4 Keys to Fine-Tuning Your Resume

With so many applicants chasing fewer and fewer jobs, employers are increasingly using industry jargon and specific keywords to weed out less than ideal candidates. Most employers now give resumes a quick 20-second pass if they don’t see their “must have" core attributes. All the more reason to fine-tune your resume to perfection before sending it out.

Getting past Applicant Tracking Systems

Many companies now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to identify suitable candidates for their job openings. These programs look for keywords and word sequences to create a profile that sends your resume into either the “consider” or “discard” bucket. As a job seeker, you’ll want to fine tune your resume to the exact needs of the job description—so read it carefully to make sure your resume lands in the “consider” bucket. Be on the lookout for industry terms, jargon and buzzwords that are job specific. And don’t forget to include results you achieved. Terry Gallagher, president of Battalia Winston International, a New York-based executive search firm, says he places "three times as much value on results versus responsibilities on a résumé."

Keep Resumes Accurate and Fresh

Even some preliminary information can knock you out of the running. So be sure to fill out the boilerplate stuff on the application completely. Things like career level (entry, experienced, manager), education level (certification, vocational, formal degrees), GPA, occupational area (test engineer, software, hardware, systems, IT), and proficiency level in certain software programs. These questions can go on and on, so be sure to fill them out. If the system lets you make changes to the application form, do so, as freshness can keep your application at the top of the list.

Passing the Keyword Gate Keepers

As mentioned earlier, the wrong keyword or absence of the right ones can send your resume to the discard bucket. ATS screening systems are particularly meticulous when it comes to the skills section of your resume. So spell out your skills, followed by abbreviations and acronyms on the same line to ensure they’re not missed by the ATS. Keywords are usually nouns that identify a technical skill, job terminology or specialization—things like job title, role, department, certification, software program or system. So pepper your resume with words like IT engineer, IT programmer, IT specialist, IT systems specialist, etc., if you’re seeking an IT job. Use Wordle.net or Tagcrowd.com to generate a tag cloud from the job posting to identify core keywords, then plug those keywords into your resume.

Be Kind to the ATS Beast

ATS systems get thrown off balance if you don’t speak their language. To make sure your resume is properly uploaded and scanned, use standard or system fonts like as Arial, Georgia, Impact, Palatino, or Tahoma. As for file types, use .RTF or .DOC files. Skip the graphics, fancy borders, hidden keywords, shading, and any unusual bullets.

Want to land that high paying job? To get on the short list, you’ll have to fully exploit the technology employers are using to weed out candidates. And remember, you can also create your own Nexxt Career Portfolio to give yourself another way to visualize your career. 

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee/FreeDigitalPhotos.net