ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > April > 04
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Getting past the electronic eye
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Online applications have been a blessing and the nemesis for both the employer and the applicant.
Companies are often flooded with applications and don’t have the physical resources to review resumes that have been submitted.
Companies with adequate resources use computer technology to weed out those who may not be qualified for a position.
Although technology has helped corporate recruiters and HR types become more efficient, it does have it’s short falls, as proven by recruiting strategists Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler.
A few years back, Gerry and Mark recruited a group of unemployed HR professionals to post resumes on all of the nation’s fortune 500 companies.
The resume used was a fictitious applicant by the name of Vinnie Boombotz. Vinnie had worked for several years for the ‘Bad-a-Bing Corporation’ as a ‘Certified Protection Analyst (CPA)’.
Most of the companies did not respond, however, Vinnie was offered an opportunity to apply for a collections position in more than one organization. Vinnie Boombotz’s resume can be found at http://www.careerxroads.com/vinnieb/.
Unfortunately, there are a few good candidates that may get overlooked.
Resume scanners are programmed to pick out ‘keywords’ on the resume which the company has deemed as the minimum requirements for a position.
If your resume does not contain those keywords, your resume will undoubtedly get overlooked. At the same time, the computer may categorize you in a position that you don’t have any interest in as well.
To ensure your resume is recognized by the electronic eye and the human eye, make sure you use the exact words an employer may use to describe the qualifications of a position in your resume.
Not all companies use the same language, so conduct a little research to learn their language!
