Gone are the days of creating one resume and using it for every job application. Customization is the name of the game in today’s digital age, which has become more and more important with the increasing use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
What is an ATS?
It’s a software application that allows companies to electronically manage their recruiting and hiring process and to store/track the information, notably, scanning applicant resumes for specific keywords related to their job postings. This has helped streamline the hiring process for big companies (back when I started in the business world, all of this was handled manually with paper, pens, fax machines and lots of file cabinets for storage), but it has also commoditized job seekers because they become an entry in a database.
Why do employers use ATS and keyword ranking?
Mainly to save recruiters time by helping them weed out unqualified applicants. Scott Weaver, director of talent acquisition and development at the Cumming Corporation, says his company measures the qualifications of applicants against open requisitions and has found that only 15-20% are qualified for the jobs they’re applying to. That means there are a lot of unqualified candidates employers must sift through, a task made easier through use of an Applicant Tracking System.
So how do you make an ATS work for you instead of against you? By customizing and keywording your resume.
Why is keywording so important?
When a hiring manager has an open position to fill, he or she meets with an HR representative to create the job description. This document usually includes a brief paragraph about the position, a list of job responsibilities and a list of job requirements (such as knowledge, skills, experience and education). After the job description is written, the hiring manager and HR representative determine the keywords and keyword phrases that are unique to the job. These keywords are essentially the qualifications, experience and characteristics they are looking for in a new hire.
Article By – Lisa Quast
