Unemployment rate in Canada currently stands at 5.7 percent, and it is growing. What this means is an increasing competition for the available jobs in the country. Due to the amazing salary structure in Canada, there is an endless list of applicants from all around the world. If you are searching for a job in Canada, you should be aware of a Canadian Tracking System.

Before we delve into the world of Canadian Applicant Tracking System, we must first understand what an Applicant Tracking System is.

So what is an Applicant Tracking System?

An Applicant Tracking System is a software that takes on the job of recruiters by selecting the right candidates for a job based on the resume submitted. The Applicant Tracking System deployed by a recruiter scans through a ton of applications in search of matching keywords. Most large organisations and a good number of small businesses now rely on such systems for recruitment purposes.

What then is a Canadian Applicant Tracking System?

A Canadian Applicant Tracking System is like any other regular system. It does the same job as any other ATS. The only difference is that Canadian ATS is programmed for Canadian companies. This means they are designed to scan for Canadian terms and language, resume formats, and Canadian English. By definition, a Canadian Applicant Tracking System is a software designed for Canadian recruiters to scan for applicants.

So how is Canadian Applicant Tracking System different from other Systems?

I’ll explain this in a few points;

• Canadian ATS recognises Canadian English Spellings; The vast majority of urban dwellers in Canada speak and write what is known as standard Canadian English, with influences from British English and American English. For instance, in spellings, words like ‘colour’ and ‘centre’ take the British cue. Meanwhile, words like ‘aluminum’ and ‘tire’ take the American spellings. Expectedly, a Canadian Applicant Tracking System will look out for such spellings.
• Canadian ATS also recognizes Canadian English ‘Language’: A few examples are the use of the American term ‘hood’ instead of the British term ‘bonnet’, ‘truck’ instead of ‘lorry’ and ‘freeway’ or ‘highway’ instead of ‘motorway’. If you’re ever to use any of these terms in your resume while applying to a Canadian company, be sure to use the right ones.
• Canadian Bots look out for Soft Skills: In keyword search, the Canadian ATS is programmed to look out for soft skills. So I’ll advise you to pay more attention to soft skills rather than hard skills, because that is what Canadian employers look out for more.

How does the Canadian ATS work?

Like most other Recruitment bots, the Canadian Applicant Tracking System is able to scan through hundreds of resumes in minutes. It then picks out only the top ranked resumes from the pack based on specifications already identified and installed. The ATS scans for skills (soft and hard skills), education, location of applicant, and other necessary details. It is best to leave all of the important information within the visible area and not above the header or below the footer. Canadian bots usually don’t see anything in those areas.

How to conquer Canadian ATS

First of all, there are hundreds of Applicant Tracking Systems out there. It doesn’t matter how well you do on those. If you’re applying to a Canadian company, ensure to get your resume tested and optimized on a Canadian Applicant Tracking System. You should focus on getting very high scores for good ranking, and then you can go ahead with your application.