A well written and concise resume is essential to engage the reader. Because of the quantity of the resumes employers receive, technology is increasingly playing a greater role in the recruitment process, with larger recruitment agencies and HR departments using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to undertake the initial screening and culling of job applications.
This ATS process may incorporate boolean search strings and often uses key word matching technologies. Most resume scanning software includes a keyword identifying and sorting system which has the capability of ranking or rating resumes based on the number of “keywords” contained in the resume. This means that your resume must contain the right key words and the right percentage of these words to come up as a match against the specific job you have applied for.
Resumes that don’t pass the search and match score required are unlikely to be viewed by human eyes. Whether or not this is the most effective way to hire is questionable however the reality is that this is the process that is frequently used. Knowing this, it is important to modify your resume for each job you are applying for, taking note of the criteria and skills listed in the Job Ad and insuring your resume reflects these words where they are relevant to your experience.
These days, the first review of your resume is most likely going to be through scanning software than a human being. Those resumes that make it past the screening technology will go through to the next round, where they are viewed by the Recruiter or Hiring Manager. They will generally spend less than 30 seconds going through each one. As with the search and match technology, they are looking to match your most recent jobs, education and skills against their job brief. However, it is always better to assume that a human is going to read your resume even if it doesn’t happen initially, it will happen when your resume passes through the keyword scan. When humans read your resume it is equally important to put the most important keywords early in your resume to engage the reader.
In her article, ‘Secrets of the resume gatekeeper’ Beth Kowitt, says there are no magical words that must appear on every resume. The things that people think are magical words are resume fluff. Terms like hard working, loyal and great communicator aren’t going to get you anywhere. She adds, “The person who’s writing the document needs to appeal to both the scanner and the person who’s scanning.”
Due to the technology involved in scanning the resumes, it is also important to keep the format of your resume simple and somewhat plain. A resume that is not formatted correctly won’t appear in a search for keywords, which in turn decreases the chances of being called up in an interview. Also, an overly formatted resume like with text in fancy fonts, special effects, graphics and logos, headers and footers is not advised.
It is important to note that the ATS screening technology is used by the larger employers and recruitment agencies. Some small companies are using scanning technology and searching the Web for resumes through ‘resume mining’ sites and technology.
Normally the more boutique or specialized recruitment agencies have a more ‘human approach’ and are open to hiring on potential rather than on ‘search and match’ criteria. Likewise, not all employers are using this technology. A good way to assess whether ATS is being used is, when you apply for the position, look at the bottom of the job search page and you should see if it is powered by an ATS such as Taleo and PageUp. Also, you will have to fill in a lengthy online application process and potentially even filtering questions.
The use of key words and the relevance of your resume content to the job (i.e. the job ad) are critical in determining whether you make the interview stage. This is why it is important to have multiple versions of your resume and to adapt / customise one as appropriate for each job application.
To access more information and resources on Resume Writing, visit the Six Figures Resume Writing Resources area.
9 Comments
I think large employers will increasingly use ATS systems if only to be in compliance with EEO and OFCCP rules. Very nice article.
James Seetoo
The Recruitment Underground
http://jamesseetoo.wordpress.com
Great article, Kelly.
This is something I’ve been banging my head up against for some time now.
The temptation is to dig in your heels, take your ball, and go home. But the reality is, unless you can figure out a different game to play, you’ve got to play by the rules everyone else is using.
-Steve.
Good article Kelly, with more applications more recruiters and employers are taking uo the use of keyword screening tools in their existing systems that they may not of been using before. A smart resume will come up with relevant seraches
This is one of the most important articles for not only new candidates to read and apply, but also for mature-aged candidates. Those who have grown up when effort to present a visually pleasing output actually did add to the potential of attention capture. A whole new technique is essential.
Very nice article. Thank you.
People do know that big companies use software for filtering resume. But, not many would take care of adding important keywords while writing their resume.
It is intresting to know that search keyword count increases the weigthage….
I would love to know more but I’m having great difficulty reading the white text against the grey background.
Thank you for the feedback about the blog design which is something we will take into account. I would be happy to email you electronic copies (black text on white) of those posts you are interested in. Should this be of interest please email me your details to info@sixfigures.com.au
I can’t thank this post enough !! I had always thought it better to use different words that what a common application would be using to convey the same information (just to be differentiable from the rest). Now I realize that what ought to be done is quite the opposite. One has got to know the right words and use them at the right place. Thanks a lot!!
Hi Kelly,
Very intersting article, it’s true that even the best computer search scripts dont compete with the human eye. anyone remember the classic MS word spellcheck error that would turn CV into Cave?