One of the biggest challenges in today's labor market is finding ways for job seekers and recruiting managers to meet. In spite of the high unemployment rate, many companies are actually finding it hard to find the right people. Job candidates typically have less than a 2% chance of getting an interview with the applicant tracking systems that are widely used by companies intended to help corporate talent acquisition teams find the right people. "The problem is the lack of the electronic match-making between a resume and a job description," stated Jane Roqueplot, the owner of JaneCo's Sensible Solutions. She continued, "With the ATS, computers, not people, read a resume and at least 75% of resumes are discarded for using the wrong key words, more than 20% of resumes don't make the list due to formatting issues, and only 1% of all the applicants get an interview."Loading Your Resume with Keywords:
Facts for Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Evaluations
Many job seekers are being told that technology is the reason for packing a resume and cover letter with key words. Job seekers are being advised that their resumes will not be effective without using the right key words for the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that companies are using for screening the resumes of applicants.
Fact 4 Success:
While using language in your resume that mirrors your target company's needs
is imperative, key word packing is not! It's more important to understand why and how to take your resume and cover letter focus beyond the science of buzzwords. There are valid reasons to avoid investing time, resources and talent in trying to program resumes and cover letters specifically for the technology of ATS.
Fact 4 Success:
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) vary. While you may think you've hit the keyword jackpot by following the rules of the keyword-packing for one particular ATS, you're limiting yourself.
Fact 4 Success:
Not every company uses ATS screening. Suffice it to say, companies come in all sizes, Not every organization has the means, or chooses to apply their recruiting budget to ATS software.
Fact 4 Success:
Human beings program the screening systems and human beings ultimately read resumes. Despite the naysayers out there, a resume should be written for a human being's eyes and ears. (Note: An ASCII/plain text conversion of your design-savvy resume is a simple solution for uploading into ATS systems; creating two separate resumes simply is not needed.)
Fact 4 Success:
Network your way into interviews. While the Internet's vastness and ease for trumpeting your resume makes initial sense, you must remember that managing your career, and your job search, requires much more than technology uploads and clicks.
Fact 4 Success:
Job seekers have stories to tell about themselves, yet too many get caught up in the keyword frenzy. Instead of the overused language in job qualifications, it's more important to identify and illustratively describe specific accomplishments in your resume and cover letters, including metrics, when possible.
Fact 4 Success:
A major key, often ignored, is including interpersonal skills and behavioral strengths on your resume and cover letter. Showcasing "people knowledge and an awareness of diverse communication preferences" is as important, if not more so, than hard skills. Also because it's unlikely to be able to know that style of the reader, writing resumes and cover letters to match the needs of the various reading styles is another real key for landing the interview and the job offer.
Unlocking Your Potential:
Don't get bogged down in a keyword gaming struggle. You are a person and people are an employer's greatest resource. Even technology is programmed by people!