The job seeker journey has evolved. The first step to scoring an interview is no longer to merely get your resume in front of the right person. In today’s hiring process, your resume must first get past an Applicant Tracking System.
The Applicant Tracking System (known as ATS to those in the biz) is the technology that runs the online application process when you submit your interest with a company, houses your resume, and tracks your status for recruiters during the hiring process. It’s also the tool often used to filter candidates based on their relevancy for a company’s hiring needs.
What does this mean for getting hired? In the 2015 hiring game, optimizing your resume for both technology and for people is key for you to get your eager foot in the door. Familiarize yourself with resume keyword optimization and you’ll give yourself a critical job seeking advantage.
Know the Machine
The very first thing that happens when you apply to 90 percent of companies, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, is that your resume submits directly to the ATS’ parser. Yes, a parser is exactly as it sounds—its main function is to “parse down” your resume by removing the styling and condensing it down into a string of text, with the purpose of mainly identifying important words.
Parsers are designed to replicate the human scanning process by looking for keywords and key phrases within your resume that match the applied for job description. After searching for keywords, it then sorts your resume content into the following categories:
- Education
- Contact Information
- Skills
- Work Experience
Most Applicant Tracking Systems rank resumes based on a proprietary algorithm of the above criteria, as well as by desired skills and keywords, thus determining your fit for the role. Keep in mind that different areas are weighted differently depending on the company, the position, the ATS and even the recruiter. Unfortunately, there is no way to know each company’s distinct hiring formula, so focus on optimizing each portion of your resume and editing your resume specifically for each job to which you apply.
Before you rid your resume of all formatting, remember that although getting past the parser is the first step to get an interview, the next step is still managed by people, so it is best to optimize your resume for bots, as well as the human eye.
Keyword Optimization
When it comes to resumes, adding the right keywords can add a significant difference in your rate of responses. While it may be easy to look at a job description and consider yourself qualified, remember that how you phrase that particular experience on your resume plays an important role in how experienced you look for the job.
For example, a bot may not be able to tell that, “Identified contributing factors for client retention,” is the same as “Highly experienced in Data Analysis,” so it is best to include both the action and the means by which you accomplished the work, such as:
“Identified contributing factors for client retention using data analysis, including statistical models and regression analysis.”
Another way to optimize your resume for keywords is to use similar phrasing used in the job description. While this means reworking your resume with each application, you increase the likelihood of matching for a job and, as a result, hearing back from the employer. Remember to keep the following keyword integration tips handy:
Job Title
Include the title of the job you’re applying for in your resume. If you were labeling yourself as, “Sales Manager,” but the company you are applying at refers to the position as “Business Development,” integrate both variations into your resume.
Job Description
Read the job description and look for the key phrases that stand out. Work these into your resume in the experience, skills and education sections. Consider looking at other job listings for the same positions and see what keywords they use for additional ideas.
Industry Slang
While it may be common knowledge that RN equals registered nurse, and that JS means Javascript, more complex acronyms, company-specific and highly industry-specific terms may not be understood by parsers. To avoid losing your spot for your dream job, incorporate both long-form and short-form variations of acronyms and niche terms. In short, don’t write your resume in code.
Spelling Counts
It should go without saying that having correct spelling throughout your resume is essential, but this is especially true when dealing with parsers. A misspelled keyword can land you in the rejection pile quickly.
The Perfect Balance
Undoubtedly, a lot of work goes into the job application process. While it may be tempting to simply keyword stuff your resume to get it in the door, it is important to know that the way you approach your job search conveys who you are as a candidate. Still fighting the urge to keyword stuff? Most systems are smart enough to recognize keyword stuffing, and if they are not, your attempt at keyword stuffing can dilute the strength of the more integral keywords you included.
The safest bet is to make sure your resume sounds human, as it still needs to hit home with both the recruiter and hiring manager, post-parser. Think of the parser as the first hurdle to get passed, but know that it is equally, if not more important, that your resume resonates with the people who will be making the decision as to whether or not to call you in for the much coveted in-person interview.