Learning How to Use ATS to Your Advantage
John G. Self
Career Advisor/Interview & Job Search Guide: We help executives and managers elevate their interview skills
There are two reasons resumes are eliminated: The Applicant Tracking System scanned score was not good enough or the formatting or some other structural issues, such as no address, misspelled words, or grammatical errors.
In virtually every search today the prospective employer gets way too many resumes, so they program their ATS to weed out applicants who are unknowing or incredibly careless.
For online submissions, assume ATS will be in play. So, submit a plain text resume. It is safer. Besides ATS Scanners do not care. Load it up with the appropriate keywords and phrases relevant to the specific job. If you are selected for consideration, offer to send the formatted version. Recruiters want to have your latest information. So, now you have the recruiter's email address. Send a video email with the formatted resume thanking them for their interest.
Now they have your resume and a better sense of who you are. That is differentiation.
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