If you don’t update your resume, it may never get into the hands of a hiring manager! Here’s what you need to know and how to make your resume stand out from the crowd!
As the job market cools down in recent months, it’s imperative that you do everything you can to make sure your resume stands out in a sea of applications for positions that are likely to become fewer and fewer.
And here’s something you might not know if you’re just starting your new job search: Job seekers actively applying for a job at a Fortune 500 company—or any number of other businesses—may never have human eyes thoughtfully written cover letter or a resume that they may have spent hours painstakingly updating for a specific job.
Jobscan research shows it applicant tracking systems (also known as ATS) used by at least 97.4% of Fortune 500 companies in 2023. What is ATS? An applicant tracking system is software used by HR departments and potential employers, including recruiters, to help streamline the hiring process.
why is that? It often takes too long and costs too much for recruiters to review every resume submitted for a specific role. Unfortunately, if you don’t have your resume formatted so that the ATS can easily scan it, or if it’s in two or more columns, to a bot looking for specific keywords and phrases, it might look like a garbled jumble of letters, numbers, and lines. That means the hiring manager probably won’t see it and you won’t even be considered.
Don’t worry. If you’re looking for a new job, there are steps you can take right now create an updated resume and make sure it’s optimized for companies that use applicant tracking systems—as well as for people who can possibly do it with a six-second (or longer) check.
How to Optimize Your Resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Indeed’s job recruitment site has useful information, including video and templatewhich explains some of the best ways to ensure your resume is ready to pass the ATS test. Ideally, you should aim to create a simple resume that uses an easy-to-recognize font, leaves some whitespace, and stays away from designs that can make it difficult for machines – and even real live people – to read.
Where can you find ATS resume templates?
Fortunately, there are several places to find ATS-friendly resume templates online. Microsoft offers on at least nine options for resumes. Here’s a hint: Old school is cool again. The first thing you’ll notice when you go through these templates is that they all use simple fonts and a single column of copy, making it easy for ATS to review your resume. Other things to look for in ATS-friendly resumes:
- They do not include graphics or tables.
- They use simple styles for the resume header and body copy.
- No photos are included.
- A chronological resume format is preferred, with your most recent experience listed first.
- Font size is limited.
- They use bullet points.
- They use action verbs.
- They contain your full name, surname and your contact information in a prominent place.
If resume writing is not your forte and you need help creating an ATS optimized resume, Work at Home Woman offers Ultimate Resume Templates Pack to get noticed by job applicants faster.
Tailor each resume to the specific job you are applying for.
Another reason why you should update your resume right now because no two jobs are ever created equal. This means you shouldn’t send the same CV to multiple potential employers unless they’re hiring for the exact same job – and even then they’re likely to use different language in their job descriptions.
Yes, creating a new resume draft for every job you apply for can be time-consuming. We get it. But experienced hiring managers will tell you they’re looking for more than just a functional resume in chronological order. They need to see that the candidate has done their homework and can quickly demonstrate how their qualifications, skills and abilities can make a concrete contribution to the business and the position they are applying for. Career experts at Indeed also suggest tailoring each resume to the job you search by an easy-to-understand guide.
Use the clues from the job description to improve your resume.
An easy way to help tailor your resume to a potential job is to use the exact keywords from the job description in the skills and work experience section of your resume. If you’ve had trouble making these connections from past experience, it can be helpful to work these keywords into your professional summary. That said, don’t go overboard with this concept. Experts at CareerContessa suggest reading the job description carefully and paying attention to the specific job title, day-to-day duties and skills required for the role. Then show how your personal work experience and work history match these requirements, if so.
Try to keep your resume to one page.
If your professional resume is longer than one page, now is the time to work on editing it down to one page. Why? This idea goes back to making sure your resume matches the skills and abilities companies are looking for in a new hire. You need to be able to concisely showcase your recent achievements and quantifiable achievements to show why you are the best person for the job. More people are applying for fewer jobs, so brevity is key.
Remember: Your resume needs some blank space.
While it may seem counterintuitive—since we just told you it’s important to keep your resume to one page—it’s also important not to cram so much onto one page that the hiring manager feels overwhelmed before they even read about your relevant skills. .
A blank can refer to several parts of a resume. It can include margins around the outside of the page as well as space between resume sections. And while too much white space can make it look like you lack experience, not enough white space can be the reason your resume doesn’t make it to the next selection round.
You need to update your resume
In today’s job market, it is not enough to just use correct grammar and have a perfectly proofread CV without typos. Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly using software to scan and review resumes when searching for job candidates, so you need a resume that not only highlights your career and expertise, but also beats the ATS. So if you’ve sent out dozens of resumes without a single bite, you probably need to make sure your resume is ATS-friendly before you hit submit again.
