Making Application Tracking Software Work For You

Job searching can be a pain, but it doesn’t have to be hard. A few simple steps and a little knowledge of how companies use tracking software to pull resumes can get you far in your job search in a short amount of time. Tracking software for applications is used by many companies now and involves using a system to pull keywords from resumes posted online or sent in to a company. This helps companies narrow down the applications that are sent in and leaves them with a select few people to interview. Even in searching for jobs, tracking software is changing the game for applicants. If your resume is done correctly, you could be one of those people chosen and the more interviews you land the more you’re likely to get hired. Make the system work for you.

Searching For Jobs

If you’re looking for a job, post your resume on sites like Monster, Careerbuilder, Hotjobs, and so on. The more websites you use, the more times your resume is likely to be seen, either by the tracking system or a hiring manager, and the more likely you’ll be to get an interview. Any time you search for a job, use some of the terms you already have on your resume so that the ATS connects the jobs with your resume. For instance, if you’re a teacher looking for a spot as a history professor and your resume says you have a degree in education, look for jobs in “education” as a specific search. Even if you are overqualified for the majority of jobs you see, or if most aren’t what you’re looking for, there will still be some higher paying jobs that are looking for the keyword “education” on resumes.

How To Keep Your Resume With a Company

If you have ever sent your resume to a company, then you have probably received some sort of reply that if you were not chosen for the job your application would remain on file. The issue with that is that it only remains on file for so long, but there is a way you can keep your resume and name in with the company. You simply submit an updated resume every six months to the hiring manager. If that company uses application tracking software, it will store it for you. Even if you have a job, do this anyway in case you find yourself suddenly without one or in case another company can offer you a better job.

How To Fix Your Resume To Get Noticed

The best way to know if your keywords are being picked up by the tracking software is to look at a sample of five job postings from your specific career. For instance, if you are in journalism, you would look at five “help wanted” ads posted from newspapers. Look at the keywords they use and if your resume doesn’t have the same types of keywords, tweak your resume to match those keywords. Now you are using the same method corporations and businesses use to find employees and are sure to get on their hiring radar.