Which specific visual elements are noted as potentially being rendered as unreadable gibberish or entirely ignored by the Applicant Tracking System parser?
Answer
Charts, graphs, images, and logos
The ATS prioritizes text readability above all else, often struggling with graphic representations of data or branding. Elements such as embedded charts, complex graphs, company logos, or other images are frequently interpreted as unreadable characters or simply skipped over entirely by the text extraction software. If critical information, like a quantifiable achievement shown in a chart, is not presented as selectable, machine-readable text, the system treats it as irrelevant noise or unreadable gibberish. Candidates must use basic text characters, like hyphens, instead of complex graphical bullet points to ensure all information is successfully extracted into the standardized fields.

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