Job Search: demystifying an ATS by understanding “parsing.”

November 29, 2023

Job Search: demystifying an ATS by understanding “parsing.”

To understand one of the basic functionalities of an ATS, you must understand “parsing.” One definition of parsing is “Analyse (a string or text) into logical syntactic components.” So, if you think of your Resume/CV, it should be logical and with a correct grammatical arrangement which is clear for an ATS to order it correctly for the final reader i.e.: the hiring manager, HR or recruiter.

Avoid a Resume/CV with diifferent text boxes and no apparent logical pattern. Organise clearly your Resume/CV firstly with your name, contact details (town/city, email, telephone, LinkedIn profile), professional summary, experience (responsibilities and achievements), education etc.

NB: If you use a format (heavy in graphics, pictures, icons and text boxes), it is complicated for the ATS to decipher and logically order it in a way that the end reader has the right information in the right place.

Tip: Keep your Resume/CV clear and sharp, save it to PDF format so that the people looking at it (recruiter, hiring manager or HR) see it in the format you intended.

PS: I am not an expert in ATS, but I think it is important to explain some of the basic functionalities of an ATS.

Copyright © 2023 Third Culture Professionals

Photo: Pexels

Brid Doherty-Appriou

Brid is a native English speaker, fluent in French, a graduate in both International Business Communication and in Instructional Design. She is also accredited (TEFL) to teach English as a foreign language. Her professional experience spans over 20 years in an international environment, working in CAC 40 communication groups and as a consultant in Executive Search.

Recommendations

"I enjoy reading your blog as it gives very useful information to people like me – working on restarting his/her professional life after a period of expatriation. Your useful tips help to deal with this situation in a stress-free mode and help to methodically face few challenges. I highly recommend Brid’s articles to anyone who knows they have to do something to find a new job, but they don’t know how to do it”.

"During a period of professional reorientation where I needed financing, I used the advice of Brid to write my Skills-Based CV. Thanks to her advice, my Skills-Based CV convinced the financing organization. I highly recommend her articles".

"As an expat myself coming to the end of my current contract and planning to return home to Ireland, I found the article "La Perle Rare", particularly helpful. I will soon be searching for job opportunities. Undoubtedly, I do have to distinguish myself from the crowd. Following the suggestions and advice given by Brid, with self-reflection I discovered that I have an abundance of highly developed soft skills. These are skills I had taken for granted for so long never thinking they would highlight my uniqueness to a potential employer. In the past, my focus was on my qualifications and work experience. Although this focus is important, there is room for self-promotion too. Now, I shall forge ahead with a renewed sense of myself and the confidence to promote my other strengths in interviews. Thank you, Brid. I strongly recommend Brid’s blog to expats who find themselves seeking new job opportunities “. Fiona

"Expatrié lors d’une mission de ma conjointe, j’ai rencontré Brid qui m’a beaucoup aidé et guidé afin de développer mes activités de coach running / renforcement musculaire et de sightrunning, en langue anglaise, en particulier sur mes supports de communication.

Je recommande vivement Brid pour son enthousiasme, son dynamisme et son professionnalisme". Frédéric

http://likeyourrun.blogspot.com/

"Your content is very inspiring. It helped me a lot. Thank you." Emma

“You are so respectful! The way you treated the class, the topics we covered, “the test” you gave us without pressure. Thank you. You are great”. Soledad (English language student)