By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
EP 3104 You’re applying but not getting an interview – the problem is your resume. Most job seekers make serious fatal mistakes that cause recruiters to reject them within seconds. We’ll weed out the redundant and uncover one of the core reasons why your resume never makes it past the screening process. Listen in to learn the no-nonsense fix you need to stop wasting time and start landing calls.
Don’t act desperate!
Okay, let’s get straight to the point. Let’s be honest, we’re going to unravel a mystery that drives so many job seekers crazy. You spend hours, even days, crafting what you think is the perfect resume.
You send it out, and then, there’s silence. So let’s figure out why this happens. I mean, it’s a super frustrating feeling, right? You’ve checked all the boxes.
You have the experience, you have the skills, the layout looks great, but your application seems to disappear into a black hole. What’s going on? Well, it turns out there might be a hidden obstacle in your way. A secret enemy destroys all your hard work before anyone notices your application.
This is a big problem we need to solve. You spend so much time on a beautiful design, choosing the perfect font, and creating those sleek-looking columns, what if this is the thing holding you back? I know this is a completely counterintuitive idea, but it’s absolutely crucial. So it’s time to give this secret enemy a name.
Let’s meet the gatekeepers who stand between you and your dream job. Say hello to the Applicant Tracking System (or ATS for short). Now, the key thing you must understand is that ATS is not looking to admire your design skills.
This is a machine. It’s only job is to scan your documents, extract key information like your name and skills, and file them neatly. This is the key part.
You’re not really writing your resume for the hiring manager. Well, not at first anyway. You are writing it for a piece of software.
If you can’t get past this digital bouncer, a real person will never know you applied. This brings us to the core question. You see, all the design choices that you think help you stand out? Yes, they might actually be doing the exact opposite.
Okay, here’s the deal in a nutshell. We’re often told to make our resumes pop, you know, use multiple columns, fancy fonts, creative layouts. But to a machine, all this is just confusing noise.
ATS is looking for the complete opposite, a simple single column layout with standard fonts. It requires flat, predictable data that can be easily digested. So what happens when the ATS gets confused by a weird font or two-column layout? Well, one expert made it clear.
The system will literally suffocate your resume. It just can’t process the file. This is very important.
When something goes wrong with the software, your resume gets trashed. It will not be marked for human review. It won’t be placed in a pile of possible things.
It never even entered the system. This is an instant automatic rejection. game over.
24 hour rule
You know, this all leads to a very surprising conclusion. To win this game, you have to completely rethink your strategy. It’s time to embrace boring resumes.
This sentence gets to its core. For online applications, don’t make it pretty. Just make it work.
As sources say, bland, dull, and boring, that’s what really works. This is what the machine wants. That’s what gets you in the door for the next round.
So, what do these ATS-friendly resumes actually look like? Well, it’s really just three simple rules. First, use a single column from top to bottom. That’s it.
Second, stick to standard, simple fonts. Nothing crazy. Third, get rid of any fancy formatting.
This means no graphs, no charts, nothing that might confuse the system. This is a good way to think about it. Your ATS-friendly resume should look like the simple document you just typed into a basic text editor.
Its purpose is not to be pretty. The purpose is pure, clear, unadulterated messaging. that’s all.
Now, hang in there. This doesn’t mean your beautifully designed resume is useless. not at all.
It definitely has a purpose. You just need to know when and where to use it. So, yeah, don’t throw that one away.
All the efforts were in vain. This version of the resume is a very powerful tool, but only in the right context. The winning strategy here is to have two resumes ready.
Disengaged interviewer
The boring version, that’s your digital key. You only use this tool to upload to the online system to pass ATS. But the beautiful version is for humans.
You bring it to live interviews, you hand it out at networking events. This is where great design can actually have a huge impact. So, after all this, the question to ask yourself is very simple.
If you’ve hit a wall of silence during your job search, maybe the key isn’t to add more to your resume, but to take something away. Maybe it’s time to give your resume a boring makeover and finally get it past the digital gatekeepers.
Executive Job Search Gold Mine
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire “Big Game Hunter” Jeff Altman to provide no-nonsense career advice around the world because he makes many things in people’s careers easier. These things may involve job hunting, recruiting more effectively, managing and leading better, career transitions, and advice on solving workplace problems.
He is the producer and former host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,100 episodes.
Executive Job Search: The Intangible Market
You’ll find important information to help you with your job search on my new website, Job Hunting.Community In addition to video courses, books, and guides, I answer members’ questions about their job search every day. Leave your job search questions and I will respond every day. Becoming an Insider+ member gives you everything you get as an Insider+ member, plus you can connect with me via Zoom call to get your questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we offer individual and group coaching.
Layoff Posts: Your Secret Weapon on LinkedIn
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Recruiters know something you don’t: They won’t fill that many positions
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