Job Tips, Job News, Job Search – Blog by Browse Local Jobs

In today’s market, hiring managers are flooded with hundreds and sometimes thousands of resumes. Few companies have the human resources teams needed to process all of these resumes. To get around this issue, most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems. These systems, also called ATS, automate the process of filtering out resumes that don’t quite fit the needs of the company. With a little bit of tweaking, your resume can make it through these automated systems and still catch the eye of the hiring manager.

To make sure your resume gets read, check it over to make sure it follows these simple rules:

Industry and job specific keywords – Every job and industry has its own jargon or keywords. Make sure you include relevant keywords that relate to your target position and industry. Most ATS systems will filter out resumes that don’t contain specific keywords. A lot of them will also filter out resumes that contain too many keywords on one page. To get around this, make sure to use the keywords in the context of your resume.

Don’t inflate – In a recent study by HireRite, 80% of resumes include some misleading information. People commonly misstate degrees they have earned, employment dates, salary, job descriptions, or references. This has always been the case, but in the past, few people had the time to check every detail of an applicant’s resume. However, that has changed in the past few years. Now, many ATS systems automatically confirm most of this information before a hiring manager even sees your resume.

Resume Length – There is no such thing as a standard resume length. However, there are certain norms for different pay scales. Many applicant tracking systems will throw out resumes that are either too long or too short to fit the job requirement.

Samples of similar resumes – Read a few resumes for similar job titles to make sure your resume is similar to your competitors. Check for length, keywords, and key accomplishments. Do not copy anything in the samples. Just make sure your resume is competing on the same level. This will also increase your chances of impressing the hiring manager once you get through the automated system.

Final Review – Before sending a single resume, confirm employment dates and your contact info. Then check your resume. Spell Check, Spell Check, Spell Check. Once you’re done spell checking, Grammar Check. Then do a final manual, spell check. The terms and keywords that need to be included often get overlooked by automatic spell checkers, but are caught quickly by the ATS, HR, or Hiring manager. Also let a third-party (boy- or girlfriend, spouse, friend, family) look over it as four eyes see more than two.

Once your resume passes these simple rules, it will be more likely to make it through the applicant tracking systems. It will also be more likely to catch the attention of the hiring manager. If you want to increase your odds even higher create a few copies of your resume that focus on the length & keywords that are important for a specific job title.

Related posts:

1. Unique Resume Formats for Unique Situations
2. Common Resume Mistakes
3. Resume Writing Tips, Do’s and Don’ts
4. Resume Tips: Overcoming Lack of Experience Rejection Letters
5. What’s the Objective of Your Resume?