Are you tired of applying to jobs and getting no response?
Say, you've applied for so many positions and messaged tons
of employers, and still you've heard nothing but crickets.
I'm Sinéad and I'm here to tell you that no matter how
frustrated you may feel applying to jobs and getting zero
feedback, do not--
I repeat-- do not question your abilities.
Instead, let's evaluate how recruiters determine
which candidates, or resumes rather, get chosen
and which do not and why.
Enter the Applicant Tracking System or the ATS.
Coming up in this video, we'll tell you
what exactly an Applicant Tracking System is,
how it works and give you tips to ensure that your resume is
optimized for an ATS.
Like a lot of things in today's world,
the recruitment process can be automated.
Recruiters have to look through hundreds of resumes.
So in order to speed up the process
of finding those who best fit the job requirements,
an Applicant Tracking System pulls specific data and skills
that the recruiter is looking for.
For example, if Sally from Coffee Mugs Incorporated
is looking for a Java developer, including skills
like object-oriented programming or Python
could increase her interest in your resume,
thus, increases your chances of being seen.
And while not every company uses an ATS,
it is so important to know how they work and how to beat them,
especially considering that 99% of Fortune 500 companies
use them and small to medium businesses are quickly
following suit.
Within the hiring process, an ATS
comes between "candidates apply" and "applicants are screened".
See, once you submit your resume,
the ATS scans and interprets your information
and then categorizes your experience
into buckets like education, skills, and experience.
And then once your information is sorted,
it's instantly compared to the job description.
The ATS scans for keywords like areas of experience, skills,
and other qualifications like certifications and degrees.
It then ranks your resume based on how well your information
matches the job description.
And the higher your resume is ranked,
the more prioritization your resume will get.
Now, if you want to be sure that your resume is exactly where it
needs to be in order to ensure that you're getting the best
job opportunities, you can get an instant scan of your resume
right up here.
OK, so there are two main areas where you can optimize
your resume for an ATS--
format and content.
In regards to format, Applicant Tracking Systems
are programmed to scan and parse text,
which means that any elements of your resume that
are heavily formatted can actually
cause readability issues.
I'm talking images, icons, tables and columns
which are all considered to be heavily formatted.
Using these elements can cause all kinds of readability issues
like covering or shifting your content,
or preventing an ATS from parsing
sections of your resume.
And that's why complex formatting is not recommended.
And that being said, perhaps the reason
that you do not get called in for an interview
was due to your resume format and not your qualifications
at all.
And because 75% of qualified job seekers
are rejected by an ATS due to readability issues,
take our advice--
use a simple format.
Now, in addition to simplifying your format,
be sure you also have dedicated labeled sections
for your experience, skills, and education
since this is how an ATS categorizes your content.
All right, so here's an example of a resume
that is not ATS-friendly.
And here is an example of a resume
that has the same content but is optimized to pass ATS.
Do you see the difference?
Now, if you want to show off your creative side
through your resume, you can do that with a physical copy
that you take into your interview.
You can also include a link to your creative portfolio
or personal website in your heading,
but for the purpose of applying for jobs online,
a simplified version is going to be your best bet.
And as far as file types, stick to a Word Doc or a PDF,
any files created with programs like InDesign pages
or Photoshop should definitely be converted.
Since the purpose of your resume is
to land you an interview, of course, simplifying your format
can get you one step closer.
So for more advice on how to format your resume,
be sure to check out this video right up here.
And once you've simplified your format,
it's time to focus on content.
Since an ATS scans for keywords that are coming from the job
description, you'll definitely want
to take the time to tailor your content so
that it aligns with the job that you're applying for.
In this example job description, we
can see a list of responsibilities
and a few desired qualifications.
As you're going through a job description,
take note of any keywords that stand out.
While skills are the best examples of keywords,
you can also find them in the responsibilities, education,
and certifications sections.
For example, we can see that for this position,
Selenium and Python are listed on the job description.
If these qualifications match yours,
you'll want to add them to your resume.
Skills and experience can be added
throughout like in your professional summary,
your skills section, and your work experience.
For skills that you find in the job description,
not only do you want to add them to your skills list,
but you also want to explain how you
use those skills in your experience.
Recruiters will verify your qualifications
during your interview so be sure to only add qualifications
and experience that you have and never misrepresent yourself.
Even if you land the job, you might
find that working in an ill-fitting role
might leave you feeling less fulfilled
and success might be harder to achieve.
So when it comes to your job search,
think quality over quantity.
And remember that the ATS is scanning resumes
to find qualified applicants based on keywords from the job
description.
Use a simplified resume format and tailor your content
to the role that you're applying for so that you can ensure
that you qualify and also that an ATS and recruiters can
see it too.
All right.
Now, if you found this video helpful,
be sure to give us a like down below,
subscribe to our channel right over here,
and of course hit that notification bell
to keep up with our weekly videos.
And for even more tips on resumes,
definitely check out this playlist right here.
And for a list of resume mistakes to avoid,
you definitely want to check out this video right up here.
I'm Sinéad, thank you all so much for watching and I'll see
you next time.