Critical Statistic
75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human ever sees them. Companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Amazon India, Flipkart, and most MNCs use these systems.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by employers to collect, sort, scan, and rank job applications. When you submit your resume online, it doesn't go directly to a recruiter—it first passes through an ATS.
The ATS scans your resume for specific keywords, skills, qualifications, and experience that match the job description. If your resume doesn't contain the right keywords or is formatted incorrectly, it gets rejected automatically.
How ATS Works in Indian Companies
Top Indian companies using ATS include:
ATS-Friendly Format Guidelines
1. Use Standard Fonts
Stick to web-safe, ATS-readable fonts:
2. Use Standard Section Headings
ATS looks for specific headings. Use these exact terms:
Use These
- • Work Experience
- • Education
- • Skills
- • Contact Information
- • Professional Summary
Avoid These
- • My Journey
- • Where I Studied
- • What I'm Good At
- • Get In Touch
- • About Me
3. Include Relevant Keywords
Study the job description and include keywords naturally in your resume:
Example Job Description Excerpt:
"Looking for a Java Developer with experience in Spring Boot, Microservices, and MySQL. Should know AWS and Docker."
Your Resume Should Include:
- • Java Development (in skills)
- • Spring Boot (in skills/projects)
- • Microservices architecture (in experience)
- • MySQL database management
- • AWS deployment experience
- • Docker containerization
What Kills Your ATS Score
Tables and Text Boxes
ATS can't read content in tables, text boxes, or columns properly. Use simple, single-column layout.
Headers and Footers
ATS may skip content in headers/footers. Put contact info in the main body.
Images and Graphics
Logos, icons, photos, and charts aren't readable. Use text-only content.
PDF Scans and Images
Scanning a document and saving as PDF makes it an image. Use native PDF export.
Best File Format for ATS
Recommended: .DOCX or .PDF
Unless specified otherwise in job posting
When applying through a company's website, .DOCX is often safest as it preserves formatting. When emailing directly, PDF prevents accidental edits.
ATS Checklist Before Submitting
- Used standard font (Arial/Calibri)
- Included keywords from job description
- Used standard section headings
- No tables, graphics, or columns
- Saved as .DOCX or .PDF
- Spell-checked for errors
Free ATS Resume Checker Tips
While professional ATS checkers exist, you can self-check:
- Copy your resume text and paste it into a plain text editor (Notepad)
- If it looks scrambled or information is missing, ATS will have trouble reading it
- Compare your resume against the job description—do you see matching keywords?
- Ask a friend to scan it in 6 seconds—can they find your key qualifications?
Build an ATS-Approved Resume
Indiresume creates ATS-friendly resumes automatically. No formatting headaches.
Create ATS ResumeIndustry-Specific ATS Keywords
Software/IT
Java, Python, JavaScript, React, Angular, SQL, AWS, Azure, Agile, Scrum, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, REST API, Microservices
Data Science
Python, R, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, TensorFlow, PyTorch, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Statistics, Pandas, NumPy
Marketing
SEO, SEM, Google Analytics, Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, CRM, Brand Management, PPC
Finance
Financial Analysis, Excel, Tally, SAP, Risk Assessment, Investment Banking, Portfolio Management, Compliance, NPA