Beating the résumé screen without keyword-stuffing

Most mid-to-large employers run applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS) before a recruiter reads them. Understanding what the ATS looks for is the difference between landing in the 'review' pile and vanishing.

What an ATS actually does

An ATS parses your résumé into structured fields and checks it against the job description — usually for specific skills, titles, tools, and certifications. It is not 'AI reading for fit'; it's closer to a keyword and format matcher. If the posting asks for 'inventory management' and your résumé says 'stock control,' a naive ATS may not connect them.

How to pass without stuffing

• Mirror the posting's exact language for skills you genuinely have — if they say 'POS systems,' use 'POS systems.'
• Put a short, scannable skills section near the top with the real terms.
• Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) so the parser maps them correctly.
• Avoid tables, text boxes, headers/footers, and images for critical text — many parsers drop them.
• Save as a clean PDF unless the application specifically asks for .docx.

The line you should never cross

Never add keywords for skills you don't have, and never hide white text to game the parser — modern systems flag it and recruiters reject it on sight. The goal is to make the true match legible, not to fake one.

Let the match do the work

Sloan reads each posting, compares it to your real experience, and shows you exactly which keywords you already cover and which you're missing — then leads your tailored résumé with the ones that matter, in the posting's language. No stuffing, no guessing.