Keeping in mind that 80% of all jobs are obtained through referrals and that networking is still the best method of finding a new position, there may be times when you will need to apply online. For this reason, you need to know how to optimize your chances of avoiding the pitfalls of applicant tracking software and securing an interview.
Applicant tracking systems can be a wonderful tool for hiring managers and recruiters but they can be a bottomless pit for you, the candidate.
A resume must be accurately targeted to the open position with appropriate keywords and highlighted experiences. According to Talent Innovations Group, Inc. and applicant tracking system (ATS) vendors contacted by TheLadders, to ensure your resume gets where it needs to go, receives the best possible ranking, and maximize your chances of getting an interview you need to use the following checklist:
1. Apply only to positions that match your experience and skills.
2. Do not send your resume as an attachment unless advised to do so. Paste your ASCII file into the body of the e-mail (Cover letter and resume).
3. Keep the subject field simple when e-mailing a resume and do not use words in the document or headline of the e-mail that could be misinterpreted by spam filters:
- Avoid using exclamation marks out of the subject line and body of text.
- Do not put punctuation of any kind in the subject.
- Do not use all capitals in the subject.
- Eliminate words used by spammers – free, great offer, investment, prescription, medication, mortgage – in the subject or body of the e-mail.
4. Before you e-mail your resume to a recruiter or employer, you can check the probability that it will get through (or not) by running it through Sparklist's "Free Content Checker."
5. Include a professional or executive profile or summary at the top of your resume, followed by a list of bulleted qualifications and / or achievements.
6. Customize the professional / executive summary and bulleted list(s) with keywords that match the targeted job.
7. Include the keywords from job postings in your summary, bulleted qualifications, and achievements.
8. Remember that keywords are not enough. State-of-the-art ATS technology also uses contextualization. Frame keywords with descriptive material that demonstrates experience and familiarity with the subject.
9. Do not use abbreviations.
10. Avoid misspellings.
11. Use standard capitalization, not all lowercase or all capital letters. Improper capitalization annoys recruiters.
12. Fill in all the information requested by an online application process, even if it is listed as optional. Recruiters often sort by optional information to filter out applicants.
13. Fill in all information requested by an online application process, even if it’s included in your resume. This information can be used to filter out applicants before a hiring manager comes to the point of opening the resume itself.
14. If you’re being referred by an employee, make sure the ATS knows it, because it’s smart enough to care and will rate your resume higher.
15. If the ATS offers options, opt for uploading your resume instead of cutting and pasting. This feature often parses information and saves it in the optimal format, ensuring the cleanest presentation.
16. To avoid causing problems with the ATS with a highly formatted resume, make sure your resume is in a clear, concise format, with your contact information located at the top instead of in the header or footer. Avoid using headers and footers.
17. Do not include graphics or logos on a resume; they can garble the information the ATS processes.
18. Respond within 24 hours after hearing from a company.
19. Keep an eye on spam folders. Filters are so sensitive today that they can recognize e-mail that’s automatically generated — a category which both spam and follow-up e-mail generated from an ATS program can fall into.
20. Adhere to instructions provided in follow-up e-mail. If the follow-up e-mail lacks a phone number but directs you to respond with your availability, respond via e-mail, not by calling. This will likely get you the fastest response.
21. If you receive an automatically generated rejection e-mail, immediately contact the recruitment officeadvise you of the best way to replace the resume currently in the ATS with one containing better keywords and phrases. of the rejecting organization or a sympathetic administrative assistant — anyone who can
22. When reapplying after an initial rejection, tweak executive summaries and bulleted lists of key skillsachievements. Do not alter your work history elements. and
23. When reapplying, don’t try to use a different e-mail address from the one you used on your first try. This isn’t enough to avoid a duplicate record in advanced systems such as Taleo, which use multiple candidate identifiers, so make sure to follow Step #21.
24. Once your customized resume has been resubmitted, contact the appropriate recruiter (or sympathetic gatekeeper) and request that your updated resume be reviewed for the open position.
25. If possible, follow-up on your e-mail with a "snail mail" version sent to the real postal address.
It is a legitimate reason to call an employer to check to see if they received your message. And, MAYBE, when you have them on the phone, you may be able to:
- Connect with a live person who will help you get that job
- Do a soft-selling job to get that interview
- Learn what are "next steps" in their hiring process
- Ask when and where they post their job openings
- Discover the reason you didn't get interviewed
- Find out who has a reservation about hiring you and what it is
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