How do you balance the inclusion of keywords for applicant tracking systems (ATS) with maintaining a natural and readable flow in the resume?

Using the XYZ or STAR formula.

Using the right formula in resume writing makes it flow with the relevant keywords.

With any of the formulas, the resume flows with the accomplished (X), measured by results (Y) using skills/experience (Z) or Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR), the resume would seamlessly flow.

To balance ATS keywords and readability, I seamlessly integrate role-specific terms into concise, impactful statements. Keywords are naturally embedded in descriptions of skills, achievements, and job duties, ensuring alignment with the job posting while maintaining a professional, reader-friendly flow.

Balancing keywords for ATS with a natural resume flow is like trying to bake a cake that's both Instagram-worthy and actually delicious—it's a tricky but totally doable art! Here's how you can ace it:

First, think of keywords as the flour in your cake—essential for structure, but you don’t want it to overpower the flavor. Read the job description carefully and sprinkle those keywords naturally throughout your resume. Don’t just dump them in a "Skills" section and call it a day. Instead, weave them into your experience, achievements, and even your summary. For example, instead of saying, “Expert in Excel,” you might write, “Streamlined reporting processes using advanced Excel functions, reducing analysis time by 30%.”

Next, avoid turning your resume into a buzzword bingo card. If it feels like you’re auditioning to be the robot the ATS was built for, take a step back. Make sure your sentences are clear, concise, and written for humans first. After all, even the fanciest ATS passes your resume to an actual hiring manager who will appreciate engaging, well-crafted content.

A personal tip: read your resume out loud. If it sounds like a poetry slam piece about "leveraging synergies" and "paradigm shifts," reel it back in. Nobody’s handing out awards for Most Corporate Jargon.

Lastly, don’t forget that formatting matters too. ATS systems don’t play well with overly fancy designs. Stick to clean fonts and simple layouts to ensure your keywords (and your brilliance!) shine through.

In short, think of your resume as a love letter to your dream job. Speak the language of the ATS, but don’t lose the charm that makes you the perfect candidate. And hey, if you ever feel like you’ve overdone it, just remember: it’s easier to tweak a resume than explain to a hiring manager why you sound like an AI chatbot on caffeine.

Balancing the inclusion of keywords for applicant tracking systems (ATS) with maintaining a natural and readable flow in your resume requires a thoughtful approach. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

1. Understand the Job Description:

Identify keywords: Extract important keywords and phrases from the job description, especially for specific skills, qualifications, and competencies. These are typically the skills, certifications, and technologies that the employer is looking for.

Match your experience: Compare these keywords to your experience and qualifications. Ensure that your resume highlights these keywords where relevant.

2. Integrate Keywords Naturally:

Use synonyms: Instead of repeating the same keyword multiple times, use variations of the term. For example, if the job calls for "project management," you could also include "project leadership" or "project coordination."

Incorporate keywords in context: Avoid keyword stuffing. Keywords should be used in the context of your achievements and experience, not just listed. For example, instead of saying "Managed teams, project management, leadership," write something like: "Led cross-functional teams through the full project lifecycle, ensuring the successful delivery of high-priority projects on time."

3. Use Key Sections Strategically:

Summary/Objective: Include a brief section at the top of your resume with a few key skills and qualifications that match the job description.

Experience: Naturally integrate keywords into bullet points that describe your accomplishments, responsibilities, and skills. Ensure they align with the specific job requirements while telling a story of your achievements.

Skills Section: List relevant technical skills, certifications, and tools. This section is particularly important for ATS, as it allows the system to easily match your qualifications.

4. Prioritize Readability:

Clear structure: Organize your resume in a clear, logical structure with easy-to-read fonts and headings. ATS may struggle with resumes that have complex formatting.

Avoid overstuffing: Don’t force keywords into your resume if they don’t naturally fit. An ATS-optimized resume should still be readable and demonstrate your qualifications effectively.

5. Test Your Resume:

Use online tools: After updating your resume, consider using ATS-friendly tools that allow you to test its compatibility and optimize it further.

Manual check: Review your resume from a human perspective, making sure the flow is natural and that the keywords don't detract from readability.

Example:

Instead of saying:
“Worked with project management, led cross-functional teams, managed timelines and budgets, and delivered on time”
You can say:
“Led cross-functional teams through the full project lifecycle, using agile project management methodologies to deliver high-priority projects on time and within budget.”

This way, you include terms like "project lifecycle," "agile project management," and "on time," which are relevant keywords, while still maintaining a natural flow.

The most important way to balance keywords for ATS tracking with a résumé is to make sure that those keywords are used and implemented within the experience.

For example, don’t just list out 100s of keywords in a skills section, instead implement them in the bullet points that contain your professional experience-- That way employers will see the context of where you use those skills instead of those skills being listed as if you copy/pasted them.

Balancing keywords for applicant tracking systems (ATS) with a natural, readable resume requires a strategic approach:

Prioritize relevant keywords. Analyze the job description and identify the most crucial skills and qualifications. Focus on incorporating these primary keywords naturally throughout your resume.

Use industry-specific terminology. Include common phrases and acronyms used in your field, as these are likely to be part of the ATS search criteria. However, ensure you also spell out acronyms at least once for human readers.

Integrate keywords contextually. Instead of listing keywords haphazardly, weave them into descriptions of your experiences and achievements. This maintains readability while satisfying ATS requirements.

Avoid keyword stuffing. Overusing keywords can make your resume sound robotic and may raise red flags with both ATS and human reviewers. Aim for a natural language flow that happens to include important terms.

Utilize variations of keywords. ATS systems often recognize synonyms and related terms. Use different forms of key phrases to cover more ground without repetition.

Structure your resume strategically. Use standard section headings like "Work Experience" and "Skills" that ATS systems easily recognize. Within these sections, naturally incorporate relevant keywords.

Maintain a clean format. While including keywords is important, don't sacrifice the overall structure and readability of your resume. Use a clear, professional layout that's easy for both ATS and humans to parse.

Consider a skills section. This allows you to list important keywords in a concentrated area without disrupting the flow of your work experience descriptions.

Review and refine. After incorporating keywords, read your resume aloud. If it sounds unnatural or forced, revise for better flow while retaining essential terms.

The key is to view keywords not as mere checkboxes, but as integral parts of your professional story.

If you have more questions, please ask me directly

First, I want to dispel the myth of the ATS. Think of the ATS as an electronic filing cabinet, where your resumes are placed when you apply for a job. I am a recruiter and I have never used an ATS that matches candidates based on keywords, however, there are ATSs out there that have that capability. From all of the recruiters I work with, we don't use that match feature. If you are getting rejected immediately after applying, that is due to knock-out questions you've answered and nothing to do with your resume. 

With that said, you do want to have a resume that reads to the duties in the job description - but not the same words as the job description. If your resume reads like a job description (generic) that's a surefire way of getting passed over. 

I also want to address the "pro tip" below suggesting that you put keywords at the end of your resume using white font. DO NOT DO THIS. When you upload a resume to an ATS and it parses your information, do you know what color it's in? Black! So you aren't fooling anyone and if anything, we immediately see that and reject the candidate. This is an awful TikTok trend that has grown in popularity and it's simply "fake news."

The important thing is whatever you put in your resume is honest and you can answer any question around it when it comes to an interview. Focus on achievements - not keywords.

I like to swap in as many words and phrases from job descriptions you’re applying to wherever possible. Go through the JD in detail, and ask yourself: “Are all of these elements/bullet points reflected and coming across in my own experience? If not, how can I (creatively) add them in?” Ideally, you create a new version of your resume for each role you apply to. It’s more work, for sure, but it pays off!

Pro tip: If there’s any room at the very end of your resume, you can add in any buzz and/or keywords from the job description that are likely to be green flags for ATS. The trick is to make these undetectable to the human eye (as recruiters and hiring managers won’t find a laundry list of qualities them attractive nor convincing). Use the color white to make them indistinguishable against the background of the document, and then use a tiny font so you can fit more in. ATS will pick up your resume and no one will be the wiser