Debunking the "white font" resume hack from TikTok

Here's how the hack goes: You include keywords (or the entire job description!) onto your resume, but in white font. This way, they're invisible to human eyes, but visible to Application Tracking Systems (ATS) – those software programs that most companies use to sift through resumes. 

The belief is that by stuffing your resume with all the keywords the ATS wants to see, you can game the system. The ATS will supposedly pick up these hidden keywords and rank your resume as a top match for the job, even if these terms aren't explicitly part of your actual qualifications or experience.

But does this hack really do the trick? Or is it just another urban legend? We did some digging and chatted with actual recruiters to get the scoop on "white fonting."

But first, what is an ATS?

But first, let's talk about what an ATS actually is.

Contrary to popular belief, ATS's are not robot overlords that automatically reject resumes missing the right keywords. They're just software programs that companies use to manage the mountain of applications they receive. 

One freelance recruiter walked us through their ATS. The first page was a bunch of tables showing the candidate pipeline for each role they were recruiting for. It looked something like this:

Designer

Sales

Marketing

When you click into each role, you get to see all the candidates at each stage of the pipeline. Then when you click into each candidate, you can view their resume and email them directly from the ATS to set up an interview, reject them, what have you. 

So ATS's are essentially productivity tools that help companies stay on top of all the applications they get. 

But don't ATS's automatically reject candidates?

No, the recruiters we spoke to assured us that they themselves do the rejecting. In other words, ATS systems do NOT automatically reject applicants based on the contents of their resumes.

Instead, what a lot of them do these days is rate each applicant's resume against the job description. For example, a corporate recruiter who's used ATS's with this feature explained to us that each applicant gets a "candidate match score."

So the system will say if they're an "80% match" or "60% match." It may even flag candidates with very low match percentages, meaning their resume doesn’t align well with the job requirements. The recruiter then reviews the applications, typically starting with those that have the highest match percentages.

However, keep in mind that not all ATS's and recruiters work the same way!

• Some ATS systems don't rank candidates. One ATS provider, for instance, believes this method may be biased.
• Recruiters can and do ignore the ratings. Another recruiter we spoke to, for instance, found ATS rankings hit-or-miss and said they don't use them.

So, what's the takeaway? Simple: ATS systems vary, and so do the ways recruiters use them. This is a key point to remember, especially when we circle back to our main topic: the whole 'white fonting' thing.

Why white fonting can backfire

#1 The ATS may display your white font

Part of the difficulty of "gaming" an ATS is that there are so many ATS's out there! You have no idea how a company's ATS will handle all the extra text you you sneaked in.

Take this, for example: some ATS systems grab every word from your resume and put it on a profile page. So, when a recruiter checks out your profile in the ATS, surprise! All that 'invisible' text you added? It's now out in the open, cluttering up your resume and drowning out the real stuff you wanted them to see.

Here's how one tech recruiter describes her experience with this:

"Applicant tracking systems use optical character recognition technology to parse data, meaning to pull the text out of the resume,” she explains. “So what ends up happening is it’s going to pull those key words and it’s going to put it somewhere.” Once a human intervenes and reads the text, they’ll quickly see that the job description has been lifted to pad your resume. The extra text could distract the reader from the actual substance of your resume that spells out your qualifications. – CNBC

#2 Recruiters will find out

Even if your resume gets past an ATS, it will be reviewed by a human recruiter who will (trust us) figure out what you've done.

To those of us in the recruitment world, the white font hack isn't new. As the Washington Post explains, "Some people started using white font decades ago to help their résumés surface in recruiter searches on online job boards."

Recruiters are pretty savvy; if they get suspicious, they'll highlight all the text on your resume. And just like that, your hidden words are exposed. 

This hack has been circulating for years now. Many recruiters are aware of it. A quick 'select all' of the text on one’s résumé could uncover this and get a person rejected. – Senior recruiter @ Google

Once they catch on, recruiters are likely to lose trust in your application and move on to someone they can trust.

#3 You may even be blacklisted

Here's the real kicker: if you try the white font trick and get caught, you might not just be out for this job – you could be nixed from all future roles at the company.

That's because ATS systems are designed to store info on all candidates, even those who don't make the cut. This is so recruiters can circle back to potential fits for future openings.

But if word gets out that you tried to play the system, recruiters might just decide you're not the kind of candidate they're looking for – ever. So, this little hack could end up costing you more than just one job opportunity. 

What you should do instead of white fonting

#1 Make sure you answer EVERY application question

When you're applying for jobs, you'll often find that applications include specific questions alongside the usual resume upload. These might be questions like:

• Are you legally authorized to work in the US?
• Do you have a bachelor's degree?
• Are you willing to relocate for this job?

It's really important to answer every one of these questions carefully – don't just write "see resume attached." That's because these aren't just any questions – they're known as "knock-out" questions and they check if you meet the basic requirements needed for the job. 

For example, if the job asks for a bachelor's degree and you say you don't have one, the ATS will automatically reject your application or (in some cases) stop you from moving onto the remaining questions.

So if you're getting any immediate, automated rejections, it's because you're getting "knocked out" at this stage. After this first check, any rejections you get are coming from real people – the recruiters or hiring managers, so now let's discuss how to get past them!

#2 Optimize your resume for ATS in other ways

There are ways to optimize your resume for the ATS. In general, this means keeping your resume simple so that even the most basic of ATS systems can parse it.

#3 Optimize your resume for humans

Last but not least, always prioritize making your resume human-friendly. Remember: ultimately, real people – recruiters and hiring managers – will be reading your resume. Any attempts to outsmart an ATS won't help if your resume doesn't appeal to these human readers.

This is not to mention the fact that not all companies use ATS's. Many start-ups (like ours) don't use ATS's because we don't hire frequently enough to justify paying for one. So white fonting won't "game the system," because, well, companies like ours don't have one!

So, when applying to any company, you should always focus on convincing HUMANS before worrying about bots. 

• Think carefully about why you're the ideal candidate for the internship. Your resume should clearly tell this story, showcasing your skills, experiences, and qualities that align with what the role requires.
• Think about how your resume reads from a human perspective: Is it easy for readers to spot the most important information? (Recruiters recommend bolding skills to make them easier to find, for instance). Is the information presented clearly and concisely or is there lots of distracting fluff?

Remember, a resume that's thoughtfully tailored and easy to read can make a significant impact on your chances of moving forward in the hiring process – far more than any optimization for ATS systems. For our best resume tips, check out our ultimate guide to writing resumes for students.

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