#InternPro Chat: “Resume Black Holes: Beating the Applicant Tracking System”

Posted on February 13, 2013 by YouTern

IP_TwitterYour resume is perfect… no typos… you’ve tailored your experience to the job posting. Your cover letter is engaging and displays your personality just right. The recruiter who reads your application is going to love you, right?

Well, that depends whether a recruiter even sees your resume and cover letter, ever. Many large companies today screen resumes using software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) where, it seems, many resumes fall into a black hole.

Seems unfair. This is however, a reality of today’s job search. So how do you prepare your resume and cover letter to increase your chances of getting past an ATS? The #InternPro community screened this subject in this week’s chat: “Resume Black Holes: Beating the Applicant Tracking System”.

Join us next week for our next #InternPro Chat… on Monday, February 18. we’ll discuss “The Growing Disconnect Between College Education and Career. Stop by at 9pm ET for conversation, learning and networking!

 


#InternPro Chat: “"Resume Black Holes: Beating the Applicant Tracking System" ”

Storified by YouTern· Tue, Feb 12 2013 22:30:45

QUESTION 1
Q1: What exactly is an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)? Who uses them? And what causes the “resume black hole”? #InternProYouTern
A1 – Recruiters use an ATS to track/manage candidates. Black Hole = hundreds of resumes across tens of roles #InternPro #recruitingJeff Moore
A1- The software that most likely kicks your resume to the curb. Big companies. Flat PDFs & any format the ATS cant scan #internproDillon Rhodes
ATS is a (wholly ineffective) method of filtering out job applications based on keywords used by large scale recruiters. #InternProMark Babbitt
A1: Applicant Tracking Systems do lots of things well. People screw it up!! Life would be much easier if not for lazy recruiters #InternProTom Bolt
Applicant Tracking Systems can be useful databases or excuses for why you weren’t hired. #InternProDr. Janice Presser
A1 Not all ATS are created equal. I’ve found it best to try to connect with someone in the system prior to applying. #internproSamuel Hershberger
I could not have hired 8K teachers every year in NYC without a good ATS. #internproTracy Brisson
QUESTION 2
Q2: I see career advice stating I must keep my resume to one or two pages. Does this rule apply to ATS as well? #InternProYouTern
A2: Resume length is usually a matter of recruiter preference, not ATS system preference. imho. 1-2 pages R fine. 3+ not so much #InternProShannon Smedstad
A2 A resume should be as long or as short as you need it to be. Whether it’s for ATS or a Human! #internproJohn Muscarello
A2 – A good recruiter reviews ALL the resumes that come into ATS for their role….system or not, it’s good practice #InternProJeff Moore
A2: Use every buzzword you can in your application that appear in the ad. It improves your chances of getting read by a person. #internproRob McGahen
@YouTernMark **Keep the resume to 1 column. Many ATS will merge columns (reads left to right) making it gibberish #internproDillon Rhodes
A2: Length of resume is not an issue. Ultimately it will be read by a human screener or recruiter. #InternProTom Bolt
QUESTION 3
Q3: At companies that use ATS, when does a human actually see my resume? Do they ever see my cover letter? #InternproYouTern
With some ATS, such as Taleo, the recruiter is sent a summary of their findings… and NOT the resume. #InternProMark Babbitt
A3: Great q. It depends on the level of the job and how involved a recruiter is. Keywords always sift through resumes first. #internproCareerleaf
A3 – A human sees your resume as soon as you apply in the last two places I’ve worked…ATS is for organization that’s it #InternProJeff Moore
A3pt 2 Cover letters annoy some recruiters and impress others. #InternProArron Daniels
A3: If it survives entire ATS/you get your resume to a human, still no guarantee it will be read #internproJess ‘Babs’ Bahr
A3: It’s important to thoughtfully, thoroughly input resume details into the ATS fields. Don’t enter "see resume" just in case. #InternproShannon Smedstad
A3: Within 24-36 hrs, however response times may vary. Cover letters are always secondary!#InternProSonalee Arvind
QUESTION 4
Q4: So ATS runs on keywords… How do I know what keywords the ATS is looking for? Is the job description my best bet? #InternProYouTern
A4: The job description is a great place to start. But don’t add skills/key words that you don’t truly have. #internproCareerleaf
A4 – This is where an applicant Researches the job description and the Company…then the industry…learn the words. #InternProDeb Babbitt
A4- Skip ATS and contact someone who works there =P #internproDillon Rhodes
A4 Job description, but also check LinkedIn for keywords. Look at the options you can choose in the Skills section. #internproStephanie Kornblum
Incorporating keywords from job description definitely helps! But remember to throw in other industry terms to cover all bases #InternProAvis Budget Careers
ATS rewards mediocrity. Use unusual words to describe your unusual accomplishments at your own risk! #InternProDr. Janice Presser
A4 Good idea to run SEVERAL job descriptions from different companies on Wordle and create a resume that is most appealing #InternproChaim Shapiro
QUESTION 5
Q5: I’ve spent a lot of time being very creative with my resume. Will that help or hurt me where ATS is used? #InternProYouTern
A5: Creativity is good if it can differentiate you from other candidates. Cookie cutter resumes don’t do you any good. #InternProTom Bolt
At #InternPro we talk a LOT about fitting in the company culture. Right or wrong, ATS is part of that culture! Gotta’ be seen.Mark Babbitt
A5: Ah, this is tricky! We never want to discourage creativity. But just know that some ATS software is just not creatively-savvy #internproCareerleaf
A5: I have learned this over and over again. Creativity is great, but easy to read and receive quality info is best. #InternProArron Daniels
A5: From what I’ve read, excessive creativity may not benefit the job seeker. Certain formats may not work well with ATS. #InternProNick LaRosa
A5 Have two resumes (or three) – I have one for when I’m applying through someone I know (direct email) and one for an ATS. #internproStephanie Kornblum
Creativity is fantastic for graphic design and art fields. Think of other ways to be "creative" in more conservative fields. #InternProHeather Rothbauer
Have a 1-column "flat" resume for companies that most likely use ATS. Have another resume format for humans. #InternProMark Babbitt
A5; Easy to read, relevant info, well written with a value proposition wins everytime. #InternproMarcia Robinson
Be creative with your networking…not with your resume. ATS doesn’t give a sh*t about creativity. #internproSamuel Hershberger
QUESTION 6
Q6: To avoid the black hole, how do I personally set the stage for my resume submission? How do I best follow-up? #InternProYouTern
Networking gets you hired. Sending your resume online just allows you to check a box that says "application submitted". #InternProMark Babbitt
A6 – Find a way to become an employee referral. ER’s rarely go into the black hole and are always reviewed #InternProJeff Moore
#internpro becoming an employee means you’re using every possible avenue of entry – at the same timeSteve Levy
A6: I like the idea of asking to set up an informational call 1st. Reach out to corp. rep, gather info. Learn, engage, foll/up. #InternproShannon Smedstad
I love the idea of bringing your formatted and nice looking résumé to the interview. ATS makes everyone’s info look the same. #InternProHeather Rothbauer
@JacketJobLink: @YouTern submit flat ATS resume through system. email HR follow up thank you note w/ "pretty" resume attached #InternProBHSU Student Success
Connect, connect, connect. Or get someone to intervene for you. #InternProDr. Janice Presser
We can’t mention #LI enough. Get on it…yesterday. #internproSamuel Hershberger
QUESTION 7
Q7: Do referrals from current employees also go through the ATS? Or do those get treated differently by HR? #InternProYouTern
A7 Great Question! In companies with ATS most are directly feeding new hire systems, so ans is usually "yes" #InternProTom Bolt
A7- Not at my company. Employee referrals generally get seen 1st. (2200 employees at our home office) #internproDillon Rhodes
Many companies now treating referrals as the gold they are… bypassing ATS (AOL is one of them). #InternProMark Babbitt
Make sure the employee referring you is a well-respected employee. Very important. #InternProHeather Rothbauer
Reality Check: Employee referrals not always used. Hiring manager considers the source. #internproDonna Svei
A7: Depends on the company. There is a higher chance of avoiding the ATS altogether though. #internproRob McGahen
QUESTION 8
Q8: Now that I understand ATS better, I will A) Tailor each resume sent B) Network even harder C) Hate ATS even more #InternProYouTern
A8 Network. Why would i bother with ATS when I can network my way to the HR person and save a ton of time. #internproJohn Muscarello
ATS: Garbage in. Garbage out. #internproDonna Svei
A8: All of the above. #InternProArron Daniels
A8. I mean, I’d probably say all 3. You don’t need to like something to accept it, right? That’s how a lot of things are for me. #internproBrittany Berger
A8: None of the above. If ATS is not serving management it should be killed outright rather than circumvented. #InternProTom Bolt
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