# ATS Plain-English Cheat-Sheet
### A free one-pager from AdaptiveResume

## What an ATS is
Software companies use to **parse, store, search, and track** job applications. Your resume usually goes here first — not straight to a person.

## What it actually does to your resume
- Reads (parses) it into fields: name, contact, titles, dates, skills, education
- Stores it in a searchable database
- Lets recruiters search/filter/rank by keywords and requirements

## Myth vs. fact
| Myth | Fact |
|------|------|
| "Robots auto-reject 75% of resumes" | Unsubstantiated. Most ATS store & sort; humans still review. |
| "There are secret ATS hacks" | No — you just need it to READ your resume cleanly and find real keywords. |
| "One resume works everywhere" | Lightly tailor keywords per posting — honestly. |

## Do
- Single column, standard headings (Summary / Experience / Skills / Education)
- Real selectable text; contact info in the body
- Real job-description keywords — only for skills you actually have

## Don't
- Tables, text boxes, columns, skill graphics, or an image-only PDF
- Contact info in the header/footer
- Keyword-stuff things you can't back up

## The honest bottom line
No tool can promise you'll "pass" a specific employer's ATS. You CAN make your resume read cleanly and tell the truth well — that's the whole game.

---
Want this checked for you? Our build runs the checks screening software cares about on your finished resume and shows you each one. $49 one-time · adaptiveresume.com