Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan resumes for keywords and structure. They rank or reject resumes when they can’t find required words or when formatting blocks parsing.
For a Barn Hand, ATS looks for terms like animal handling, feeding, stall mucking, hay stacking, tractor operation, fence repair, basic hoof care, herd health, and OSHA or animal first aid certifications.
- Use clear section titles: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills", "Certifications".
- List tools and tasks: "tractor (UTV), round baler, pitchfork, skid steer".
- Include certifications or licenses by exact name and date.
Avoid complex formatting. Don’t use tables, columns, text boxes, headers, footers, images, or graphs. ATS often skips those elements and loses text.
Pick standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Save as .docx or a simple PDF. Fancy templates or heavy graphics can scramble ATS reads.
Use keywords naturally. Mirror phrases from job listings. If the posting lists "mucking stalls" or "hoof trimming," include those exact phrases when you have the experience.
Common mistakes include using creative synonyms instead of exact keywords. For example, don’t replace "tractor operation" with "farm vehicle skills" only.
Another error is hiding info in headers or footers. ATS may ignore those areas. Also avoid leaving out critical skills like animal handling, biosecurity, or equipment maintenance.