read. But aside from that, you are trying to manipulate the system by presenting yourself in an inaccurate way. It says a lot about you, and not in a positive way.

By the way, don’t think that major ATS vendors aren’t on to this. Modern applicant tracking systems (ATS) are designed to detect and penalize this practice. ATS systems use sophisticated algorithms to scan resumes and look for keywords related to the job description. However, they are also designed to filter out resumes that use too many irrelevant keywords or variations of the same keyword.

Good Ways To Work With The ATS

iCIMS is one of the leading ATS vendors. Their blog gives pointers on how to “optimize” a resume for their ATS. The information is applicable not only to the widely-used iCIMS ATS but to most other ATS vendors.

• Use keywords from the job description

Tailor your job application by using relevant keywords from the job description. These keywords are related to the specific skills and competencies required to do the job. It's important to naturally use these keywords in your application, especially in a summary statement if you have one.

• Use simple formatting

Don't use complex formatting elements such as symbols, multi-row tables, and pictures when creating a resume. Instead, use a straightforward and logical format that is clear and easy to read and comprehend.

• Spell out months and other abbreviations

Modern ATS systems do a good job of comprehending text. However, to avoid any misunderstandings, it is recommended that you write out abbreviations like months and years in full. For instance, it's better to write "March 2023" instead of "Mar. '23."

• Submit text-based documents, not PDFs

This is iCIMS’s recommendation. They say it is easier to scan and interpret than PDFs.

• Complete every field, even those that aren’t required

When completing an online job application, consider every field as a chance to showcase your skills and qualifications. Even if a field is not required, take the time to fill it out. Additionally, try to identify opportunities to incorporate relevant keywords into your responses. This can help demonstrate your suitability for the position and make your application stand out.

I will also add a few not mentioned in the iCIMS blog.

• Keep your resume headings simple and straightforward. You want the ATS to parse your information into the correct fields. “Professional Summary” or “Summary of Qualifications” is easier for the ATS to understand than “Journey To Success.”

• Spell out uncommon acronyms—no need to spell out common acronyms like CEO or KPIs. Yet, SOLID or IFEE may need to be clarified for the ATS (or the reader).

Don't let the ATS scare you when you're applying for a job. It's true that the software might automatically screen your resume, but if you follow some simple tips, you can still stand out from the crowd.

Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.