Has hunting for jobs on the internet left you frustrated? If you’re sick of still getting ghosted after months of searching, join the club.
A single job listing, even for a small company, can receive thousands of applications. This means that unless your resume is exceptional, a recruiter won’t even read it.
Even though applying for jobs online is a stacked numbers game, building a bot to auto-apply to every relevant listing will only get you so far. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, read on to learn how to improve your resume and stop relying on the shotgun approach.
How Online Applications Work
“How can I improve my resume quality?” is a common question among people who are new to the job search or are used to submitting paper applications. The characteristics that make a “quality” resume are different when you’re applying online, so the first step toward resume improvement is understanding how online applications work.
Most online jobs don’t reach a real person until they’ve already made it through a rigorous screening algorithm. Known as an applicant tracking system (ATS), this software looks for key features in resumes and cover letters.
If the resume isn’t in a readable format, is missing key terms, or contains too much irrelevant info, the ATS throws it out. Only the ones that check all the pre-programmed boxes will get sent on to a recruiter.
How to Improve Your Resume With Keywords
The good news about having an ATS scan your resume is that if you do include the right keywords, you boost your chances of making it through to a recruiter. These keywords may include years of experience, a college degree, or a specific license. Also, the hard and soft skills listed in the job title and description are almost guaranteed to be on the required keyword list.
No matter what, make sure your keywords are accurate and contextual—don’t try to “game the system”. If you haven’t written an internet-friendly resume on your own before, it’s worth seeking out resume writing assistance so someone with more experience can help fine-tune your keyword choice.
Getting the Formatting Right
Along with key terms, optimizing the format is the best way to improve your resume.
The goal here is to make sure your document is easily-scannable and attractive to both recruiters and an ATS. First, make sure to save your resume as a .docx or .pdf file unless otherwise specified. You can use Google Docs to save your files in these formats for free.
Next, organize your work experience in reverse chronological order, only including information that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. Keep the font large enough to read, organize sections so they read from left to right, and don’t include photos or fancy graphics.
Try These Ways to Improve Your Resume
If you’ve been wondering how to improve your resume enough to get it in front of a recruiter’s eyes, give these tips a try. It’s likely to take some trial and error, but knowing how the online application system works increases your chances of landing an interview.
Make sure to read through the rest of our site for more tips on landing a job online.
