What Happens after I Upload my Resume? This Tip explains it

Once you have finished the application and click ‘send’ or ‘apply’, your resume will be scanned and inserted into a ‘digital filing cabinet’ by the Applicant Tracking System, or ATS. An ATS is a computer software designed to scan resumes for certain keywords and weed out the ones that don't match the job description.

So, if you want your resume to actually make it into the hands of a human for review, you need to make sure it's written for the ATS. Savvy resume writers know how to optimize a resume for two audiences - the ATS and the human reader. Each will be scanning the resume looking for specific criteria.

To help make it through these scans, it is important to understand what each of these readers is looking for. Here are just a few examples:

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

  • Looks for exact matches from the job posting for headings such as job title, work experience, education, certifications

  • picks up quantifiable results such as numbers or percentages

  • Scans for exact keywords - the same words used in the job posting and the resume. The more keyword matches results in the resume achieving a higher score. Resumes that score higher are most likely to be passed on to a human reader

The Human reader scans for:                  

  • exact & similar job titles, exact & relevant work experience, exact & relevant education/certification

  • quantifiable results:  $, % or #’s

  • writing and communication skills – grammar, spelling, readability, and clarity

  • accomplishment statements which help demonstrate ‘how’ an applicant would perform

  • volunteerism or project work of interest (if applicable or relevant)

 

Check us out at Calgary Career Hub and make sure to visit the Virtual Resource Room. Have a look at the Resume Writing category and the Tip Sheet ‘Writing a Resume for Two Audiences.’

 

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