Talent & Technology

The Future is Here

By Caroline Langer

Stop us if this sounds familiar: In your search for your next professional opportunity, you come across the absolute perfect, couldn’t be more aligned to you or your experience, 100% handwritten to what you’re looking for job posting. You quickly crush the “Apply Now” button and are promptly redirected from your picture-perfect job posting to a less attractive site where you’re prompted to create a Username and Password (that you’ll never remember) and led down an application process that all too often is as enjoyable as a trip to the DMV.?

Your reward for participating in this cold, nameless, faceless process? An auto-generated email informing you that due to the high number of applications the company receives, you’ll be contacted IF your skills are a match for the position. Dejected and uninspired, you reluctantly leave your oh-so-perfect job opportunity and continue your search.?

If you’ve applied for a job in the last decade, you’ve undoubtedly experienced the joys of navigating Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems. Now, in their defense, ATS systems DO provide overwhelmed human resource and talent acquisition teams with a technology solution that helps them sort through what can be an overwhelming onslaught of resumes.?ATS systems serve a purpose, even if as a candidate, you might see them as a barrier vs. a benefit.??

One of the privileges of our roles here at Fusion is talking to dozens of amazing candidates every day. And we’re often asked: “What strategies do I need to take, how do I craft my resume to get past ATS systems?” Perhaps not since Nickelback has there been such an understandable Love/Hate relationship as there is between talent teams, candidates, and ATS systems.?For too long, ATS was the only technology solution you as a candidate were exposed to. And it didn’t provide much benefit.?

Fast forward to today where new technology like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and ChatGPT is available to support candidates. And while the introduction of any new technology can bring questions or concerns from candidates, our Fusion team is already seeing how it's helping connect top talent to the best roles more efficiently – a goal our Fusion team has embraced since 2009. Whether these tools are helping you gather market insights, search for opportunities best aligned with your goals and experience, or help you craft stronger resumes and communications, there are a number of benefits to candidates.?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) ?is meant to quickly process large amounts of data to improve efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. From a candidate perspective, you likely already know AI-based tools like ATS systems and asynchronous interviews – interviews conducted by recorded video or audio – are largely driven by keywords. Our team counsels candidates to use AI to their advantage by researching keywords or using an AI-powered tool to conduct and evaluate practice sessions before their actual interview. In some cases, AI-based resources can provide real-time feedback designed to boost your performance.?

Machine Learning (ML), ?while often used interchangeably with AI, is actually a subset of AI. Where AI allows machines to solve complex problems and, in some cases, make decisions, ML involves providing machines with data and feedback in order to develop and increase their intelligence. Using user-provided information, machines can learn, form patterns, and recognize nuances to offer suggestions. There’s a good chance you’re already benefitting as a candidate from Machine Learning. If you’ve ever signed up to receive job alerts or navigated LinkedIn searching for new opportunities, you’ve probably noticed thumbs-up/thumbs-down icons or banners by job descriptions stating “Similar to saved other opportunities.” This sifting and sorting is fueled by ML doing its thing behind the scenes and will help you be more efficient in your job search efforts.?

When it comes to crafting customized resumes and the world’s best cover letters, you already know it can be time-consuming, especially if you’re not the world’s most creative or proficient writer! Enter?ChatGPT. ?ChatGPT is an AI Chatbot capable of generating human-like responses in real-time. And while this technology might seem intimidating at first, the productivity, efficiency, and end product can be tremendous for candidates looking to maximize their search efforts. Our Fusion team encourages candidates to invest the time and effort in becoming more fluent in ChatGPT, not only in support of their professional search efforts, but because tools like ChatGPT will continue to be part of our society. Employers will be looking for candidates with this experience.?

While welcoming change and new technology can be difficult, we believe the benefits to candidates looking for their next opportunity are worth the risk and time investment. Utilizing any new tool effectively typically comes down to the frequency of implementing that tool in real-world situations. Our Fusion team is exploring and using these new technologies daily and has seen the impact they can make. If you’re on the hunt for your next opportunity, we encourage you to explore how they can help you as well.?

And if we can help you in any way in your search, give us a call!

Want to discuss partnering with Fusion or speak with a team member about our open career opportunities? Visit us at?www.fusionrecruiters.com!?