Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, scan resumes for keywords and structure. They rank and filter candidates before any human reads your application.
For a Sales Associate role, ATS looks for terms like "customer service", "point of sale (POS)", "upselling", "inventory management", "CRM", "sales quota", "merchandising", "cash handling", and "retail math". It also flags certifications or training, such as "sales training" or "POS certification".
Follow these best practices:
- Use standard section titles: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills".
- Include role-specific keywords naturally from job descriptions.
- List tools you used, like "Square", "Shopify POS", or "Salesforce CRM".
- Keep dates and job titles clear and consistent.
Avoid complex formatting. Tables, columns, text boxes, images, headers, and footers can break ATS parsing. Stick to single-column layouts and simple bullets.
Choose readable fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Save as .docx or PDF, unless the job asks for a different format. Avoid heavily designed templates that add hidden elements.
Common mistakes include using flashy section names like "My Story" instead of "Work Experience". Many applicants swap exact keywords for creative synonyms. That choice often prevents the ATS from matching your profile.
Also avoid placing key details in headers or footers. Some systems ignore those areas. Finally, don’t skip measurable results. Numbers like "met 110% of sales quota" help both ATS and hiring managers.