What Happens After You Submit Your Resume to an ATS
You've clicked 'Submit Application'—but what happens next? Your resume enters a multi-stage journey through the ATS before it ever reaches a human. Understanding this journey helps you set realistic expectations, follow up appropriately, and improve your application strategy for future submissions.
Stage 1: Receipt and Confirmation
Within seconds of submission, the ATS receives your application and assigns it a unique identifier. You typically receive an automated confirmation email indicating that your application was received. This email is generated by the ATS, not by a human.
At this point, your resume enters a processing queue. Depending on the ATS platform and the volume of applications, processing can happen instantly or take several hours. During this time, the system validates your file format, checks that all required application fields are complete, and queues your resume for parsing.
If you don't receive a confirmation email within 24 hours, your application may not have been received. Check your spam folder first, then try resubmitting. Some older ATS platforms don't send confirmation emails at all.
Stage 2: Parsing and Data Extraction
The ATS parser processes your resume file, extracting text and categorizing it into structured data fields. This happens automatically and usually completes within minutes of your submission.
During parsing, the system creates your candidate profile in its database. It populates fields for your name, contact information, work history, education, skills, and other resume sections. This profile is what the recruiter will see when they review your application.
If parsing fails or produces poor results (due to incompatible formatting), the ATS may still accept your application but with incomplete data. This means the scoring algorithm won't have all your information, and the recruiter may see a garbled or incomplete profile.
Stage 3: Screening and Scoring
After parsing, the ATS runs your extracted data through its screening algorithm. It checks knockout criteria first—if you fail any automatic disqualifiers (wrong work authorization, missing required certification, etc.), your application may be immediately rejected with an automated email.
If you pass knockout criteria, the scoring algorithm calculates your relevance score based on keyword matches, experience level, education, and other factors. Your score determines your ranking position among all applicants for that position.
This entire screening process is automated and typically completes within minutes to hours of your submission. However, this score doesn't immediately trigger a recruiter review—recruiters check applications on their own schedules.
Stage 4: Recruiter Review
The timing of recruiter review varies widely. Some recruiters review applications daily, others weekly, and some wait until the application deadline passes before reviewing all candidates at once.
When the recruiter opens the job's candidate list, they see applicants ranked by score. They typically start reviewing from the top and work down until they have enough candidates to interview. For most positions, recruiters review the top 10-30 candidates.
If the recruiter is interested, they'll change your application status (e.g., from 'Under Review' to 'Interview Scheduled'), which may trigger another automated email to you. If they pass on your application, it may stay in the system indefinitely or be marked as 'Not Selected.'
- Day 0: Application received, confirmation email sent
- Day 0-1: Resume parsed and scored by ATS algorithm
- Day 1-14: Recruiter reviews top-ranked candidates (timing varies widely)
- Day 7-30: Selected candidates contacted for interviews
- Day 14-60: Hiring decision made, offer extended to selected candidate
Pro Tips
Check your email (including spam) within 24 hours of applying to confirm your application was received
Don't expect immediate human review—allow 1-2 weeks before following up, as recruiters batch-review applications
Follow up with a polite email to the recruiter after 1-2 weeks if you haven't heard back
Continue applying to other positions rather than waiting for one application to move forward
If you resubmit to the same company, update your resume first—some ATS platforms track duplicate applications
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Following up too quickly (within 1-2 days)—give the recruiter time to review the applicant pool
Assuming silence means rejection—many companies don't send rejection emails, and your application may still be under consideration
Resubmitting the exact same resume to the same posting, hoping for a different result
Not completing all required application fields, causing the ATS to reject your application at the intake stage