28
Hello Ladies,
Same, I had my resume professionally done and I also taylor it to the job description still very little hits and I’m not even sure I’m doing it right.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
21.47k
01/25/22 at 6:17AM UTC (Edited)
Please do not listen to the folks on here lying to you about "the ATS examining process" and "passing through the ATS scanning process".
THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
I would keep an eye out for who is offering this advice. Many times it is someone who is promising they will re-write your resume - for a fee - that will "get you past the ATS". There is no getting past the ATS.
You know what gets a resume noticed? Being qualified for the position.
The ATS is basically an electronic filing cabinet. It's a data base. It stores resumes. There is no "getting past the ATS". The ATS also does not screen out resumes - based on keywords or anything else.
Occasionally, they are set up with "knock out" questions. Those questions were set up by humans. Like if the position requires a specific degree. If you respond that you do not have that degree, you will be "knocked out".
Even you are "knocked out", your resume is still stored in the ATS and still very much visible to any and all recruiters.
I look at every single resume that gets submitted to my jobs. With my eyeballs.
What have you done so far in your job search? Where do you have your resume posted? How often are you updating those profiles? Is your LinkedIn profile filled out and up to date? Where are you looking for positions?
If you'd like me to take a look at your resume, PM me. No charge, I'm not a resume writer. I'm a recruiter with 20 years experience who looks at resumes and LinkedIn profiles all day long and uses an actual ATS every day.
Also, just FYI - about 9 out of 10 times when I tell a candidate "I really like your background/experience but we need to fix this resume" - they tell me "I just had it professionally redone."
Devona
12
01/26/22 at 2:40PM UTC
so insightful! thank you
Anonymous
01/26/22 at 12:49PM UTC
You are not 100% correct on the ATS so stop with the bad advice.
The definition of an ATS, yes.
The ATS will auto reject you if you do not have the keywords or phrases they are looking for.
When a recruiter is searching for a candidate in the ATS and your record doesn't come up, then obviously your resume is just sitting in a quiet corner and overlooked.
Always take a look at the job descriptions that you're interested in and taylor your resume to what it says in your own words, of course.
There are recruiters still out there that use the manual method, like Joan. I can appreciate her manually looking over resumes, but there are a lot of staffing companies that use AI to increase efficiency and great candidates are missed. Applicants, unfortunately, have to cater to those in order to be contacted.
-- Signed, someone who works at a staffing company and implements and maintains the MarTech/ATS software.
Angie CallenLife-Centric Career and Business Coach
268
01/26/22 at 2:46AM UTC
Joan, I'm not sure I entirely agree with you.
How do you explain an application that's submitted at 2:10 on a Sunday afternoon, with no knock-out questions, triggering an automatic rejection at 2:11? Sorry, that was no human. (I like to call them robo-rejects)!
I've seen this happen with minimal application submissions requiring only a cover letter and resume. No additional field, no supplemental questions. The only possible way this happens is if some algorithm isn't pleased with what you've fed into it.
While I wish every hiring process included someone like you who actually READ applications and resumes with their own eyeballs, it just isn't the case. Larger companies, especially, have automated this thing to death and taken the human out of human resources. It stinks (and on that front, you and I are fighting the same battle)!
Naomi Strother
28
01/25/22 at 11:20PM UTC
Joan,
This is some valuable advice. Thank you.
I would love for you to assist. How can I reach out?
Heather Macone
626
01/25/22 at 3:29PM UTC (Edited)
This is great info and a great offer Joan.
Thank you for being available for those who may need a little (or a big) spruce of their resume :)
Kate Ross MyersHuman Resource Officer in New York
47
01/25/22 at 12:59AM UTC
Hello Naomi,
With regards to your resume, it should be done accordingly to the position you're aiming for. Keywords is important, your content should help you sell yourself at the same time, it will pass the ATS examining process. If you hire professional to create a general resume, then ask their help to help you create a targeted resume.
SarahTeaching The Secrets of Success!
16
01/25/22 at 2:31AM UTC
Read and study up on EVERYTHING you can about the company prior to your interview/ resume sending.
"I am excited about speaking with you as your company has been doing/ selling xyz and I find that right up my alley/ so exciting and I could add my expertise/ organization/ team building skills of zyx..."
Maegan, Nike Sales Rep & Career CoachHelping you know your value to get your next job
1.82k
01/24/22 at 8:32PM UTC (Edited)
Hey Naomi,
What are you doing for your networking strategy when you apply to these jobs?
Naomi Strother
28
01/25/22 at 11:22PM UTC
Hi Maegan,
Not much I don't think, but maybe I am misunderstanding
Sabrina CortesSenior Resume Writer/Copywriter
1.34k
01/24/22 at 5:12PM UTC
Resumes need to be tailored to each job that you're applying to. Otherwise, there's a chance that it won't pass through the ATS scanning process. This is when the ATS software looks for matches between keywords/phrases in your resume and those in the job descriptions. Like @Angie Callen said, if you have a general resume (even if it is somewhat tailored to your industry and skillset), this could be why you're not getting results.
Angie CallenLife-Centric Career and Business Coach
268
01/24/22 at 3:02PM UTC
Was the resume you had professionally written tailored towards a specific position, or did you get a "general" resume that you then tailor? What kinds of roles are you applying to? Are they in line with your experience? There are a lot of factors to consider, and a resume isn't always the magic bullet fix. That said, it can certainly hinder your progress, so I'd love a little more info to help diagnose!
Naomi Strother
28
01/25/22 at 11:24PM UTC
Hi Angie, yes it was a general resume ,that I tailor to each and every job I apply to. I have been applying to Benefits Manger roles, HR Manager Roles, Associate and\or Assistant Director of Benefits and Operations. All things I am qualified for.
Angie CallenLife-Centric Career and Business Coach
268
01/26/22 at 2:42AM UTC
I would have liked to see that professional resume package you had prepared include a "base" version for each of these types of roles because there are nuances between all of them that required different branding and prioritization, i.e. a director is different than a manager.
I'd think about creating some iterations, so you have a stronger starting point for each "category," and then can just change keywords a little here and there. It may be more efficient.
That said, I've seen a lot of competition within the HR market, so networking (or otherwise bringing humans into your process) may be an additional activity you want to include to make this whole thing less painful.
That's typically my go-to when a client gets frustrated about their traction and the resume isn't the entire hang-up. Good luck!
