The one thing that's standing between your resume and an interview is...
The Resume Black Hole
Congrats! You've worked really hard on your resume to make it perfect.
**It highlights your strengths and qualifications and tells a really good story about your work history and experience. **
Yet, there's a good chance that your application is getting 'blocked by the bots' and sucked into a virtual black hole.
❌Your resume isn't making it through the various ATS.
The ATS is short for the applicant tracking system. It's an automated system used by 98% of Fortune 500 companies and 65% of other large companies.
There is a significant possibility that no human eyes are even seeing your resume!👎
Welcome!
I'm Mike from Careercloud.com and host of the Careercloud Radio Podcast.
I have your personalized roadmap below that will help your resume land in front of the hiring manager so you can get that interview!
Studies have shown that up to 75% of qualified applicants are rejected by the ATS programs.
The ATS filters out large piles of applications based on a number of factors, and even if you're the best candidate for the position, if you don't follow the ATS guidelines, your resume will never be seen by human eyes.
As promised, I have a simple roadmap below that can help make sure your resume makes it to the hiring manager's hands.
Your Three-Step Plan Towards a Professional Resume
STEP ONE
Take a good look at your current resume and go through this checklist.
▢ Check Formatting: The ATS has a hard time reading certain file extensions and formatting
▢ Save in file format the company wants you to upload in
▢ Remove any formatting: no columns, no text boxes, no images - basically no 'fancy'
▢ Make sure there's no important information in the header and footer; if there is, move out of the header/footer into the main body area
▢ Check Misspelled words: A no-brainer, but take this one step further. The ATS can't pick up the word Mgr., MBA, or M.S. much less PMP (for Project Manager Professional) or LCSW (for Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
▢ Check Bullet Points: Change any lists to traditional bullet points (Have you ever exported a Google document to a .docx format? The bullet points never look the same unless they're the traditional bullets!)
▢ Double-check to see if you are using a resume template: I'm sure it sounds helpful, but using an already formatted template can raise red flags about what the ATS software is actually reading. It might look attractive to the human eye, but it will look jumbled to the digital ATS gatekeeper.
*The ATS reads from left to right!
▢ Check use of keywords: If the words you use in your resume don't match the job description keywords (or worse, if you use keywords that flag as a mismatch) then the ATS software will deem you as unqualified for the position.
▢ Read the job description and match your resume with the same keywords
STEP TWO
Upload your resume to TopResume.com
This free tool will give you important insight into how your resume looks to the ATS and to hiring managers. We partner with TopResume.com and highly recommend them for a free expert analysis of your resume.
When you land on the TopResume website, it will ask you to upload your resume. After you hit submit, TopResume will do two things:
-
Run your resume through an ATS scan
-
Have an expert view your resume
Shortly after submitting, a resume expert will email you with your ATS results and the top suggestions on how you can improve your resume.
The person who reviews your resume will be able to quickly tell if the keywords you're using are the best to describe your top skills and qualifications and what you might want to consider using instead.
STEP THREE
Take the time to go through the expert review and make the recommended changes. TopResume has a proven track record of helping people get more interviews!
They'll break down some easy steps you can take to make sure that your resume is presenting:
» you
» your experience
» and your qualifications
in the best way possible!
If you get stuck with this part, then reach out to the person who actually looked at your resume.
And remember, a professional resume will help you help avoid the ATS discard pile and make you:
*38% more likely to be contacted by recruiters
*31% more likely to land an interview
*40% more likely to land a job
(all statistics pulled from TopResume.com)
DID YOU KNOW:
SPECIFIC AND ACTIONABLE KEYWORDS ARE THE SECRET WEAPON IN BEATING THE ATS AND WILL INSTANTLY MAKE YOU STAND OUT.
Some keywords are weighted more than others!
Hint: Look beyond the job description
Visit the interviewer's LinkedIn profile or website for other strong keywords you can use in your resume!
The Careercloud Mission
Hey! I'm Mike with Careercloud. I'm on a mission to help job seekers like you make career moves that improve both your professional and personal life.
Look, I know what it's like to search for a job. I've been fired. I've also hired and built teams and businesses, including here at Careercloud. As a business owner with a busy family, my goals for myself revolve around integrating my personal and professional lives to create a meaningful and balanced #work-life!
That's what I want for you also.
I want you to get yourself on the best path that will give your life meaning and fulfillment.
And, having a stand-out resume is the first step
Let's face it, applying for a job has become** easier and harder** at the same time.
On one hand, you can look online and see 100s of positions that might be a match; yet, on the other, if you don't know how to play the resume game, then it's like sitting at a poker table, inspecting your hand, and someone yells out 'Go Fish'!
The ATS is just one of the hurdles of making sure your resume lands in front of the right person.
The next challenge is to make sure that the hiring manager can make a decision **within seven seconds **as to whether you belong in the discard pile or whether your resume is worthy of the 'interview pile'.
If your resume looks like all other resumes, you most likely will NOT PASS what I call the '7-second scan'.
If you don't stand out within those 7 seconds, then you'll most likely end up in the discard pile.
Just so you know, Careercloud only stands by and recommends THE best when it comes to professional resume services with proven track records.
We partner with more than one resume service provider and you can easily jump over and check out our reviews on our website.
You may be asking, does a professional resume writing service actually work?
_Absolutely 100% a game changer! _
>>> 68% of job seekers who have contracted with a professional resume writer find a new role in under 90 days
And
>>> A professionally written resume boosts your earning potential by 7%.
I've had many job-seekers run their resume through TopResume.com's free resume analysis and be rather surprised with the results. Some only need to make minor changes while others upgraded to receive expert help in writing a winning resume.
The thing is, you have nothing to lose by running your resume through a free expert analysis right now.
It will give you the insight to see how you can improve your current resume, and make sure that you are making it past the ATS and the 7-second scan and into that interview pile!
To your next success,
Mike Gardon from Careercloud.com
P.S. You have Mail!
While you were reading this, I just sent you an email on one of my favorite strategies for getting more interviews!
As stated above, I'm on a mission to help you get your next job that works best for both your professional and personal life. One that lights you up and brings out the best in you and those around you. This is the Careercloud way and I'd like to invite you on a journey where we'll explore all things #work-life.
Check your email now!
