How To Write A Resume That Beats The Computers

Your Resume: Humans vs. Computers

When I give webinars on writing resumes, one of the topics I cover is how to make your resume visually appealing. I often get this question:

Why would I want to spend so much time and money making my resume pretty if it's just going to confuse the computers?

My answer is that yes, the computers are important, and that you ALSO need to have a resume that's designed to be read by human beings. We all know that you are most likely to find your job through networking or the "hidden job market." When you send materials to someone in your network or to a decision-maker in the hidden job market, you want to include a professional-looking resume. And when it's time for an interview, it's also advisable to have a nicely formatted resume to hand across the table.

For those of you who are hoping to get those interviews by applying online, the question still remains: How can I write a resume that makes it past the computers? In other words: How can I raise my odds above 2%?

Keep reading.

There are two issues with submitting online resumes. One is the format of the resume; the second is the keywords it contains.

Formatting for Robots

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software is not the smartest software in the world. It gets confused by bullets, non-traditional headings, graphs, tables, and text boxes. So you need to have a version of your resume that is stripped down and organized just for the computers. We call this your "text-based" resume.

Your text-based resume should follow these guidelines:

Create it in (or copy it into) a text editor such as Notepad, SimpleText or TextEdit.

Use easily understandable headings like "Summary of Qualifications," "Professional Experience" and "Education."

Don't get fancy or creative with your headings, and don't put two categories together in one section. Do NOT, for instance, use the heading "Education & Certifications" or "Skills & Interests."

Use dashes or asterisks instead of bullets.

List your address in standard "tombstone" style, one line on top of the next.

Put spaces between sections.

Beating the Machine

Now, you've done your best to create a resume the computers will understand. But how will you know if it really worked?

The best way to find out what a computer understands and what it doesn't is to use a computer program that tells you. Thankfully, there are services such as Preptel where you can put your resume into a box on your computer screen, and the program will tell you what information is recognized and not recognized by the ATS software.

How Will You Know What Keywords to Use?

Just because the computers can read your resume doesn't mean you will have the right keywords to make it past their screening systems. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the keywords that truly make a difference with computer scanners are the ones you have on your resume that not everyone else includes. Preptel's service (called "Resumeter™") will tell you what those unique words are so that you can add them to your resume. All you have to do is paste a job description onto the page, and you will get a list of the keywords you MUST include in your resume for it to be viable.

Example: One of my clients was applying for a job with INTUIT. When I put his resume and job description into the Resumeter™, the resume was rated as "Weak." I discovered that he needed to have certain keywords in his resume, including the phrase "QuickBooks, Quicken." We added a line about how eager he was to market QuickBooks, Quicken and other INTUIT software through compelling graphic design. His Resumeter™ grade changed from "Weak" to "Strong."

Using an online cv maker, the client wouldn't have stood a chance. As you know, the online job search market is highly competitive and statistics are not encouraging. You can change your odds of making it past the ATS systems with just a few clicks and adjustments.

I have no doubt that you have great experience that qualifies you for many positions. If the computer can't understand and rank it properly, it won't help you a bit.

For writing that gets results.

Brenda Bernstein, Founder and Senior Editor, BrendaB@TheEssayExpert.com

Brenda Bernstein, Certified Advanced Resume Writer and accomplished editor and LinkedIn trainer, holds an English degree from Yale University and a J.D. from the NYU School of Law. Over her 15 years as Senior Editor at The Essay Expert, Brenda has coached hundreds of professionals and companies to write resumes, essays and other materials that result in sought after job interviews, admission to top schools, and measurable business success.