Today's job seekers need to think about one more type of audience when preparing their resume. In the past, one simply had to send their resume and a person would scan it, but today's employers are also relying on Applicant Tracking Systems.
Related:4 Quick Ways To Improve Your Executive Resume
When you have both technology and the human reviewer looking at your resume, there are some things that need to be done differently on the resume. Here are common subtle mistakes people make that should be avoided:
1. Missing space between the slash (/).
While you may think your resume is covering the bases by including key terms between slashes, it may actually be missing the mark when you don't have a space between it. For ex. “Financial Analyst/Business Analyst" looks fine to the human eye, but to the Applicant Tracking System, it does not recognize the “/" as a break between words if the search criteria the employer puts in is only for the terms “Financial Analyst" and “Business Analyst." You're better off adding a space before and after the “/," like “Financial Analyst / Business Analyst."
2. Listing more than one job title and employment periods under one employer.
Applicant Tracking Systems have a method to scanning resumes. It looks for dates to locate job titles and employers. When you indicate multiple job titles and dates under one employer, it confused the ATS. Only list one period of employment with each employer like this:
XYZ Company, Office Manager (2010-Present)
Started as an Administrative Assistant and earned promotions to Executive Assistant and Office Manager.
3. Including your zip code.
Applicant Tracking Systems will also look at your city, state and zip code to determine if you are in a commutable distance and if you are not, you will be de-ranked. You do not need a street address but whether you are relocating or not, the zip code must be within a commutable distance.
4. Not following a writing format that is Applicant Tracking Systems-friendly.
Applicant Tracking Systems have a certain way of reading and deciphering information. It identifies your position by looking for a pattern of information like Company name, Title, and Dates of employment – and they must be on your resume in that order. When you add other information like Company name followed by some brief information about the employer (for ex. “Leading provider in…), it messes up how the software is to read your information.
5. Using an email address that dates yourself.
Yes, your email address can reveal a lot more than you think. Typically anyone using an AOL email address is over the age of 45. Also, an email address with numbers like johnsmith1970@.... is often interpreted as the year of birth. Avoid dating yourself by simply signing up for a free Gmail email address and not including any numbers. Keep it simple like your first name, last name or brand it to your profession or industry like TaxExpert@.....
6. Not including a Profile Summary at the beginning of your resume.
The word “profile" or “summary" tells the Applicant Tracking Systems what section follows. Without it, the system can skip the entire section. So make sure your resume has these important keywords.
7. Indicating you have over 25 or 30 years of experience.
When you have a significant amount of experience working in the field or industry, avoid specifying a random number like “30 years of experience." What you want to do is round it off like “20+ years of experience." And when you list your experience, don't go too far back. Employers are generally interested in the last 10-15 years of your work experience – anything beyond that is often ignored.
8. Burying experience with well-known companies.
Experience working with well-known companies in your field or industry is a major attraction to potential employers, so don't bury it at the bottom of your resume or on the second page. If you worked for Microsoft 10 years ago, don't let it be buried on page two. Mention it upfront, like in your Profile Summary and in your cover letter.
All of these pointers may appear simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many job seekers miss the mark on job opportunities because of it. Don't be one of them!
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Don Goodman's firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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