Everyone knows the feeling of hitting submit on your job application and then never hearing back from anyone.
You may be wondering what kind of void your resume disappears into. Nowadays, that void is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). While daunting, ATS isn’t something to fear but rather to master. Here are some ways you can help your resume pass through this automated system.
Avoid anything fancy.
Rather than something showy of the past, now think of your resume as a sort of map. And just like a map, the easier it is to navigate, the better. So, remove elaborate headers or footers and sidebars that jumble up your information. Instead, clearly divide your sections in parts with simple descriptions, like Education and Experience. It may be hard not to make it “pretty” like in the past, but overcome this urge to help your resume be “seen” by the computer.
Optimize your numbers.
Turns out, ATS is into numbers. Use this to your advantage by bringing your accomplishments to light with quantifiable metrics. If you increased sales by a certain percentage, give that a number. If you were part of a project that was able to come in under budget, give that a number too. Think about all of your accomplishments and which ones you can quantify.
Identify and use keywords.
Hiring managers will use ATS to search your resume for keywords. You find these keywords by reading the job description closely and noting which words are used frequently. Once you have this list, compare them against your experiences to use them as often as possible by rewriting your descriptions. Be careful not to stretch the truth just to add these keywords, and only stick to your actual experiences.
So, the next time you get really frustrated about sending out dozens of resumes with no response, remember that likely you were only rejected by a robot. Get into the minds of these machines, and you’re more likely to get a callback. More and more companies use them and as many as 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies will scan your resume with an ATS. Take out your resume and start looking for ways to update it for an ATS today.
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