Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, scan resumes for keywords and structure. They rank and filter applicants before a human ever opens your file.
For a Carpentry Instructor, ATS looks for skills, certifications, and teaching terms. It will flag woodworking skills, blueprint reading, safety training, curriculum development, and apprenticeship supervision.
Follow clear section titles so ATS finds your info. Use:
- Work Experience
- Education
- Certifications
- Skills
Write keywords naturally. Pull phrases from job postings like "cabinetmaking," "joinery," "shop safety (OSHA 10 or 30)," "curriculum development," "adult education," and "apprenticeship mentoring." Put those terms in your Skills and Experience sections.
Avoid complex layout. Don’t use tables, columns, text boxes, headers, footers, images, or charts. ATS often skips those elements and loses text.
Use common fonts like Arial or Calibri. Save as .docx or simple PDF. Fancy templates can break parsing and drop important lines.
Keep bullets short and focused. Start bullets with an action verb. Include measurable results when you can, like class size, pass rates, or toolroom budget.
Watch common mistakes. Don’t replace exact keywords with clever synonyms. Don’t hide dates or job titles in headers. Don’t forget key certifications such as OSHA, NC3, or state teaching licenses.
Lastly, proof your file with plain-text checks. Copy your resume into a text editor to see what ATS will read. Fix any odd gaps or merged lines before you apply.