Technology Behind Submitting Your Resume Online

Resume key words are the phrases in a resume that HR “screeners”, recruiters, hiring managers, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) look for, relative to a specific job opening.



If the resume does not have the right combination of key words, then it may never be seen by human eyes! This is the technology behind submitting your resume online.



Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

The ATS is a software system and a database holding resume information. It operates behind the commercial and corporate job boards to capture and store submitted resumes.



When a resume is submitted through a job board, the content is separated and placed into the ATS. The resume loses all of its formatting and becomes plain text within the database. This is why it’s best to use a plain text (ASCII) version of the resume when submitting through job boards, so it’s easier for the ATS to work with.



The employer signs-on to the ATS and performs key word searches. For the resume to reach human eyes, it must contain key words matching the search criteria. When there’s a decent match, the employer can choose to view the entire resume.



Why the Resume may be Ignored

Most ATS users are savvy enough to perform Boolean searches, meaning combining key words. If the employer wants someone with project management, technology, and quality assurance skills, it could use a search like this:



” ‘project management’ AND technology AND ‘quality assurance’ “

Only resumes that have all three exact search terms would be returned.



Using Resume Key Words

ATS systems are very smart. When doing a search, the resume key words must be used in the proper context or the ATS might ignore the resume. You must use key words throughout the resume, especially with a technical resume.



This is where creative writing, journalism style story structuring, and career history intersect to make a spectacular resume. Not only does the resume need to satisfy the ATS for key word searching, it also needs to satisfy the hiring manager when reading it for the actual career history and accomplishments.



The ATS process, which nearly every employer requires you to follow, is why I recommend also mailing a hard copy directly to the employer – and there are ways to make that process much easier.



It's vital to understand the challenges of writing a resume that will get you interviews and make you worth more in salary.