6 Tips for Creating a Job Application CV that Passes Online Selection
Aviva babes , have you ever felt like you've sent hundreds of CVs but how come no HR person has contacted you or received an interview call ? If so, maybe your CV didn't pass through the ATS, aka Applicant Tracking System . Yup, now more and more companies are using ATS to sort thousands of applications that enter their job vacancies and automatically eliminate applications that are deemed not to be what they are looking for.
With this automatic system, almost 75% of CVs on the internet will simply be rejected without being seen by HRD people. That's why, we need to know how to revise our CV so that it can pass this sorting. Here are some tips:
1. Enter keywords ( keywords )
Applicant tracking systems work in a similar way to search engine optimization (SEO), namely by using keywords. When we send a CV, ATS will scan it and save it in the database . Recruiters can then search this database using keywords such as specific skills, qualifications, or job titles to create a list of potential applicants. The trick is to ensure our CV contains relevant keywords that recruiters are likely to search for.
So, how do we know what keywords to use in a CV? That is easy. Look at the job ad as a starting point. Nine times out of 10, a job ad will contain the specific skills and qualifications that recruiters are looking for. Our job is to ensure these keywords are included in the CV.
For example, if the recruiter has listed ' content writing ' as a required skill and we do have experience writing content, then make sure the term ' content writing ' is included in our CV.
2. Format the CV file correctly
The format of your CV file has a big influence on whether the ATS can successfully read it and pick out the right keywords. Follow the points below as a starting guide:
- Send CV as a Word document and avoid PDF (unless requested).
- Use a font size no smaller than 10 points.
- Align left ( align left ) your document.
- Use at least a half inch margin.
- Avoid using special fonts , embedded images, and unusual or too creative CV designs, unless you are applying in the design field. They may be interesting to look at in person, but the ATS tracking system may have difficulty processing them.
- Keep information in the body of the document, and avoid putting anything important (name, email address, etc.) in the header or footer .
3. Enter specific qualifications
If a job vacancy requires candidates to have certain skills or qualifications, recruiters will likely use applicant tracking systems to look for CVs containing those specific qualifications.
Include a Skills or Qualifications section in your CV to ensure it is picked up in searches. Remember to list all your relevant skills and qualifications in simple, commonly used language that recruiters are likely to search for.
4. Avoid long-winded or excessive explanations
When creating a CV , we usually want to list all the special things that make us an extraordinary employee or an interesting person – willingness to learn, positive attitude, extraordinary work ethic, and even our passion for our career. However, the ATS will not read any of these terms, so feel free to ignore them.
Stick to the skills and qualifications listed in the job ad, because that's what will help us beat these tracking bots .
5. Write clear position names
Calling ourselves by the self-made title of 'Director of First Impressions' when our job title is 'receptionist' or 'Commercial Text Worker' to say 'Copywriter' may sound funny, but it won't help us pass the ATS. Recruiters will be looking for job titles they are familiar with, so it's important that the job title on your CV matches what they have in mind.
Try searching through all the job vacancies advertised by recruiters to see what language they use to refer to certain roles and then replicate this on your CV.
6. Clean social media traces
Reportedly, some ATS can even directly track our digital footprints on social media. That's why we must have a social media presence/online persona that is professional and accountable when looking for work or creating a second/alter account for more private matters.
The good news is , we can control what ATS can find. The first thing we have to do is check the privacy settings on all our social media accounts and determine which ones can be accessed by the public and which ones are set as private.
It is also important to double-check whether our social media contains photos , comments or posts that are embarrassing or inappropriate to view. You don't want your dream career to be derailed by an embarrassing tweet from five years ago, right?
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