[A Must Read] See Why Your Applications Are Not Getting Response

HR, recruiters and staffing agencies rely heavily on 'buzzwords' and algorithms. They don't care about reading between the lines to know the candidate" - Bridget Hyacinth recruitment consultant and social influencer. 

With scarce jobs and overflow of candidates seeking for job positions, recruiters get thousands of applications for few job openings. No company has the capacity to manually check all those CVs by a human. They make use of Application Tracking Software in order streamline CVs of candidates they want. Being qualified or having first class / second class upper does not give you any comparative advantage at this time. Your CV needs to be certified by a recruitment software first. 

What is ATS Software Looking For?

Keywords . Yes, you heard me right - keywords. In every job description, there are keywords the employers are looking for. This must be included in your CV for the ATS software to pick it. Some keywords may have to do with experience, education or certification. You must put it appropriately where it belongs. If the recruiter is looking for a React Developer, the keyword React Development must appear in your CV to pass the first hurdle of ATS software. Even if you have PhD in Web Development and 20 experience all written in your CV without mentioning the keyword, it is of no use.

Your CV Must Be Scannable By An ATS Software

The template you use and how you format your CV all matter on its success. All sections must be properly labelled - Objective, Experience, Education, Skills etc. Bold the titles. Some takeaways:

• Always use the same fonts for Section Titles and Contents
• Do not put pictures on your CV (it's not readable by ATS software)
• Do not use text- boxes
• A word document is preferred. If you think your CV will be analysed by a software, avoid PDF formats (Most ATS systems can properly parse PDFs - older ones may not)
• Always include keywords in your Objectives, Skills or Education.

Your Resume Objective

Do not make your objective generic or passive. Never write things like:

Highly motivated electrical engineer looking for employment in a challenging environment in a fast-paced company.

Be specific and include job title and company you are applying to on the objective:

Financial Accountant with 3+ years experience working in a leading commercial bank in Lagos with a proficient knowledge of Sage 50 Account Package. Seeking for an Account Manager position at XYZ corporation.

Your resume objective is your pitch. Most recruiters make decisions on CV within 9 seconds. So even if you pass the ATS hurdle, you must pitch you CV properly to get invited to interview. Don't keep your recruiter searching your CV for keywords! 

Making these small changes may make a difference in you getting your dream job.