On the one hand, ATS (application tracking systems – as used by some recruiters and employers) is important. For example, if ATS deems that your CV isn’t relevant enough for jobs you are applying to, then your applications can stall.
On the other hand, once your CV reaches the decision maker, ATS has no bearing whatsoever. So, in another sense, ATS has no importance once the decision maker has your CV in their hands.
Some firms with ulterior motives, such as free ATS checker companies, give the impression that ATS is the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to job applications. As mentioned in this article, some even imply that unless your CV is ATS compliant then your application will be rejected by every ATS system in the world. Conveniently, such firms tend to offer to make your CV ‘compliant’ for a fee.
But can that be so?
If you think about it logically it can’t be so.
Firstly, with some jobs you deal directly with the employer, and many employers don’t have internal ATS. Not all recruiters and headhunters do either. And (importantly), even if they did, it’s not feasible that anyone, let alone someone from a firm with an ulterior motive, to be privy to the various algorithms of every ATS in the world.
Some firms who offer free ATS checks might say that it is, but as discussed in this article, your current CV may already be more compliant than you’re led to believe. Moreover, once your CV is in the hands of the employer ATS is irrelevant.
Notably, ATS compliance doesn’t equate to job success.
Yes, a ATS compliance might play a part in getting your CV in front of employers, but CVs that focus on ATS rather than the employer tend not to fare as well when put in the hands of a real human decision maker.
Our Guarantee → Services → Put Us to the Test → Our ATS Research →