As job seekers, have you ever felt like your resume has vanished into a black hole, never to be seen again? Unfortunately, the truth is that it’s likely being filtered out by artificial intelligence (AI) before it even reaches a human’s inbox. In today’s job market, resumes must pass through automated scanning and filtering before reaching a person’s inbox. Therefore, job seekers need to be strategic in how they format and write their resumes to ensure they stand out in a sea of applicants.
The first step to a standout resume is ensuring that it’s the appropriate length. While aiming for a one- to two-page resume is common, it’s not the only thing job seekers need to focus on. Not having keywords from the job description in a resume will give it low matching scores. AI is not designed to understand sarcasm or flowery language, so candidates should use words from the job description in their resume.
HR operations, including applicant tracking systems (ATS), are powered by artificial intelligence. Shockingly, three out of four resumes were never seen by a person because they didn’t make it past the ATS. To increase the chances of getting past the ATS, candidates should use common file formats like .docx or .pdf and fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, and Georgia that are good for ATS readability.
Consistency in formatting is crucial. Bullet points, headers, and tables should be used appropriately. Infographics don’t belong on resumes because they can’t be read by ATS. All key elements of a resume must be in text format. Job titles should be clear and concise. Providing context for accomplishments is important, but it should be done in a way that’s easy for AI to understand. Keywords are important for ATS, but they should be used strategically and not overused.
Did you know that 99% of Fortune 500 companies use bot job application filters? This means that job seekers need to be even more strategic in how they format and write their resumes to ensure they get past the filters. Layout matters in resumes. Job seekers should use white space to make their resumes easy to read. They should also break up their content into sections and use headings to make it easy for HR professionals to skim their resume.
In conclusion, job seekers need to be strategic in how they format and write their resumes to ensure they stand out in a sea of applicants. They need to use keywords from the job description, common file formats, and readable fonts. They should be consistent in formatting, use appropriate bullet points, headers, and tables, and avoid infographics. They should provide context for accomplishments but use keywords strategically. And most importantly, they should remember that their resumes are likely being filtered by artificial intelligence before reaching a human’s inbox, so they need to make sure their resumes are AI-friendly. By following these tips, job seekers can increase their chances of getting past the ATS and landing their dream job. It’s time to update those resumes and make them AI-friendly to stand out in today’s job market!
