4 Tips to Optimize Your Resume for ATS
In these days of online applications, most recruiters receive up to 250 resumes on average in response to one open position. That’s a lot of competition out there! Luckily, there are some straightforward techniques that could really help you to get to the top of the pile and have an opportunity to be one step ahead of your competitors.
Most recruiter and hiring managers use ATS (applicant tracking systems) to filter the large numbers of resumes they receive to make sure they are only viewing applications that are most suited to the job description. An important element here is the use of keywords, as they help a resume come to the top of a search if the ATS systems picks up the correct language.
Using appropriate keywords in your resume that appear in the job description will work wonders on how quickly your application gets seen. Tailoring your résumé for applicant tracking systems will be your key to getting noticed.
4 Tips to Optimize Your Resume for Applicant Tracking Systems
Target An Industry
Focus your search by concentrating your resume writing on a specific industry or role. This ensures with no doubt what your intentions are to a hiring manager or recruiter. Research some industry-specific terms for the role that will enhance your experience and descriptions of your previous roles.
Help the recruiter to see you as a confident applicant who knows about their industry.
2. Improve Your Image
Think about how your resume looks to an external reviewer. Is it clear? Does it have a consistent colour scheme? Is it too busy and cluttered, and will the eye be drawn to the experience you actively want to highlight? Think about all of these elements with regard to your personal brand, and how you would like to best come across in the absence of a face-to-face meeting.
Keep in mind that a recruiter spends on average 6 second reviewing a resume, so make sure you streamline your resume to avoid distractions (whether that is too many graphics, or irrelevant work experience).
3. Match Your Document
Match the industry language on your resume with the job description for the role you are applying to as closely as you can. A recruiter will find your application more quickly through a search engine this way, especially if you include industry keywords.
Get familiar with the job description that you are comfortable not only replicating the keywords in your own resume, but will also be able to speak confidently about the requirements at the interview stage.
4. Sell Yourself
Avoid vague language, and include metrics that support your achievements throughout your experience. This could ensure you are reviewed more quickly by a hiring manager. Market yourself by using measurables statistics that show your successes by providing examples. Again, these also need to be tailored to the job description or industry, so try and include some professional examples that are relevant in this particular field.
Tailoring your resume may take that little bit of extra time, but it could be what defines your whole application. It is a very important step that is often overlooked, so stay ahead of your competition and make sure your resume stands out as the most suitable. In a busy job market, following all of these points will help your application to be as memorable as possible.
