If getting a job during the global pandemic wasn’t hard enough, recruiters around you have added another complication to the mix. Even though it might feel like you’re throwing resumes into a black hole on the daily – it might probably be a new recruiter shtick you aren’t aware of yet.
Before the holy hands of an HR professional touch your resume, the document has to go through an automated scanner that can reject your application even before a recruiter gets to see it.
Sounds unfair, right?
Well, many companies receive several resumes for a job opening and filtering through an ocean to find the perfect trout can be hard even with a document sorting software. So in this case, using an Application Tracking System (ATS) can make sense.
Luckily for you, getting past an ATS isn’t as hard as it may seem.
Use these tricks so your resume sails through a raging ocean elegantly.
1. Apply to Relevant Roles Only
ATS can often get a bad rap because a robot is presumably a barrier between your dream job – but is it really?
Several industry professionals claim that they only read 25% of the resumes they receive. Why? Because the majority of the applicants are irrelevant for the position or are under qualified! Imagine looking for an entry-level financial advisor and finding a dentist’s resume in the mix.
In a case like this, the ATS’s decision is justified. Try to include as many transferrable skills on your resume as you can – it makes you look adaptive!
2. One Job Per Company!
Thanks to an ATS, the recruiter can also see every role that you have applied to. This can often send a bad impression because the company might not know what you’re interested in or what your expertise is.
“Is he skilled at SEO?”
“Is he great at Budgeting?”
“Maybe he’s an expert graphic designer!”
Because of a discussion like such – the HR professional will decide that ignoring your application is the best option. However, applying to two positions isn’t always bad! If you can see two similar roles are available, and you have a diverse set of skills that can help you excel at both positions – apply away!
But if you see that an entry-level job and a position for a director has opened up then you’re better off keeping your resume with yourself.
Take out time.
Consider what you want.
The recruiter won’t do it for you!
3. Use Appropriate Keywords
At the very core, getting past an ATS is all about making it believe you’re a relevant candidate. Another way you can do that is by using the right keywords. An ATS quite literally searches for bits of information that have been fed into it by an HR professional.
This is usually the job description for the role which is visible to you as well! So before you apply, use appropriate keywords from the job posting so your application can look relevant!
Conclusion
This might feel overwhelming, but here’s the bright side: once you get past ATS – impressing humans is a piece of cake!
Contact Us
APN Consulting is a premier staffing recruitment agency with over 16 years of experience working in the field. To get in touch with our expert team of recruiters, you can contact us directly online or email us at contactus@apnconsultinginc.com. Be sure to also visit our job portal for the latest job openings.