Guest post alert!

This blog post was written by our awesome summer 2021 intern, Lara Carrasco. To learn more about Lara, click here.

 

If you are starting to apply for jobs or have been applying for some time, it is likely you have heard the term “black hole” when it comes to online applications and submitting your resume. This term deals with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) used by companies to filter through job applications and the unfortunate result that it may lead to: never hearing back about your application. 

 

In order to decrease the chances that an ATS rejects or flags your application, here are some tips to keep in mind when creating or editing your resume:

 

• Answer any preliminary or filter questions completely and accurately. Many times, online job applications will have a set of questions that will help sort out candidates and not answering those questions could lead to your application being flagged or rejected. 

• Have the job description for the position you wish to apply for nearby when working on your resume. This will allow you to prioritize and highlight the best skills for the position and will allow you to stand out more as an applicant. Customizing your resume for different job applications will ensure that a program such as an ATS recognizes you as a better fit.

• Try to keep your resume simple when it comes to fonts, special characters, headings, and graphics like images and tables. This will lower the chances of the ATS not being able to process parts of your resume.

• Use keywords throughout your resume that are role specific and can be found in the job description. This does not mean you should completely fill your resume with the same keywords in hopes of standing out. Just make sure to be mindful of what the position prioritizes and that you demonstrate you have those qualifications and attributes as a candidate. 

• For said keywords, try to use both the acronym and longform version of those words. This will ensure that the ATS will recognize the keyword no matter its format. 

• Save your resume as a PDF or Word Document so your resume can be read by almost all systems and programs. 

• Become knowledgeable on the company’s hiring processes and don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t hear back. Knowing how a company reviews resumes could help you have a better understanding of what they are looking for and prioritize. Following up will make you stand out from the rest of the applicants and could even increase your chances of having a real person read through your resume. 

Although it may seem daunting, these tips will help you make the most of your hard work and decrease the chances of ending up in the resume “black hole”. Being aware and knowledgeable about potential pitfalls is the first step to overcoming challenges and using these programs to your advantage!