Why an ATS may filter out your resume (and what to fix)
The common, fixable reasons an application is screened out before a person reads it, with a fix for each.
Knock-out questions come first
Many application forms ask yes/no questions (work authorization, required license, willingness to relocate). A required answer that does not match can screen an application out regardless of the resume. Read them carefully and answer truthfully.
Fixable resume reasons
- Missing the posting's exact job title or tool names: add them where true.
- Text the system cannot read: images, multi-column layouts, text boxes. Use one column.
- Dates or titles in unusual places: keep title, employer and dates together per role.
- A generic resume sent to every job: tailor the summary and top bullets for each posting.
Check before you click submit
Run the free checker with the exact posting. Missing requirement words are listed first.
Fix the gaps in two minutes
Open the AI resume builder, paste the same posting, and it rewrites your bullets around the missing words. Writing and checking are free; download the finished PDF for $9 once, or $19 a month for unlimited resumes.
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