What layout elements cause the Applicant Tracking System parser to jumble work history by reading text across columns instead of down sections?
Answer
Multi-column layouts
Multi-column layouts present a significant challenge for Applicant Tracking Systems because the software is designed to read content linearly, flowing down the page. When columns are introduced, the parser often fails to recognize the intended reading order. Instead of completing one section before moving to the next, the system may attempt to read across columns concurrently, mixing job titles, dates, and descriptions from different professional entries. This results in jumbled, disorganized data within the standardized fields, making the candidate's professional progression incomprehensible to the machine, which assigns a low relevance score based on the extracted data integrity.
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