“Resume Oblivion” has been a hot topic in the news. The Wall Street Journal published an article, Your Resume vs. Oblivion, reporting that the percentage of large companies using computerized Applicant Tracking Systems to screen candidates is in the high 90%; almost all Fortune 500 companies rely on these programs.
The article points out that “the systems, which can cost from $5,000 to millions of dollars, are efficient, but not foolproof.” Specifically, “Tracking software … may miss the most-qualified applicant if that person doesn’t game the system by larding [sic - I think they mean loading] his or her résumé with keywords from the job description.”
The article offers advice, which I recommend reading, on “How to Beat the ‘Black Hole.’” However, the advice is not comprehensive. The first item, for instance, instructs job seekers to “mimic the keywords in the job description as closely as possible. If you’re applying to be a sales manager, make sure your résumé includes the words ‘sales’ and ‘manage’ (assuming you’ve done both!).”
Pardon me for saying so, but the above advice is 1) rudimentary, 2) a no-brainer and 3) limited in its value. The problem is that 99% of the people applying for a sales manager job are going to have the words “sales” and “manage” in their resumes! Therefore, you will not get higher on any list by including these keywords. The same goes for most of the keywords in the job description, since many job seekers are getting savvy about matching their resumes to the posting.
The Wall Street Journal is not the only major news provider who delivered misleading or incomplete information on this topic. Take NPR’s 16-minute segment entitled Keeping Your Resume Out of Online Oblivion, where callers related stories of how they got interviews despite the reign of Applicant Tracking Systems. View it here:
You will hear some creative solutions in this spot on how to make it past the computers. You will also hear something misleading: that hiring managers (i.e., human beings) program the ATS software to screen for certain terms.
Do you really think that a company like Google or Starbucks is going to have a human being sit there and punch keywords into a computer for each of the thousands of jobs they post every day? Think again.
No, human beings do not program these systems — the systems program themselves! The keywords the computers are looking for are determined by the computers. And this is why qualified candidates are so often overlooked.
In my estimation, to beat a computer you need a computer. That’s why I make sure that every one of my clients who applies to a mid- to large-sized company puts his or her resume through a computerized system, Preptel’s Resumeter. I have written about this program before (see How to Write a Resume that Beats the Computers), and I keep becoming a bigger and bigger fan. Preptel gives an actual view of how your resume is read by the computers, and, starting later this week, will coach you step by step through the process of fixing the formatting. Isn’t that better than the vague advice given in the WSJ article to “keep the formatting on your résumé simple and streamlined”?
Preptel will also tell you what keywords the computers have deemed important. Trust me, you won’t figure these out on your own. Here’s a sample:
adding creative input
bim publishing software
or ad tags
the bim publishing
widgets pages content
with station contacts
If you include even one or two of these wacky strings of words in addition to the ones in the job description, your resume will move up in the pile. Add three of the strings and you will have a great chance of success, especially if you also meet the other qualifications in the job description. If you’re not sure how to incorporate the keywords you need, and don’t want to register for Preptel yourself, The Essay Expert will be glad to work with you and give you a free report on how your resume is stacking up.
If you’re a do-it-yourself-er, sign up for Preptel’s Free Trial and get a reduced subscription price of $19.99/month. I can’t think of a better investment to make in your job search.
Related posts:
- How to Write a Resume that Beats the Computers
- Cutting and Pasting Job Descriptions will Get Your Resume in the Trash Bin
- 12 Eye-Catching Resume Tips – from New Grad Life
- Resume Ignored by Online Application Sites? Here’s Why. From New Grad Life
- Why Your Job Board Applications Aren’t Working
Tags: applicant tracking systems, ATS, Job Search, Preptel, resume software, Resume Tips, Resumes
