- Understand why it’s important to customize your résumé and how to do it
Applicant Tracking System
After choosing a résumé format and creating your résumé, you are not done! While you now have a résumé, any time you use it to apply for a job, you should review the job description carefully and revise your résumé so that it is customized for that job. This is especially important if the organization that you are applying to uses an applicant tracking system to help them screen a large volume of applicants.
applicant tracking system
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a kind of software that helps human resource professionals manage the hiring process more efficiently. Importantly, it can automatically select and disqualify applicants based on your résumé’s contents.
Similar to how technology has changed many aspects of how businesses operate, applicant tracking systems have changed how applicants are reviewed. Because it’s relatively easy to submit a job application online, either through a company’s website or a platform like LinkedIn, sometimes a single job posting will attract hundreds of applicants.
The ATS is set up to scan your résumé for the skills and experiences that the employer wants for the particular position. The software will scan all the résumés submitted by applicants and rank them according to how well they match the employer’s preferences. The higher your résumé ranks, the more likely it is that you will get past that initial screening and have your résumé read by a real person, like the hiring manager.
Often, the ATS has been programmed to look for key skills and job titles on your résumé that match the skills and title of the job you are seeking. Your résumé will be more likely to rank higher if you edit your résumé to match these key skills as closely as possible. You should be honest but also think critically about how your past experiences can be described to match what are listed as minimum and preferred qualifications.