How can you compare resume keywords and ATS optimization?

Sending out a generic resume doesn't cut it anymore. You'll have had better luck when you really dig into the job description, pick out the main buzzwords, and sprinkle them into your resume. It's like creating a tailored suit versus grabbing something off the rack. And honestly? It’s a bit like matching the puzzle pieces together. You gotta make sure you're showing them you're the right fit. It takes an extra minute, but it's totally worth it.

It’s important that your resume showcases your skills and talents that the job description requires. This means thinking about the things you’ve done in your current and previous roles that can transfer to the job requirements

ATS has a lot of myths, but it is not as daunting as some make it out to be. The first easy fix is to ensure you don't have a CV/Resume with lots of tables, charts and graphics. The next is the key words. When the recruiter starts to search the software they will align to the job advert when conducting their search. So if you mirror the job language of the advert throughout your CV will stand a far better chance. This can be achieved in the Professional Profile and Key Skills Section. Although key words are important the recruiter/ATS will still review other areas such as your Career Summary and Achievements so it is still important to demonstrate the scale you have worked to through this as this is how you will be compared.

Resume and LinkedIn keywords or skills are critical in the hiring process. Start by defining the job you want to do. You can't target everything. Keywords are specific to the work. You can select them by studying job descriptions as well as using LinkedIn to compare your profile to a specific Job Title. Then add the keywords that are relevant to the job. However, an effective job search must implement a networking strategy. Many people focus too hard on ATS and applying when they should be networking to speak to people who have the power to hire them.

Blessings flow friends, I have found that applicants who review the vacancy notice and job description (JD) with well-placed conversations/research among similar job holders to fact-find, can benefit greatly, thus producing their best resume. By targeting the company's KPIs with one's proven, quantifiable achievements in response to a company's ad you will be a match whether it's an ATS or recruiter's scan. Of course, I recommend using WorkPress or MS Word to test your word cloud's alignment to that of the ad and/or JD before submitting your application. You've got this!

Personally, I don't know if this ATS thing is overrated or if we usually don't explain its uses appropriately. It just makes candidates believe they are being judged by a robot and everyone is working hard to make their resume ATS standard and less of showing their expertise. Not all companies use ATS. In most cases, recruiters are the real ATS. They screen resumes themselves. Who sets the ATS to make it functional? Humans right?

You need to understand that not every company uses ATS to screen candidates and even if they do there are some technical issues sometimes and still people go and check the CVs.

Having used and implemented many ATSs' (Workday, Kenexa, Taleo, SuccessFactors, Hiredesk, CoMeet, Bamboo etc.) in my experience, the keyword search functions have a lot to be desired. With the advent of AI, I expect this to change markedly. Unless you receive a huge amount of applications for each position, I would question the abilities of a recruiter who used this function or resume matching. This functionality is mainly used for high applicant volumes in low-skilled positions. However, it is used extensively when pro-actively searching for previous applicants.

Observing and analyzing what is involved in the role you want is key. Through observation and analysis, you can get to know the skills, qualifications, experience and experience needed in each role/level and company. You don't just put them on your resume because you have done your research, make sure you have the skills, and if not work towards having them.

The best way to find the keywords applicable to your position of interest are in the job description itself. However, that does not mean you will always get through the ATS. There are 100+ ATS systems in place. Most cannot read graphics, logos, charts, tables, icons, pictures, mult-column formats and more. Give yourself the best change to get through the ATS by having a headline, skills section, correct job titles, education and "City, ST and Zip" (even if you are looking for hybrid / remote, have the "City, ST and Zip." Just having "City, ST" is useless. The better, more refined systems can search by "Zip", not "City, ST".

Customization is Queen here! Aligning your resume with each job description by incorporating the specific keywords from the job posting can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed. Additionally, customizing your resume with targeted keywords increases its compatibility with the ATS algorithms, maximizing the likelihood of passing the initial screening process.

In addition to this statement, researching other CV examples in relevant area could be useful. So, you can explore different industry-specific keyword options that you might have missed.

Keywords without explanation in an interview are still nothing good. Yes, you can check job descriptions, and other specialist LinkedIn pages, and ask ChatgPT or other Ai, but make sure not to lie in your CV.

One of the common mistakes made by professionals is to just have one resume for different jobs. The best advice I can give is 1:1 > one resume customized per one job role. Why? Different jobs have different keywords. If you are eyeing 3-5 jobs, incorporating all those keywords into your resume will be a nightmare.

When using a career coach or resume writer, please be sure to proceed with caution. Many have never hired anyone, worked as a recruiter or know how these systems work. I cannot count how many times I have hired people for very senior positions and was shocked to learn they hired a resume writer or heard blatantly wrong information they received from a career coach.

Optimize your bullets so they clearly communicate the "how" behind your work and the impact it had on your team, project, org, etc., using metrics and data to support as much as possible. Once you've got bullets that pack a punch, focus on adding keywords (without keyword stuffing!) into a core competencies section and your summary. This way, you only have to update your core skills for each new application—to align with keywords in a job description—since your bullets will already tell the reader about the great work you did.

Use segmentation if you have more profiles and fields to show, so depending on the role you apply make sure for each role you have a bit different CV with proper key words and responsibilities. If you start to craft new CV for each job you will eventually start to lie in there.

Totally get the importance of using those keywords. But, it's essential to remember that, ultimately, it's a human reading your resume and making the decision. We should tailor our resumes to be personable and relatable, not just bot-friendly. It's a delicate balance between making it past the ATS and resonating with the human on the other side. Always write with them in mind.

Targeted Resume = greater results that general resumes. Making your resume custom to a specific job should only 2 - 3 minutes if your base resume is ATS compliant and concentrates on a specific direction (ex. sales executive).

Key words and formatting matter for sure, but remember just putting all the right key words will not land you a job. Using current and relevant key words for your help, but remember that you need to add additional info not just key words.

While crafting professional resumes, my experience says that it is always better to keep all options open, wherein a resume should fit in the readability and interest of a human eye apart from being ATS compliant as well A hybrid layout does the trick for such an endeavour. The human eye reads from left to right, keeping the resume in sync with that aspect, with lean and aligned content would make it stand out for human readers. On the other hand having clear cut sections wherein the keywords can be tweaked for ATS according to the job role being applied for might help meet the bot as well!

I love innovation, but unfortunately, in the world of job ads and resumes, it is virtually impossible to stray from the norms. Postings use keywords, SEO and conventional titles, so it is seen by candidates and jobseekers need to conform to the standards expected (except in a few circumstances). With that in mind, make sure you avoid using graphics, images or tables in resumes that an ATS cannot read. Even today, the main ATS companies are only able to read the actual text, and some older ones even have trouble with things like tables.

Review your resume for flow and any errors you may have missed. I like to take the time to thoroughly scan my resume from time to time, and seldomly I find something I didn't see before or I consider a different way to express a skill or experience. It only helps me craft a tighter resume and better representation for what I want hiring managers to see.