Don’t get buried by the ATS. 3 quick ways to help your resume stand out.

72% of resumes are never seen by employers thanks to Applicant Tracking Systems (Source: Forbes).

Jobscan.co reports than now 98% of companies are using an ATS.

This month’s edition of the The Economist shared an interesting article titled, “How an algorithm may decide your career“. According to the article, “ Two years ago Goldman Sachs received a quarter of a million applications from students and graduates. Those are not just daunting odds for jobhunters; they are a practical problem for companies. If a team of five Goldman human-resources staff, working 12 hours every day, including weekends, spent five minutes on each application, they would take nearly a year to complete the task of sifting through the pile.”

As a job seeker, how can you get past the ATS?

-Optimize your resume for every job you apply for. Read the job description carefully and lift words from each job post’s expected duties, responsibilities, and skills sections. Use those keywords in your resume.

-Don’t use Times New Roman. According to CIO Online some ATS have a difficult time reading serif fonts.

– Network. There is no better way to ensure your resume gets viewed than by giving it to the decision maker yourself.

Thoughts?

#resume #networking #jobsearch

Author

  • Sarah Johnston

    I’m a former corporate recruiter and industry “insider” who got tired of seeing talented high-achievers get passed over for opportunities because they did not have the right marketing documents or know how to position themselves in interviews. I have relocated multiple times across the country as a “trailing spouse” and have had to execute job searches in completely cold markets (where I literally knew no one!) I have been named a LinkedIn Top Voice in the career space in 2019, HR Weekly’s Top 100 Most Influential People in HR, named the owner of the “best resume writing firm for experienced executives” by Balance Careers and a “top follow” by JobScan in 2019 and 2020.

Sarah Johnston

Sarah Johnston is a former corporate recruiter and industry "insider" with a passion for empowering high-achievers in their career journeys. Frustrated by talented individuals being overlooked due to ineffective marketing documents and interview strategies, Sarah made it her mission to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge to succeed. As a seasoned "trailing spouse" who relocated multiple times, she understands the challenges of executing job searches in unfamiliar markets. Sarah's expertise and impact have earned her recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2019 and a spot on HR Weekly's Top 100 Most Influential People in HR. Her resume writing firm has been acclaimed as the best for experienced executives by Balance Careers, while JobScan listed her as a top follow in 2019 and 2020.

Need focused coaching time?

Let’s get started