Cracking the ATS Code: How to Build a Resume That Gets Seen

Photo by Darlene Alderson

If you’ve ever applied for a job, waited weeks, and never heard back, you’re not alone. The problem might not be your qualifications - it could be that your resume never made it past the algorithm.

Today, over 95% of Fortune 500 companies, and a growing number of mid-size and small firms use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage job applications. These systems automatically scan, filter, and rank resumes based on keyword matches, formatting, and other criteria before a human recruiter even sees them.

For professionals in architecture, interior design, engineering, project management, and related fields, this creates a unique challenge: you’re competing not just with other candidates, but also with AI.

The good news? Once you understand how ATS works, and how to format your resume for it, you can dramatically improve your chances of getting noticed.

What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

An Applicant Tracking System is software that helps employers organize and filter job applications. It’s essentially a digital gatekeeper.

Here’s how it works:

  1. A job description is entered into the ATS.
  2. The ATS scans resumes for specific keywords, skills, and qualifications that match the job description.
  3. Each resume gets a “match score.” The higher the score, the more likely it is to be reviewed by a recruiter.
  4. Only the top-scoring resumes make it to human review.

If your resume isn’t optimized for ATS, it can be filtered out, even if you’re the perfect fit.

Why Creative Professionals Often Get Filtered Out

In architecture, design, and engineering, many candidates use visually rich resumes to stand out, unique layouts, columns, graphics, and portfolio links. While these look great to human eyes, they can cause problems for ATS software:

  • Complex formatting (columns, images, and text boxes) may not parse correctly, causing the system to skip or misread information.
  • Custom section titles (“My Career Journey” instead of “Work Experience”) can confuse the ATS.
  • Portfolio-only resumes without job-specific details leave the ATS with nothing to match against keywords.

This means your beautifully designed resume could end up unreadable to the system, and you could be eliminated before you’ve had a fair chance.

How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly

The key to passing the ATS filter is simplicity and strategic keyword use. Here’s how to optimize your resume:

Use Keywords from the Job Description

ATS software matches your resume to the job posting based on keywords.

  • If the role mentions “AutoCAD,” “Revit,” or “LEED Certification,” make sure those exact terms appear in your resume.
  • Use both hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (project management, leadership, collaboration).

Keep Formatting Simple

  • Stick to a one-column layout.
  • Use standard section headers: Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.
  • Don't use graphics, icons, and tables that may break in parsing.

Choose the Right File Format

  • Submit as a .docx or PDF, depending on the employer’s instructions.
  • Some older ATS versions struggle with PDFs — when in doubt, send a .docx file.

Spell Out Acronyms

  • Write both the acronym and the full term: “Building Information Modeling (BIM).” This ensures your skills are found no matter how they’re searched.

Include a Dedicated Skills Section

  • List skills in bullet points grouped by category (e.g., Software: Revit, Rhino, SketchUp).
  • This helps ATS quickly identify your qualifications.

Pro Tip: Keep Two Versions of Your Resume

  • ATS-Friendly Resume: Clean formatting, keyword-optimized, focused on passing digital filters.
  • Portfolio Resume: A visually designed version for direct emails to recruiters, in-person meetings, or showcasing at events.

This two-pronged approach ensures you shine both in AI-driven screening and in human review.

How Inter/Arch Jobs Can Help You Get Seen

At Inter/Arch Jobs, we specialize in connecting architecture, interior design, engineering, and project management professionals with employers who are actively looking for their skills.

Here’s how we help you cut through the noise:

  • Curated Job Listings: We focus exclusively on the built environment — so every posting is relevant to your expertise.
  • Reduced Competition: Our niche focus means you’re not lost in a sea of unrelated applications.
  • Direct Employer Connections: Many of our postings link you directly to hiring managers, increasing the chances your resume will be reviewed by a human.
  • Career Resources: We provide guides (like this one!) to help you optimize for ATS and succeed in an AI-driven hiring world.

When you combine an ATS-friendly resume with the right job board, you maximize your visibility, and your chances of landing interviews.

AI and ATS aren’t going away, they’re becoming more sophisticated every year. But with the right approach, you can work with the technology instead of being blocked by it.

By optimizing your resume for ATS and using specialized platforms like Inter/Arch Jobs, you can get past the algorithms and in front of the decision-makers who matter.

Ready to get your resume seen?
Explore current job opportunities on Inter/Arch Jobs and start applying with confidence.