You have just been REJECTED by software.
New Year's resolutions are made, and you are ready to focus on your career.
Finally, your CV is updated, and you have found the "perfect job" on LinkedIn.
Your experience and skills align, the role sounds ideal, and the company culture and career opportunities are first-class.
You have a gut feeling that this is the one.
So you click apply and submit your cv.
"PING", you have received an email
and ........ you have been
REJECTED!!!
Guess what? You have just been rejected by software!
The algorithm or coding driving most companies' ATS (applicant tracking system) rejects candidates before Talent Acquisition or HR even review your application. ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) are used by 98% of Fortune 500 Companies and most large recruitment agencies. They are used to manage, sort and filter job applications and, more importantly, your resume.
You may already be familiar with some of the ATS systems, as some integrate with your HR systems – Workday, Taleo, Glasshouse etc. To be considered for the "perfect role", you will need to take a refresher course in applying for jobs. Your resume is no longer a PDF document you update every few years; it is now a more fluid document.
Before playing "application game" with an ATS, you need to understand the rules.
With that in mind, allow us to share some new rules of engagement when applying online.
1. Leave your Header and Footer EMPTY. This may sound ridiculous, but ATS is software. It can sometimes have glitches, and formatting in the document may cause glitches or errors, resulting in you being immediately rejected.
The software is built with "Fields". So resume parsers are looking for field information. However, any information in a header or footer is not coded or recognised as a field, and the system will reject you. Always place your Name directly BELOW any header. 2. Align your résumé keywords with the job advertisement.
Your resume is now a fluid document, and you must adapt to each role you apply for. Frustrating, yes! However, once you understand the concept, it is straightforward.
Highlight keywords in the advertisement and ALIGN the keywords in your resume with those words.
Job ads are all written differently. The positions you will likely apply for require similar experience and skills, yet their keywords are different.
Before you submit your resume, replace your keyword with their keyword. This allows the ATS to rank you higher.
Making your résumé easy to understand for an applicant tracking system is one small step to accessing the Talent Acquisition or Recruiter managing the Job Requisition.
3. ATS Software likes fields - not graphics, columns or tables.
There are many creative résumé templates; remember, ATS is software and can't parse graphics, tables and excessive columns.
Change the formatting of your resume to a .txt unformatted document. Before submitting, read through it and ensure all the information is there. Once you submit it, the software will parse it correctly. 4. Attach your formatted cv to additional documents.
As a Talent Acquisition Director | Recruiter, I LOVE aesthetically presented resumes. However, I know the software doesn't; but it does allow you to attach it in additional documents.
Before you ditch your aesthetically perfected cv; attach it to the additional documents upload. Once you have "gamed the system", Talent Acquisition | Recruitment will be presented your highly-ranked application. Then, after reviewing your "other documents / creative, aesthetically presented resume," they will most likely reach out and organise a Telephone Screen with you. Always remember, the golden rule is utilising their keywords, aligning them with your experience, and using them throughout your resume. The more keywords that align, the higher your application will rank. Finally, good luck!