I’m a retired headhunter. AKA an unpaid professional malingerer.

The post here about job hunting got my attention. Not a lot of people realize that your resume generally, in larger companies, is analyzed by a computer program prior to being seen by a person. That program is sophisticated but, like most programs, is dumb as a box of rocks.

That program looks for buzzwords, defined by Human Resources, that are germane to the job and scores your document. A real person looks at the score and, if scored high enough, reads your document. If they are interested in an applicant who has experience with cats and you dress it up by saying felines, you get a lower score and your resume won’t be considered or even reviewed by a real person.

This goes back to the old saying, “ Always sell what someone wants to buy. Never try to sell on your terms.”

BTW, read the book “Dress for success”. If you’re a carpenter, accountant, computer programmer, banker, scientist, long shoreman, welder, dress for the job.

Good info Dave...

I used to print my resumes specific to each job advert. I would insert(sometimes bold print) the key/buzz words used in the ad.

Any prostitute will verify the dressing for success aspect.

Females need to understand don’t dress to distract unless that’s part of the job.

Very good info. Thanks for posting.
I didn’t use a computer but when I was filling spots on a deer lease there were definitely some buzz words that would turn me off when narrowing down prospective candidates…..

My wife gets hunted pretty hard and the offers she’s received are incredible. I think late next year she may change companies again once she can check that “global lead” box on her resume.

Application Tracking Software is total BS. I’ve heard from some people in HR that there are different ones and they also change periodically, depending on what the hiring company wants or is getting/not getting in applicants/new hires.

So, basically, no one applying for a job really knows what the deal is and networking is more important than ever because your application has a higher chance of actually being read by a human with hiring authority.

But there is a lot of truth to the “use buzzwords from the job description” still. It’s just not that easy anymore.

You’re absolutely right about ATS and the importance of using the right keywords in your resume. These systems are helpful but limited, and using the correct terms can mean the difference between landing an interview or being overlooked.

If the whole process feels overwhelming, I highly recommend hiring a professional resume writing service. It’s an investment that truly pays off. A pro knows how to optimize your resume for ATS and highlight what employers care about.

Here’s an article that might help: https://medium.com/@Jdubs8/how-to-g...ume-professionals-on-fiverr-1474c0ea5089. It explains why hiring a professional makes sense and how to find the right service for your needs.

Metrics also sell.

Number of people on the team, if a Leader, number of people managed, member of a/an (pick the number) person team, budget, time, etc.

Budget?

Remember; in a sea of words, numbers draw attention and a dollar sign ($$$$) defines the scope of your activities. If a 5 person team, use the numeral 5.

Go to LinkedIn to see if you know anybody who works there. If you are in any kind of Office related Occupation, Sales, etc., make sure you are on LinkedIn. That was the first place I went to for a search.

BigPig, if they look for international lead and she says global, she is SOL.

Gee, I still get the emails from 'body' shops. Been retired for 15 yrs. Weirdest was somebody read my resume, called me in and asked ( and not much else) when I could start.

In her world their title is Global. They are literally world wide. International refers to just one or a few countries.

while Boolean searches are still the most prominent and mainstream, AI programs are becoming more and more prevalent. They are scanning tenure, technology, cross referencing your resume to LinkedIn in profile, even ranking your education , and some of the good AI programs are even calling and pre screening candidates and ranking your resume based of your replies.(I have one that live screens up to 500 applications a day).

Long story short, don’t ignore the interactive AI call, it’s fastly becoming mainstream