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Think the ATS Is Stopping You? The Real Reason Your Resume Isn't Getting Shortlisted
- Adriana Modersitzki
- May 19
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the Coastline Bank Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards. Simply Careers was nominated, and while we didn’t walk away with a trophy, we had a fantastic time. There’s something really energising about being in a room full of small business owners, changemakers, and proud community champions.
Naturally, as these things go, the night sparked plenty of conversations about careers, apprenticeships, and opportunities. But the real gold came later, during the ride home. My Uber driver that night was warm, thoughtful, and like many people I speak to, deeply frustrated with the job application process in Australia. He’d been applying for contact centre roles and kept getting knocked back, despite having held a team leader role in the same industry overseas.
He was convinced the problem was the ATS, the Applicant Tracking System, and that his resume must not have the right keywords to get noticed. It’s a conversation I’ve had so many times. And it still surprises people, because the truth is, the ATS isn’t always the villain it’s made out to be.
Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems in Australia
Applicant Tracking Systems work a bit like a digital filing cabinet. They help employers manage applications and sometimes scan for keywords. But they don't automatically reject resumes just because a word is missing or a template isn’t perfect. In fact, the real issue is often something else entirely.
The Real Resume Blocker: Pre-Screening Questions
Many job applications in Australia begin with a set of pre-screening or knockout questions. These are the yes-or-no questions you answer before uploading your resume.
Questions like:
Do you have the right to work in Australia?
Are you available to start immediately or work full-time?
Do you hold a current Working With Children or Vulnerable People Check?
Have you previously worked for this organisation?
These questions act as filters. If you don’t meet the minimum criteria or answer incorrectly, your application might never reach a person. You could receive an automated rejection, even if your resume is excellent. It’s not the ATS blocking you — it’s the way the system filters applications based on those answers.
I’ve seen this play out firsthand. We recently ran a recruitment process ourselves, and as the hiring manager, I wasn’t even shown the applications that didn’t meet the required criteria around work rights in Australia. Those applicants weren’t rejected by me. They simply didn’t appear in the main list for review. The system automatically filtered them into a separate tab I had to manually open to view.
And here’s the kicker. Many of those filtered applicants had much stronger resumes. They had clear outcomes, relevant experience, and well-written content. But because they didn’t tick the required boxes in those early questions, their applications never made it to my shortlist.
What I did see in the main dashboard were only the applicants who passed the pre-screening filters. Many of those resumes were far less aligned in terms of keywords, experience, and fit. The system had taken over before the resume even came into play. It was never about the document itself. It was about who met those early gatekeeping questions.
Staying Across How Hiring Really Works
This was a real turning point in the conversation with my driver. He’d been spending a lot of time searching online, trying to figure out what was going wrong. And like so many people, he’d started to believe the problem with his resume was something completely different from what was actually blocking his applications.
You deserve better than a random Google search result filled with advice that’s more relevant to overseas hiring practices than the Australian job market. That’s exactly why we do this.
I started out in recruitment, and even now I stay closely connected with former colleagues, industry friends, and hiring professionals across both the public and private sectors. I make it a priority to stay across how real-world hiring decisions are made. That includes how application platforms are evolving, how recruiters filter candidates, and where even strong resumes can still fall through the cracks.
It’s that mix of up-to-date insight and practical support that makes all the difference. And it’s what can turn a frustrating job search into a confident next step.
Why Your Resume Still Matters After That Point
Once you pass those initial filters, your resume still needs to do its job. And that’s where we see a lot of missed opportunities. If you panic about keywords or try to satisfy what you think the ATS is looking for, it’s easy to end up with a resume that’s overstuffed and hard to follow. That’s not what gets results. Focus on showing value and impact. If you’re a strong match for the role, the right language often comes through quite naturally.
Your resume needs to clearly show your experience, using language that speaks to real people reading it. That means:
Highlighting outcomes and achievements, not just tasks
Including metrics like KPIs, team size, or customer satisfaction
Showing transferable skills from overseas or different industries
Demonstrating where you’ve lifted performance or solved problems
For this particular client, we talked about things like first contact resolution, how his team was tracking against key performance indicators, and the changes he helped drive. Maybe he noticed an underperforming KPI, created a process or resource to address it, and then saw a measurable improvement. That’s the kind of detail that brings a resume to life.
We shifted his focus from simply stating “team leader overseas” to something far more meaningful — a results-driven professional with strong contact centre experience, clear improvements in service metrics, and a people-focused leadership style. That’s what gets you shortlisted.
So Why Aren’t You Getting Interviews?
If your resume isn’t getting shortlisted, there’s usually more to the story. It might be that you’re applying for roles with filters around location, availability, or specific compliance checks. It might be that your resume isn’t clearly showing the impact you’ve made. It might be both.
At Simply Careers, we help people get clarity on what’s really going on and what needs to change. Whether you’re new to the Australian job market, changing careers, or returning to work after a break, we’re here to help you feel confident and seen.
We offer:
Resume and cover letter packages tailored to the Australian market
Job search strategy sessions to help you understand what’s really happening
Practical, honest feedback and support to help you move forward
If you’re tired of wondering why your resume isn’t getting any traction, let’s take a look together. Book a session with us or browse our resume packages to see what might suit your next step.
A Bit of Hope for Our Uber Driver (and Maybe for You Too)
The good news for our Uber driver is that, due to some recent changes in his circumstances, he’ll soon be able to answer some of those pre-screening questions differently. The same ones that have been quietly knocking him back until now. That change is going to open up a lot more doors.
We also talked about how to build out the achievements and metrics in his resume. He’s got some great stories to tell, and we’re going to make time to put all of that together properly soon.
I’m genuinely excited to see how it all turns out for him. And I really hope that if you’re reading this and feeling the same kind of frustration with online systems or job applications that seem to go nowhere, this helps shine a light on what might be happening.
Sometimes one conversation really can change everything.
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