Step by step instructions on how to test your resume against an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

As you probably know, the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software is used by most companies to initially scan and filter through resumes. They often reject resumes of qualified candidates because of insignificant things like non compliant formatting. Often times, if the resume is not in the exact format needed, the information gets translated into gibberish text and then get tossed in the "Reject" pile.

To check how your resume appears on an ATS scan and if it passes the test, convert your resume into plain text and assess the output. Follow the step by step instructions below.

On Windows:

Using Notepad:

Open Notepad. You can do this by searching for "Notepad" in the Start menu.

Inside Notepad, click on "File" in the top left corner.

Select "Open" and navigate to the location of your file.

Change the file type dropdown menu to "All Files" instead of "Text Documents" to view all types of files.

Choose your file and click "Open."

Now that your file is open in Notepad, click on "File" again.

Select "Save As."

Choose the location where you want to save the plain text file.

Enter a name for the file and add ".txt" at the end (e.g., "myfile.txt").

Click "Save."

On macOS:

Using TextEdit:

Open TextEdit (you can find it in the Applications folder).

Click "File" in the top menu and select "Open."

Navigate to the location of your file.

Choose "Plain Text" in the dropdown menu next to "Format."

Open your file.

Click "File" again and select "Save."

Choose the location where you want to save the plain text file.

Enter a name for the file and add ".txt" at the end.

Click "Save."