Fault lines in the hiring process
You're probably read my complaints about how most companies handle hiring. I don't like it. I wish I could change it; from the way vacancy announcements are written to communications with candidates, it's a mess. I'm seeing some positive changes as far as how job postings are written and becoming clearer and more inclusive, but still too many are not clear, not accurate, and don't list the salary.
Why are we wasting both our own time and the candidates' time?
But I digress. The part of the hiring process I want to dig into more today are fault lines in the application process. Since almost every organization uses Applicant Tracking Software (ATS), you must get through the filter as a candidate. That means tweaking your resume slightly when you apply to a job. Here are other ways to "beat the robots."
As you'll read in the above article, many people are trying to get through ATS by pasting keywords or an entire job description in white; repeating keywords many times; or adding a section labeled “keywords” where you stick various words from the job description. Any tricks that have to do with pasting keywords in white will immediately be discovered because the ATS will display all text in the same color on the other end.
What about using AI to get through ATS more easily? While there's a lot of great things about it, your resume content still has to be unique and thoughtful. Imagine you get yourself through the filter to a human. Maybe you'd get lucky and they won't notice, but if it sounds like a laundry list of responsibilities and you sound like every other candidate, it won't help you. That's why customizing your resume is so important.
Yet, you can still hit more fault lines. First, your resume could go into a black hole on the Internet and never get uploaded to a company's database. Yes, tech can fail. Second, you can do everything right and take all the advice out there and still not make it through one of the bazillion ATS systems on the market. Third, many HR representatives who don't have a lot of experience are responsible for filtering through candidates.
Those are three ways you can fall through the cracks, even if you're 100% qualified for the job or close to it. So what are you supposed to do? Connect with people. Have conversations. Ask questions. Learn. Build your network. It can take you a lot farther a lot faster than sitting behind your computer and submitting one application after another. Believe me, it works.
Photo credit: Tim Johnson