5 Ways to Trick the Resume Screening Robots

75% of recruiters and talent managers use some form of recruiting or applicant tracking software according to capterra.com. These resume screening robots, also termed applicant tracking systems (ATS)’s, are used to upload an applicant’s contact information, application, resume, and cover letter to a database.  The database ranks candidates based on the best fit for the position based on a number of factors.  Beware; these screening robots can even cause great candidates to be overlooked for several reasons:

Here are 5 ways to trick the resume screening robots:

1. Formatting.  Keep your resume as standard as possible when applying online. ATS software may have problems reading your resume and finding keywords if not a current Microsoft Word document. Do not place any graphics, tables, and charts in this version of your resume.
2. Inserting keywords. Using the job description to place keywords in your resume can be the reason why you are ranked number 5 vs. number 637 in the ATS software. When scanning through your resume, the software wants to choose the most relevant people for the job and those with the skills and expertise that are required for the position. Inserting keywords to your resume will also tailor your resume for each position and will show that you are not just applying for every position posted.
3. Avoid spelling errors at all costs. Having another person who is knowledgeable about resume writing, proof read your resume is a huge plus when you are trying to beat the robots. Some ATS software will automatically delete your resume if you have any spelling errors.
4. Place your resume content in sorting categories. Work Experience, Contact Information, Skills, and Education are all categories that should be placed in your resume. Changing the categories even slightly can cause the software to not correctly upload your work history.
5. Use bullets. Placing bullets in your resume rather than paragraph form is easier for both a recruiter and robot to read. The software can easily navigate through the bullets rather than long paragraphs for work experience and responsibilities.

Contact Bradley Staffing Group for great career advice.