ATS Secrets: Keywords and Formats That Pass Screening – Achievement vs. Duty on Your Resume

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Introduction: Why This Matters for Canadian Job Seekers in 2025

If you’ve been applying to jobs in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, or anywhere across Canada and hearing nothing back, chances are your resume isn’t getting past the ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Over 90% of medium-to-large Canadian companies now use ATS software to filter resumes before a human recruiter even sees them. That means your beautifully written experience could be sitting in a database unread — simply because your formatting or keywords didn’t match what the system was trained to look for.

But ATS screening isn’t the only hurdle. Even if your resume reaches a recruiter’s hands, you still need to stand out in a competitive market. That’s where the second secret comes in: achievement-based resumes. Employers want to see how you’ve created impact — not just a list of duties anyone in your role could have performed.

This article breaks down the dual challenge Canadian job seekers face in 2025: passing ATS filters and convincing hiring managers that you’re the right fit. We’ll uncover the ATS keywords and formats that actually work, explain the difference between “achievement vs. duty” language, and give you industry-specific strategies to make your resume shine. Whether you’re an IT professional in Toronto, a healthcare worker in Calgary, or a finance manager in Montreal, this guide will help you craft a resume that gets noticed.

Understanding ATS in the Canadian Job Market

Applicant Tracking Systems are now standard across Canada’s hiring landscape. Tools like Taleo, Workday, Greenhouse, and SuccessFactors are used by employers from banks in Toronto to hospitals in Vancouver.

How ATS works:

  • It scans your resume for keywords that match the job description.
  • It parses your document into structured fields like “work experience,” “education,” and “skills.”
  • It scores your resume based on keyword match rates and formatting compliance.
  • It ranks candidates before recruiters ever see applications.

A resume that isn’t ATS-optimized can be automatically rejected, regardless of how qualified you are.

According to Job Bank Canada, competition for mid-level jobs in IT and healthcare is tightening in 2025. That means even a small formatting issue could cost you an interview.

ATS-Friendly Resume Formats That Work in 2025

Formatting is the first barrier. ATS systems still struggle with creative designs and heavy visuals. While you may be tempted to use an infographic resume on Canva, those often fail parsing.

Formats that pass ATS in Canada:

  • Chronological resume (most common): Lists work experience from most recent to oldest. Best for career progression in industries like finance and healthcare.
  • Hybrid/Combination resume: Balances skills and work experience. Good for IT, marketing, and engineering.
  • Plain-text friendly structure: Minimal graphics, simple bullet points, and consistent section headings like “Experience,” “Education,” “Skills.”

Formats to avoid:

  • Tables and text boxes (many ATS can’t read inside them).
  • Images, charts, or icons.
  • Fancy fonts or colored backgrounds.

👉 If you’re not sure whether your resume is ATS-compatible, OMY Resumes’ Resume Writing Services team ensures your document passes ATS scans while still looking polished for human recruiters.

The Keyword Secret: Matching ATS Filters

ATS software is essentially a keyword-matching engine. It compares the wording in your resume against the job posting.

Tips for Canadian job seekers:

  1. Mirror the job description: If the posting says “financial reporting,” don’t just say “reporting.” Use the exact phrase.
  2. Use both acronyms and full forms: Example: “CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant).”
  3. Include industry-specific tools: For IT resumes, list “Python, AWS, Kubernetes.” For healthcare resumes, mention “patient care, EMR systems, triage.”
  4. Soft skills matter less in ATS: Systems prioritize hard skills, certifications, and measurable keywords.

📌 Example:

  • Duty-based statement (weak): “Responsible for patient care.”
  • Achievement + ATS keyword (strong): “Delivered patient care to 50+ daily patients using EPIC EMR system, improving clinic workflow efficiency by 20%.”

This single line includes measurable results and ATS keywords (“patient care” and “EPIC EMR system”).

Duty vs. Achievement: What Employers Really Want

Listing duties is the number one mistake Canadian job seekers make. Recruiters already know what your job entails. They want to know how you made an impact.

Duty-based statement:

  • “Managed a team of 5 developers.”

Achievement-based statement:

  • “Led a team of 5 developers to deliver a new banking app, increasing user adoption by 40% within 6 months.”

Employers value achievement statements because they show outcomes, leadership, and measurable value.

Why This Matters in Canada’s Job Market

  • Toronto finance sector: Banks want to see cost savings, compliance improvements, or revenue growth.
  • Healthcare in Alberta: Hospitals want evidence of improved patient care or efficiency.
  • IT in Vancouver: Employers prioritize innovation, product launches, or technical problem-solving.

Resume Trends in 2025: What’s Changing

The Canadian job market is evolving fast with AI hiring tools and remote work trends. According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Global Talent Report, these are the top resume trends this year:

  1. AI-Scanned Resumes: Companies now use AI to rank candidates beyond ATS. Natural phrasing, not keyword stuffing, is key.
  2. Hybrid Skills Highlighting: Employers want to see both technical and soft skills. Example: “Project management with Agile methodology and stakeholder communication.”
  3. Canadianized Formatting: Employers in Canada expect bilingual (English/French) mention if applicable, and Canadian spelling (e.g., “organization,” not “organization” if applying in Quebec).
  4. Digital Portfolios: Especially in IT, marketing, and design, employers want links to online portfolios. Consider Portfolio Website Development services to stand out.

Mistakes to Avoid on an ATS Resume

  • Using headers/footers for key info (ATS may skip it).
  • Uploading a PDF with images (Word or simple PDF is safer).
  • Keyword stuffing (repeatedly pasting skills list).
  • Writing job duties without measurable achievements.
  • Ignoring Canadian spelling and standards.

Industry-Specific Resume Examples

IT Resume (Toronto Example)

Weak: “Developed software applications.”
Strong: “Developed cloud-based application in Python for financial transactions, reducing processing time by 35%.”
👉 Check our IT Resume Writing service for more examples.

Healthcare Resume (Calgary Example)

Weak: “Provided patient care.”
Strong: “Delivered direct patient care to 40+ patients daily in fast-paced ER, using EMR systems to reduce wait times by 25%.”
👉 See Healthcare Resume Writing for specialized support.

Finance Resume (Montreal Example)

Weak: “Prepared financial reports.”
Strong: “Prepared quarterly IFRS financial reports, identifying cost savings of $1.2M through variance analysis.”

Canadian Job Market Data: Why This Matters

  • Toronto: Highest demand in IT, finance, and healthcare.
  • Vancouver: Growth in tech startups and green energy.
  • Calgary: Energy sector jobs recovering, healthcare strong.
  • Montreal: Bilingual resumes highly valued.
  • Ottawa: Public sector roles emphasize compliance and policy achievements.

Statistics Canada reports that competition for mid-level roles is at its highest in a decade, making ATS optimization non-negotiable.

Step-by-Step Guide: Building an ATS-Friendly Resume

  1. Choose a clean, simple format (chronological or hybrid).
  2. Create clear section headers: Experience, Education, Skills.
  3. Tailor each resume to the job description.
  4. Add both keywords and measurable results in bullet points.
  5. Save as .docx or plain PDF.
  6. Double-check with an ATS scan (many free tools online).

Beyond the Resume: Other Career Tools That Matter

Passing the ATS is only part of the process. Employers also check your LinkedIn, cover letter, and interview performance.

Mini Case Study: From Rejection to Interviews

Client: IT project manager in Toronto.
Problem: Sent out 50 resumes, no responses. Resume was full of duties like “responsible for managing projects.”
Solution: OMY Resumes rewrote his resume with ATS-friendly formatting, added keywords like “Agile, Scrum, JIRA,” and reframed duties into achievements.
Result: Within 3 weeks, he had 6 interview calls, including one from a Big 5 bank.

Conclusion: How to Stand Out in Canada’s 2025 Job Market

Getting a job in Canada today is no longer just about having the right skills — it’s about presenting them in the right way. Applicant Tracking Systems decide whether your resume even reaches human eyes, and once it does, recruiters want to see achievements, not just a checklist of duties.

By using ATS-friendly formats, targeted keywords, and achievement-driven language, you can significantly improve your chances of landing interviews. Add in strong LinkedIn optimization, customized cover letters, and interview prep, and you’ll be fully equipped to compete in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, or anywhere across Canada.

At OMY Resumes, we specialize in helping Canadian job seekers craft resumes that both pass ATS and impress hiring managers.

👉 Ready to stand out in the competitive Canadian job market? Our Resume Writing Services team creates ATS-friendly resumes that land interviews faster. Book your free consultation today.