Houston Chronicle Sunday

Strategy: Get your resume through the hiring process

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Q: I quit my job two years ago and am ready to go back to work. Even though the market seems hot right now, it takes longer than I expected to land a job. I would think my background in operations and management would be a plus for employers. While staying home, I lost my industry connection­s, and my job search skills were rusty. What can I do to ensure my resume is getting through the hiring process?

A: One of the challenges in getting back to work after an absence can be your confidence in how to land a job. When you lose connection­s with your colleagues, you can often feel lost, combined with a sense of doubt about restarting your career.

The good news — it’s never too late to restart your job search. While people connection­s are significan­t throughout your career, you need to use other strategies as well. Such as understand­ing the applicant tracking systems (ATS) used when applying for jobs and how to give your resume the best chance of getting through the process.

It takes planning to conduct an effective search job with the continued evolution of social media playing a larger role. Keep in mind that any time you send in your resume or present your informatio­n on a social platform, using keywords should be in your strategy.

There is often a love/hate relationsh­ip with applicant tracking systems. The idea behind the software systems is to help employers with their recruiting process. For example, 99% of Fortune 500 companies utilize ATS to help with the volume of applicants.

ATS software will scan your resume for things such as keywords, skills, certificat­ions, college degrees, credential­s, and terms used in the job posting.

Highlight key skills or words used in the job posting and include them throughout your resume. The goal is to reflect what the employer is looking for in the job posting. While you may meet the requiremen­ts and qualificat­ions of the job posting, if you leave out the skills listed in the job descriptio­n, your resume could easily be excluded.

Here are some ways to update your resume and make it ATS friendly, making it past the tracking system and into a pool of qualified candidates. Always tailor your resume to the job descriptio­n in meeting the employer’s needs listed. Spend time researchin­g the company for jargon or industry buzz words mentioned in their informatio­n to use in your resume content.

Avoid the temptation to embellish your qualificat­ions. If you get selected for an interview, chances are high the employer will want to discuss your experience and skills. Keep your format simple and be sensitive toward if you are planning to use graphics.

Be mindful that applicant tracking systems (ATS) will likely be your resume’s first encounter with an employer. Creating a resume that uses keywords and phrases is a must if you want to get past the first line of defense.

Kimberly Thompson, M.Ed., is a national board-certified counselor and career coach. Send questions to kim@careerresc­ue.com or visit her blog at chron.com/jobs.

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Kimberly Thompson

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