Latest news with #ApplicantTrackingSystem
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
My résumé was given a failing score by an online scanner. I still landed over a dozen job interviews and a job offer in less than 90 days — here's how.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jaylyn Jones, a 32-year-old recruiter based in Pittsburgh. It's been edited for length and clarity. One of the biggest job-seeking myths I've heard is that aggressive Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scanners will filter out applicants whose applications are formatted a specific way. That's just not the case. I've been a recruiter for three years, and about a year ago, I started hunting for a new role. When I was applying for new recruiting jobs in 2024, I took my personal experience using ATS systems into account and proved that I didn't need to tailor my résumé for ATS scanners to land a position. Here's how I formatted my résumé to stand out among the rest. I've used ATS scanners to recruit people for jobs My first recruiting job was at JP Morgan from 2021 to 2024, in which I used Greenhouse, a popular ATS system, to help streamline the recruiting process. Greenhouse rejected or flagged candidates based on straightforward questions like "Are you over the age of 18?" and "Are you authorized to work in the US?" However, no applicants were filtered out by keywords or formatting. If 1,000 people applied, I saw 1,000 applications. I could manually search for keywords if I wanted to look for someone with specific experience, but that didn't get rid of applications that lacked that keyword. On my résumé, I focused less on keywords and more on showing my ability to do the job I went bullet-by-bullet on every job description and made sure there was something on my résumé that showed my competence in that area. When reviewing my résumé, I'd simply ask myself, "Would a reasonable person look at what I have on my résumé and say, "Yes, they can do this job?" My strategy worked; I got interviewed by over 12 companies, and I got hired to recruit at a tech company in less than three months. In my current role, I receive a lot of résumés that are filled with a page worth of keyword fodder before getting to actual experience. Once it reaches the experience section, that part is just as filled with buzzwords. When I see a résumé like this, it's not a red flag. I see it as somebody who has not been given the information and tools to be successful. Jobscan gave my résumé a failing score Recently, I plugged the résumé that landed me my most recent job into Jobscan, an online résumé scanner that ranks how strong a résumé is, just to see what the platform would say. The biggest critique I received was that I was missing keywords. For example, the scanner said something like "the job description says the word "recruiting" 13 times, but your résumé only says it twice." Then it prompted me to add the keyword more times. It was also very particular about language, such as bumping my score down for saying I was a "campus recruiter" at JP Morgan instead of a "university recruiter." It gave my résumé a 16% score. As a recruiter, I honestly didn't see any tips from the résumé scanner that would be useful for a job seeker. If anything, it can be harmful to an applicant's success if they're more caught up in using the word "evaluate" than actually citing their experience evaluating. My biggest tip is to focus on providing evidence over keywords So many job seekers are having such a difficult time in this market, and they're doing everything they can possibly think of to be more successful, but if you're going to use AI, don't be sloppy. A common ChatGPT prompt that job seekers might use is "Tailor my résumé to this job." AI often responds to this by shoehorning keywords from the job description into haphazard bullet points. Using keywords isn't helpful without proper context. I prefer uploading the job description and using the prompt "analyze my résumé for any gaps in skills or qualifications based on this job description, and make suggestions about what to change." This might cue you to add any missing skills that the job post is looking for. The right prompt allows job seekers to own their experience, not just blindly trust ChatGPT. This helped me during my job search. Editor's note — A representative from Jobscan sent the following comment to BI : "A Jobscan Match Rate isn't a grade on your career; it's a risk assessment against a frustrating system. A low score doesn't mean you're unqualified; it means you're at high risk of being invisible to the automated or manual filters that 88% of employers admit will vet out good candidates. Based on third-party research and our own surveys and conversations with job seekers and recruiters, Jaylyn's job search experience is certainly an exception to the rule."
Time Business News
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
5 Signs You Need Resume Writing Services Now
When an employee applies for a job at a company, they must first be shortlisted through the resume review process. Only after that will the further process occur; however, most employees do not get shortlisted through this round because their resumes are not well-written, outdated, or lack personal marketing value. It works like the first impression of the employee; the better the resume, the better the impression. Now, companies have started using AI to screen resumes to save time, which has made getting shortlisted even easier. But even today, many employees are underestimating the importance of a well-crafted resume or are struggling to write their skills effectively. Nowadays, the competition for jobs has increased so much that if any mistake is found even in a small resume, it is not shortlisted. In this detailed article, we will know the reasons why an employee is not able to make an effective resume or the signs after seeing which you should take the help of resume writing companies. Not Getting Calls for an Interview? You Need Resume Writing Services Many candidates, even many candidates, apply to different companies for the same position to get a job. Still, they do not get even a single call from them because one of the biggest reasons for this could be the resume not being correct and effective. The time taken by AI to scan the resume is only 6-7 seconds. Now, if your resume does not show the value of your skills effectively at this time, then it is very difficult to get shortlisted. If it is worth it, then the recruiter himself checks it. But professional resume writers know how to clear these things up, which includes: Crafting your resume in a way that it clears the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) They use communicative language to showcase the applicant's skills and values. Resume Format matters in grabbing the attention of the recruiter. Struggling To Show Achievements? Consider Resume Writing Services Many achievements are difficult to quantify, and hence, many candidates get stuck in this situation as they do not know how to show their achievements in the resume because the resume never looks at what you have done or achieved; rather, it looks at how you have done the work. Like: A resume will not show to whom and how many customers you have provided service; it will show in what manner you have provided services to the customers. If You Want to Change Your Career or Industry Who doesn't like to make a career? But it is equally difficult for candidates because to make a career, you don't need to get a job again in the same field in which you used to work earlier, and even if you get a job, you don't need to have the required skills. That is why many candidates already fail because they do not know how to effectively write or show the existing skills they had in their past job in their resume. Professional resumes will show: A Specific-Industry Skills Give a Summary of the Past Job They will show the transferable skills. If You Are Busy or Nervous to Make an Effective Resume Resume writing requires time, knowledge, etc. But some candidates who already have a job but are looking for a new job, or those who do not have a job but are unable to find time for any reason, must use a CV writing service. They can save your time by making a customised resume for you. Some candidates have a resume but do not know what to write or how to write it, or they are nervous. Then such candidates should also take resume writing services, which make the candidates nervous and provide them with an effective and best resume. If the Resume Seems Outdated or Unprofessional Do you still use outdated and unprofessional styles when making your resume? Then you should take the help of a professional resume writer because if your resume looks obsolete, it will be misinterpreted, and the other person will think that you are not updated or aware of the latest modern technology. Your resume needs to be updated and look modern in both content and design. Some common practices that may seem outdated include: Still using Roman counting Use the same resume for every job Professional resume writers are always up to date. If any technology has come up that may cause any problem, then find its solution, or if any method is found that makes the resume writing more effective, then use it. Professional resume writers always keep collecting such information. Professional resume writing services are a very beneficial tool for those who are writing resumes for the first time, who have no idea, or who are nervous. Because it helps them to get jobs or opportunities by helping them, but it also helps those whom we have talked about in this article. They know all the methods by which top companies and top employees got jobs, and they prepare the resume in such a way that it clears the ATS system. Those who do not understand when they should take the help of resume writers, or if their situation is also according to the above points, then they should also take the help of professional resume writing. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time Business News
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Why Every Mid-Senior Professional Needs an ATS-Friendly Resume
When you are a mid-senior professional with 5 to 15+ years of experience, you have developed a good track record. However, experience is no longer the only qualifying factor in the current job marketplace for getting an interview. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are now in wide use by most companies and read the resumes first before them being read by a person. The systems look out for the proper keywords, skills, and format to ensure that even good applicants can end up being tuned out if their resumes cannot be ATS-friendly. This is the reason why you should not stop with the results achieved earlier and rely on proper instruments. Career coaching will also be able to keep you on track and help you position yourself. A Resume Builder will automatically make your resume clean and presentable, and an ATS Score Checker will indicate how well your resume accords with the job description. All these tools make mid-senior professionals distinct and advance in their careers. A. Cut Throat Competition in Top Positions Too Even for mid-senior roles, the job search is highly competitive. Leadership and specialized positions often attract hundreds of applicants. It is not only Jr. that is being hired in large numbers, but when it comes to leadership positions, large numbers of applications are given to the top companies too. Because of the impossibility in the minds of recruiters to go through all the resumes, they have Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that help them to sort and filter the candidates. B. Smart ATS Tools The contemporary ATS systems do not merely query keywords. They apply AI and language tools to interpret the circumstances of your experience, competence, and results. This implies that your resume must be understandable, well-arranged, as well as being close to the job description to score highly. C. Recruitment has become Digital More than 70 percent of large organizations, not to mention startups, use ATS to assist in recruitment. The instruments aid in accelerating the process of recruiting and streamlining candidate-job matching. HR tools connect with ATS platforms to communicate with more individuals and to fill vacancies more quickly, as well as they can also use social media. Unawares There are good applicants dismissed without a single human being setting eyes on their resume. This usually occurs since the resume is not ATS-friendly-the structure could be incorrect, some important words could be lacking, or the design could be illegible. That is why one should prepare a resume that will be read by ATS and human beings, too. Simple mistakes on resumes are one of the contributing factors to most mid-senior professionals failing to pass the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) checks. Applying the intricate formatting, such as tables, images, or other graphic elements, non-standard fonts, or embedding the key information in the header and footers, might mislead the system and leave out the essential information. The other pitfall is the application of a generic resume that is not directed to the job description. Unless the resume is filled with the correct keywords, plain language, and quantified accomplishments, the resume will not resonate with the ATS. One can employ such tools as an ATS Score Checker to recognize such gaps and demonstrate the compatibility of your resume with the particular job post. The odd job title, such as sales ninja or the jargon made by a company, may also work against, and this is because such words may not be what the system is checking. Non-standard job titles are not desirable and should have only full words, as well as acronyms such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Different date patterns as well as innovative titles of the description, like My story rather than ' work experience might also prove confusing to the system. And although with mid-senior professionals, years of experience are not rare, a resume that is too long may be too much. To make it appear clear, relevant, and not exceeding two pages would enhance your chances of being noticed. Visibility A resume that fits an ATS puts you ahead since it avoids being rejected during the initial screening process by an automated system. With the keywords and simple, understandable structure, your resume is more visible in the results of ATS, thus it becomes visible to the recruiter searching candidates within the recruitment system. Fit Skill Matching Utilizing an ATS-optimized resume, you list your experience, skills, and leadership experience most accurately. This will assist the system in fitting you to the right jobs. When you use certain words and you emphasize the quantitative realizations, then your achievements are brought out clearly. Easier System of Applying The correction of the format eliminates mistakes on submission. Through ATS systems, important information might be missed because your layout is too intricate or not compatible with your file format. An uncluttered resume means that the complete set of qualifications will be read and interpreted by the hiring parties appropriately. More Influential Professional Impression An ATS-optimized resume indicates that you are on top of the current recruitment trends. In case of a mid-senior professional, this brings in the notion of awareness, attention to detail, and professionalism, which is what the employer seeks. It makes a positive impression on ATS software as well as on human recruiters. Experience will not be a sufficient factor nowadays in such a competitive job market. Mid-senior professionals who want to transfer into leadership or with a focus area can never do without an ATS-friendly resume. It will guarantee that your application is not filtered by automated systems, correctly brings out your abilities, and gets into the hands of decision-makers. By adjusting your resume according to the ATS parameters (using a simple formatting, keywords, and accomplishments), you will have the best opportunity of attracting interviews and promotion of your career. In a word, having an ATS-optimized resume is not only a clever but also a required step. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Borneo Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Can you beat the machine in your next job application?
Using AI tools in hiring has both benefits and challenges – on one hand, it can help reduce human bias, but there are also growing concerns about fairness and transparency. — Bernama photo IN today's fast-changing job market, landing your dream job may no longer depend solely on impressing a human recruiter. Increasingly, the 'first person' reviewing your application might be a machine. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how companies hire new staff, from sorting résumés and scoring interviews. Job-seekers must learn how to stand out in this new digital era to get a job. But how does it work? Use of AI tools in hiring AI tools have become popular and are relatively cost-effective to use, thanks to Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) and Large Language Model (LLM). There are a multitude of AI tools for various management functions, including the very important recruitment and selection functions of human resource (HR) management. Many companies—from technology giants to medium-sized enterprises—in one way or another, are using AI tools to make recruitment faster, cheaper, more efficient, and objective. These tools help HR teams handle thousands of applications using algorithms to screen résumés, analyse pre-recorded video to assess applicants' skills and personality traits. Some AI tools, such as Applicant Tracking System (ATS), could scan résumés and filter out those who do not match the job specification (JS). Others could record candidates' responses and analyse facial expressions, voice tone, and word choices. For example, some multinational firms are already using software like 'HireVue' or 'Pymetrics to evaluate job applicants. These platforms claim to offer unbiased assessments. However, for the interviewees, it can be a daunting endeavour as they are, in effect, trying to impress a robot without knowing the rules of the game. Winning the systems So, how can job-seekers beat the machine and move their application forward? The first step is to understand how AI tools screen résumés. Many ATS can search for keywords in the résumés that match the job description. If your résumé does not contain the right words or is written in a way the AI tools cannot read, you may be rejected instantaneously. This means it is essential to use keywords from the job advertisement, use simple formatting (no tables, columns, or graphics), and customise your résumés for each application. Next, for AI-powered video interviews, just like human face-to-face interviews, preparation is of utmost importance. These systems may rate you based on confidence, eye contact, clarity, and even enthusiasm. Yes, you will be surprised! Some tips for the interviewees are practise speaking in front of a camera and review the recordings; and also speak in front of your friends and receive honest feedback from them for improvement. Remember to stay calm, keep the answers clear and concise so that the AI tools can pick up the keywords easily. Show natural body language and smile as these highly-sophisticated AI tools are trained to interpret your emotions with some degree of accuracy. Therefore, be your best self, but stay authentic. After all, AI tools are predominantly just the first screening process – the gatekeeper if you like. The basic principles of showing interest, confidence, clarity and passion for the job you are interviewing for are still essential, even to machines. Challenges of AI in hiring Having sung all the praises of AI tools, the reality is they are not perfect. Using AI tools in hiring has both benefits and challenges. On the positive side, it can help reduce human bias. Theoretically, an AI system is not concerned about your name, gender, social status, age or where you graduated from. This could help level the playing field, especially for candidates from less well-known or disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there are growing concerns about fairness and transparency in using AI tools. Algorithms can reflect the biases of their creators or unintentionally favouring certain language patterns or personality types. It may favour certain speaking styles or penalise people with different accents or expressions. Some job-seekers are concerned that they may be rejected not because they lack the required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA), but rather the AI tools do not 'understand' them well. For job-seekers in non-English speaking countries like Malaysia, this can be even more challenging. Although there are recent powerful AI tools from China, most of them were developed in Western countries using the Western contexts. Hence, many AI tools may misinterpret accents, gestures, or even grammar in the Asian context and culture. In view of this phenomenon, there is a need for more ethical and inclusive AI systems in hiring, especially for multinational companies. Despite these challenges, the use of AI tools in recruitment and selection process is here to stay. Job-seekers must adapt by learning how AI tools work and prepare in earnest. The tips showcased in this article can help turn the machine from an obstacle into an advantage. Human intelligence matters In a world where machines read your résumé and judge the video interviews, the best way to beat the machine is to stay one step ahead. Even though machines are part of the hiring process, most final decisions are still made by humans like you and me. Therefore, once you get past the initial AI screening process, your ability to connect with real people will take the centrestage. Bring your best self to the interviews, share your story, show your passion and speak with conviction from the depth of your heart. Never forget you are a human being who possesses unique traits which no machine can ever beat: emotional intelligence that allows you to understand and respond to feelings; and creativity and critical-thinking to drive innovation and problem-solving that machines cannot replicate. Capitalise on these precious talents, give your best, and lead the way forward! * The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus. Prof Fung is the head of School of Business at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, while Prof Chung is an Associate Professor in Human Resources Management in the same School.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
7 Steps To AI-Proof Your Resume And Land More Job Interviews
A whopping 99% of hiring managers now use AI in their recruitment process, according to Insight Global's 2025 AI in Hiring Survey Report. Meanwhile, most job seekers get filtered out by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before a human recruiter ever lays eyes on their resume. If you're wondering why your applications vanish into a digital black hole instead of landing you job interviews, it's time to AI-proof your resume. When you understand how ATS technology works and apply specific formatting and content strategies, you can dramatically boost your chances of reaching actual humans. Here are seven steps to AI-proof your resume and land more job interviews. ATS algorithms prioritize exact job title matches. In fact, research from Jobscan, analyzing over 2.5 million resumes, found that candidates who included the same job title as the posting were 10.6 times more likely to get a job interview. If you're applying for "Digital Marketing Manager," use that exact phrase in your resume header or professional summary rather than "Online Marketing Leader" or similar variations. Also, extract three to five key phrases that appear repeatedly throughout the job description. Common examples include: For acronyms and technical terms, include both the whole phrase and abbreviation: "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)" or "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)." This ensures you're found whether recruiters search for the acronym or complete phrase. Finally, remember only to include terms that genuinely reflect your experience. According to Insight Global's research, 88% of hiring managers can detect AI-enhanced job applications, and 54% care if candidates use it. Copy the job description into a word cloud generator to identify the most frequently mentioned terms visually. The largest words are your priority keywords. Since recruiters spend just seconds reviewing each resume, your most valuable qualifications need immediate visibility. A well-crafted "Core Skills" section gives both ATS systems and human reviewers instant access to your key competencies. Position this section below your contact information and professional summary. Structure it as a clean, scannable list combining: Research shows recruiters filter by skills 76% of the time when searching ATS databases. By front-loading your most relevant capabilities, you increase the likelihood that your resume surfaces in these targeted searches. Organize your skills by relevance to the job posting, not alphabetically. Place the most critical skills first, as recruiters often scan only the beginning of lists. Research shows that including specific numbers in your resume substantially increases your chances of landing a job interview. Transform generic statements into quantified achievements. Focus on these metrics: Instead of "improved sales performance," specify "increased quarterly sales by 32%, generating an additional $2.4 million in revenue." Rather than "managed a team," write "led a cross-functional team of 12 professionals across three departments." Use the "Challenge-Action-Result" framework for each achievement. Start with the problem you faced, describe your specific action, and then quantify the positive outcome. Creative section titles confuse ATS systems and frustrate recruiters who expect conventional resume organization. Stick to universally recognized headings that both algorithms and humans can understand. Use these standard section titles: Avoid creative alternatives like "My Journey," "Professional Toolkit," or "Where I've Made an Impact." Recruiters spend most of their time studying the work experience section. When they can't quickly locate this information due to unconventional headings, you will soon lose their attention. Test your section headings by asking someone unfamiliar with your background to scan your resume quickly. If they can't immediately understand what each section contains, your headings need simplification. File format can determine whether your resume is parsed correctly or completely misread by ATS systems. The safest default choice is .docx format unless the job posting specifically requests otherwise. Consider these format guidelines: Save your resume with an explicit, professional filename that includes your name and the word "resume" (e.g., "JohnSmith_Resume_2025.docx"). While visually striking resumes might catch human attention, they often confuse ATS systems and can result in your qualifications being completely misread or ignored. Complex formatting elements, such as tables, text boxes, graphics, and unusual fonts, can cause parsing errors. Instead, use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman or Helvetica in 10-to 12-point sizes. Maintain consistent formatting throughout your document. Copy and paste your resume into a plain text editor (like Notepad) to see how an ATS might read it. If the information looks scrambled, simplify your formatting. Before submitting your job application, test your resume's ATS compatibility using online simulation tools. Platforms like Jobscan and Resume Worded offer free ATS simulation services that provide detailed feedback on keyword optimization, formatting issues and overall match scores. These simulators typically analyze: Target a match rate of 80% or higher, which indicates a strong alignment between your resume and the target position. Use this feedback to refine your resume before submission. If the tool indicates low keyword matching, revisit the job description to identify additional relevant terms you can incorporate. Run your resume through multiple ATS simulators to get a comprehensive view of potential issues. Each tool may catch different problems. While ATS optimization is crucial for getting your resume seen, remember that most hiring managers still emphasize the importance of human involvement in the hiring process. The most effective resumes strike a balance between technical optimization and authentic storytelling. By implementing these seven steps, you'll ensure your resume not only survives the initial digital screening but also compels recruiters to schedule that crucial first job interview.
