Writing a resume that can get you through Application Tracking Software (ATS) is key and can make or break your food and beverage manufacturing career. So If you are sending out your resume to every suitable job listing with no reply, it's time to review your resume writing skills and update your job search strategy. 

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We explore the top resume formatting tips every food and beverage processing professional should know when job searching. 

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The Impact ATS Has On Your job search

Whether you are just starting your career as a food manufacturing professional or have years of experience and looking for a change, getting your job search strategy right is the first step. 

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Start off with a well-crafted resume. Traditional this meant listing your job experience, credentials, certifications, and career highlights to showcase why you are the best person for the job. 

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But with Applicant Tracking Software (better known by the acronym ATS), writing a resume now has a few extra steps. Now before you panic, the steps are simple enough, and with our help, you will soon be acing your way up to the top of the list of qualified food manufacturing professionals. 

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So let's start with answering what ATS has to do with your job search. 

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ATS is a software tool used by hiring managers to sift through resumes. It works by using keywords and algorithms that match your resume to those keywords. The tricky part is if you don’t know the skill behind writing a resume for ATS, you risk being rejected by the software just for not having the right keywords, resume sections, and resume formatting, even if you are fully qualified for the job. 

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You can delve deeper into ATS and what it means in our previous blog. But we are going to skip ahead and give you the steps you need to get that resume formatting right and get your resume traveling straight through the computer ATS bots and onto that shortlist. 

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ATS and your job search 

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3 Tips For Writing an ATS-Approved Resume

1. Include keywords in your resume 

Have a look at some job descriptions on job boards and see what keywords they use in the job description. Any role-specific terms that the description reuses many times will be good keywords to use in your resume. 

Make sure you use the keywords naturally without overstuffing your resume, like a turkey dish that has more stuffing than meat. A great rule of thumb from JobScan is to “use the same language in your resume that the hiring manager used when writing the job description.”

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2. Resume formatting must be simple 

ATS fonts cannot pick up fancy formatting or graphic design elements. ATS scans your resume in seconds, so keep your resume formatting clear and simple. 

Avoid images, charts, or graphics. Choose easy-to-read fonts such as Arial or Calibri and keep the font size to 10 or 12 points. Make sure your contact information is not stuck in the header or footer, as some ATS systems won’t be able to pick it up. 

And finally, remember to also load your resume in the approved file format that the hiring website lists. Many ATS cannot read PDFs. 

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3. Label resume sections 

Resume sections such as “skills”, “education”, and “experience” must be labelled correctly, as the ATS will scan the resume looking for these sections. There is nothing worse than spending hours in the grocery store looking for mayo only to find it's not in the “condiment” section. 

ATS works like a well-organized shopper, scanning the grocery store and checking out in record time. The core group of resume sections to include are Contact Information, Summary, Work Experience, Education, and Skills. Make sure to follow these sections. 

To check and ensure your resume is ATS-approved, you can download an ATS resume formatting template. These templates come pre-formatted to pass ATS bots, helping you sort your resume sections, use the right keywords, and ensure you have the correct resume formatting. 

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QTalent Can Help You With Your Job Search

QTalent’s sophisticated platform lets you upload your resume to build an ATS-approved profile. Since QTalent uses profiles instead of traditional resumes to ensure your skills are best matched to the right job, resume formatting becomes secondary. 

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If you are looking to advance your food and beverage manufacturing career, our new application will help you find your dream job with one single sign-on. Create your profile today and watch the email notifications with quality jobs stream in. 

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Sign up now!