Have you recently begun a search for a new job? Have you received any responses after submitting your resume? If not, it’s because of your resume being screened out by an applicant tracking system. What is an applicant tracking system? It is a resume screening algorithm that scans for relevant keywords and phrases inside your resume. Let’s take a closer look at how an applicant tracking system works.
It’s Like Google
When you type in a word or phrase into Google’s search field, you are setting certain parameters on which Google will search. It scans websites for the keyword or phrase that you entered and returns all the relevant search results on one page. Similarly, applicant tracking systems search resumes for keywords or phrases that a hiring manager sets. Once the resume is scanned, it will receive a score from the applicant tracking system and will be sent to a hiring manager or not based on the resume’s score.
Words Matter
The keywords and phrases that are contained in your resume are vital to the chances of your resume being sent to a hiring manager. There are two types of words that an applicant tracking system searches for qualifying and disqualifying. It takes skill and experience to understand what kinds of keywords and phrases will be accepted by an applicant tracking system. If disqualifying keywords are used, your resume will receive a low score and be flagged as irrelevant. Once your resume is marked as not relevant, it will be deleted rather than saved.
Qualifying keywords are relevant to your experience and the job for which you are applying. The more relevant keywords and phrases you have, the greater chance your resume will be forwarded to a hiring manager. Even if your resume isn’t immediately sent to a hiring manager, if the applicant tracking system ranks your resume high enough, it will be stored in a searchable database for other relevant positions at a company. You could apply for a job tomorrow and hear nothing from the company for weeks or months, but then you are contacted about your resume because the applicant tracking system recognized the relevancy of your resume for a similar position.
Will My Resume Make it Past an Applicant Tracking System?
Chances are that your resume will not make it past an applicant tracking system if it is over ten years old. Ideas from the past about how a resume should be formatted and what should be included on it just won’t work today. Things that were recommended in the 2000s, such as including your picture on a resume, will serve to confuse the applicant tracking system. If your resume is formatted in the wrong way, the applicant tracking system will immediately reject it, which means there is zero chance of a hiring manager seeing it.
Optimize Your Resume
If your resume has not been updated recently, then your best chance of getting past an applicant tracking system and to a hiring manager is to optimize your resume. Are you looking for a job in the medical field but are currently working in the shipping industry? An optimized resume will use your skill
sets and experience in the shipping industry and make them relevant to the medical field. An optimized resume does not exaggerate or lie about an applicant’s skills or experience but shows the applicant tracking system how they are relevant.
Brian Bailie Jr Writing Service Can Help
If you have not been getting interviews with your resume, call us today or fill out our contact form. We will be happy to discuss optimizing your resume and getting the job you want! Don’t wait another day for your ideal job; call now!