Read Ability:
Your document needs to be readable in an authentic voice. Read your draft out loud or use a text-to-voice app to listen and pick out issues with the wording, grammar, and spelling.
Scan Ability:
Your resume should be easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to scan. They should be able to quickly pick out the target position and the candidate’s qualifications. A resume has a lot of content; therefore, you need to use a lean and clean design, be concise, and eliminate unnecessary words to help the recruiter scan the resume.
Peruse Ability:
The recruiter or hiring manager needs to find what they need to know easily. By inspecting and examining the resume, they should be able to determine enough about you to decide whether you are a potential match for the position. Make sure that the complete content supports your match to the position and the value you will bring to the organization – make it clear without relying on assumptions.
ATS algorithms are designed to select keywords and phrases which are specific to a job but unique and different from other job descriptions in its databank. Because many applicants use the keyword approach, and you will be ranked against others, it is important to distinguish yourself from other applicants as being more desirable. Keywords must penetrate ATS technology first and then resonate with humans. You need to create a document that matches what the ATS robot is looking for and makes sense to the human reader.
An old ATS robot would have ranked only the underlined words. A more sophisticated program would rank the same as well as variations. When searching for a candidate, a recruiter may enter groups of keywords as listed above. The versions and synonyms of words used can get quite complex and varied.
Keywords are typically:
nouns that describe competencies and are central to the targeted job, company, or industry. Determining keywords and key phrases is tricky so consider what words an employer might be looking for in core competencies (skills). Read between the lines of the job posting!
Keywords are typically not:
adjectives such as dynamic or adverbs such as effectively or verbs such as organized. Adjectives, adverbs, and verbs are meaningful to a human, not meaningful to a robot.
Even though these words are not meaningful to a robot, they will still add impact with a human reader who will be making the final decision. Don’t omit them but understand that they are not what will get you a higher ranking in the initial ATS screen and ultimately, an interview.
Pay close attention to the actual job title.
Creative or fancy branding of a job title will not be noticed. If you are a Project Manager and you are applying for a Program Manager position, use both. Use many versions of a job title: Cashier, Customer Service Clerk, Sales Associate throughout the resume.
