Most major companies, recruiters and job boards use an automated system for uploading, storing, managing, classifying and sorting through resumes. These applicant tracking systems are used to screen the massive numbers of resumes received in response to job postings on the internet. The system culls resumes, using a series of keywords and phrases, to determine which resumes represent the best “fit” for the position. No human even sees the resume until the computer has selected the top candidates for the position.
Resume Screening Systems are getting Smarter
While applicant tracking systems have been around for some time the latest systems employ sophisticated contextualized resume screening. This is far superior to the old technology as keywords can be judged on how long ago the experience was acquired and how it relates to the career path. For example, the “system” is able to rate a resume a better match if the experience is current versus experience that may have been gained 10 years ago.
Given this level of technological sophistication it's not surprising to read feedback like this from a disappointed job seeker:
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"As a former job seeker, I find it disrespectful and unfair that companies expect applicants to put in the time to write a proper cover letter and CV only for these documents to be screened electronically through platforms such as snaphire. In return, applicants get a generic message telling them their application had been declined and that they should not reply to the email as it’s an auto-generated message."
NZ Herald October 2011
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What you dont't know know can hurt you
So much for the employer on brand experience. Apart from that, it seems that this job seeker simply wasn't aware how systems like snaphire work although it "powers more corporate recruitment centres in the NZX50 than any other vendor". If you're applying for a position through a major employer's website, chances are it will be processed by snaphire. Just check the bottom of the web page, if you see a link that says "powered by snaphire" you know your application will be processed by their screening system and it's time to get to work on revamping your resume.
So how do Automated Screening Systems work exactly?
Step 1: Your resume is run through a parser, which strips the styling from the resume and breaks the text down into recognised words or phrases.
Step 2: The parser then sorts that content into different categories: Education, Contact information, skills, and work experience.
Step 3: The employer's desired skills or keywords are matched against the results in Step 2.
Step 4: Your resume is scored on relevancy—using semantic matching against the employer's search terms and your years of experience.
Step 5: Using this score your resume is either "declined" or it will make it through to the next stage of screening which is completed by a real person (in HR or the recruiter)
How can I improve my chances of getting my resume through the system?
Prioritize the words in your resume. Audit the job description to build a list of priority keywords. These are words used in the job title, description headlines, success criteria, key competencies and are used more than twice
Identify secondary resume keywords: These include mention of competitor companies or brand name experience, the phrases surrounding priority keywords, notable industry qualifications (training, associations)
Consult an expert or an insider. If possible ask an industry expert or insider to review your resume and suggest the experience/skills they would look for in a candidate.
Check other online profiles. Identify a person on LinkedIn who is in a position similar to the one advertised. Look for words and phrases they've included in their profile then compare this with the advertised job description and your resume.
Incorporate all key job-related words in your resume. Screeners also factor in the depth of your skills (i.e., analyzing your length of experience) so it's also important to place those important words, where appropriate, throughout your resume, with all job positions if possible. Sequence your bullet points in descending order of relevancy to the job description,
Include a relevant expertise category. Make sure your resume matches the special categories for the job you're applying for. Create a separate section in the top 1/3 of your online resume that captures the relevant category expertise, and under each skill heading list relevant examples of your specialist expertise e.g. Client Relationship Management, Employee Relations Contract Negotiation,
Use a simple format. Use standard fornt and bulleted lists not paragraphs. Resume screeners may have a hard time separating long paragraphs. Don't use photos or background images as they could make your resume unreadable.
Use short sentences and loaded language. Short, meaningful phrases about your work experience will score higher than long paragraphs. Similarly, a single paragraph of approx 2-3 sentences with emotive text will score higher than a short, terse paragraph.
Use social networks to enhance your resume. Some resume screeners add other features to check up on you. Reppify, for example, checks your social network and how you use sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Make sure your posts on those networks reinforce what you say in your resume.
Don't overload with keywords. Some job seekers try to trick the system by packing their resumes with keywords and using a special "keyword” section in their resume. This technique may have worked during past decade but remember this, even if this gets your resume through the automated screener, a human will still need to read your resume. If your resume doesn't make sense or your keyword section isn't supported by real world experience and qualifications then all your efforts will have been wasted.
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