Your job application process isn’t what it used to be.
Submitting your resume used to be enough to receive a call back. These days… you throw your info into a digital black hole and hope for the best.
Algorithms decide whether you get seen or tossed aside… before a recruiter even glances at your application.
Oh, and…
Candidates don’t realise it’s happening. They keep blasting their generic resume out to job after job and don’t understand why they’re not hearing back!
That changes today.
By the end of this guide you’re going to learn:
- Exactly how ATS Technology Works
- Why AI Is Taking Over Recruiting
- How a Tailored Resume Generator Can Help
- What you NEED to do to Keep Up
Exactly how ATS Technology Works
ATS stands for applicant tracking system.
Essentially it’s a software program that organisations use to automatically receive and sort through job applications.
When you submit your resume to a job application portal, it goes through an ATS. These systems scan resumes for keywords, qualifications, and formatting. If your resume doesn’t contain what they’re looking for…it gets rejected. Automatically.
Here’s the problem with that:
Upwards of 75% of resumes submitted to hiring companies are rejected by ATS platforms before they reach a recruiter. Not because you aren’t qualified for the job. But because your resume didn’t pass the initial software screening.
Companies continue to adopt ATS technology at a rapid rate. These days almost 98% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of ATS to manage their job applications.
If you want your resume to get seen… it needs to be optimised for these systems.
Why AI Is Taking Over Recruiting
ATS’s were already tossing resumes out left and right. Now with AI running the show… it’s getting worse.
Nowadays AI powered tools don’t just look for resumes with specific keywords. They actually evaluate your career progression, read your resume for contextual clues and try to determine if you’d be a good culture fit for their company. That’s why having superior resume content is so important. A tailored resume generator is going to help you optimize your resume so that AI reads your application favorably.
Consider these statistics:
79% of organisations are using some form of AI or automation integrated with their ATS platforms. These are smart algorithms that learn what information to key on as companies continue hiring. Just a few years ago this technology was merely scraping for resumes that included specific keywords from the job description.
Here’s what the AI systems are evaluating:
- Does your resume contain skills that are relevant to the job description?
- Is your career progressing on an upward trajectory?
- Does your resume match your LinkedIn profile?
- Is your resume easy to read and formatted correctly?
It’s pretty insane once you think about it…
But it also means sending a generic resume everywhere just doesn’t cut it anymore. AI can recognise when content is copied and pasted. And if it thinks your resume is cookie cutter… it’s rejected.
How a Tailored Resume Generator Can Help
So how are job seekers supposed to combat these insanely advanced technologies?
By having content that’s tailored.
A tailored resume generator will analyse the job description and help you build resumes that contain keywords and phrases that the ATS and AI technology is searching for.
Here’s why tailored content matters so much…
Candidates that submitted tailored resumes had a much higher chance of getting called back for interviews. If you’re sending the same resume to every job application… you’re likely sending it to waste. Studies show that customising your resume to include keywords found in the job description can drastically improve your applications.
Here’s what you should look for in a tailored resume generator:
- Analyse job descriptions to find relevant keywords
- Provide suggestions on where to add keywords
- Make sure your resume is ATS friendly
- Ensure your resume won’t get rejected due to formatting
Without tailoring your resume to each job description you’re likely getting rejected by smart algorithms.
What you NEED to do to Keep Up
Recruitment technology is here to stay. Sooner or later every company is going to require you to apply online (if they aren’t already).
What’s going to happen to candidates that don’t start paying attention?
They’re going to keep sending their resumes out into oblivion and wonder why they don’t get any callbacks.
Here’s what you can do though:
Stop using one resume for every job application. Tailor your resume to each job by using keywords found in the job description. That’s exactly what a tailored resume generator is for!
But there’s a few other things you should be mindful about.
Readability
ATS software has a difficult time reading messy resumes. It’s why you should never use tables, images, or crazy graphics on your resume. These things tend to confuse the software and your resume could get tossed on the first try. Use clear formatting and standard resume headings like “Work Experience” and “Education”.
Relevant Information
AI technology is designed to determine whether your resume is relevant for the job. Every piece of information on your resume should relate back to the job you’re applying for. Vague terms like “team player” and “hard worker” are going to get picked up by AI. Make sure your bullet points are quantitative and reflect the type of work you did.
Use Technology to your Advantage
The game has changed. If you plan on beating the system you need to use every advantage you can get. Tailored resume generators allow you to easily build resumes that can get past ATS software and be read by AI. Take advantage of tools like this.
Cross-Reference your Content
Ever notice how some AI platforms actually cross-reference your resume to social media profiles like LinkedIn? Make sure your resume is telling the same story as your LinkedIn profile and any other portfolios you may have listed. Major inconsistencies could be the difference between getting an interview or not.
Closing Thoughts
Technology has forever changed the way recruiting works. If you haven’t been hearing back from jobs it might be because your resume is never getting seen.
Let’s review:
- ATS platforms are used to filter out resumes
- AI is getting smart at understanding what information to key on
- Tailored resume generators allow you to easily customise your resume
- Follow a proper format that’s easy to read
- Make sure everything you post online tells the same story
Resume reading technologies aren’t going anywhere. If you want your resume to continue getting thrown into a black hole go ahead and keep sending your resume to every job posting.
If not… it’s time to adapt.