A robot is reading your resume: 6 ways to hack your resume for AI hiring tools

 

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Artificial Intelligence has arrived in hiring. For organizations which are already using it, and for those who will do so in the near future, this is slated to revolutionise the way human resources looks at hiring. Much has been said about how hiring can be made easier, a more cost and time effective process with the help of AI- how software can scan and optimise the choice of resumes, how bots can take over the first step of hiring, do away with the initial stages of interviews and so on.

On the other side of the argument, stands the candidate. The person whose resume is getting scanned. You!

If that has not already happened, in the near future, word or online profiles will be scanned by intelligent robots which will determine if it is fit to be passed on to the next round. Basically the candidate will need to get past the machine and reach the humans. 

However there are things which can be done, which make it easier for one’s profile to stand out as well. 

Get on to AI: While there are already many companies building AI software for the hiring manager, there are also companies doing the same for job searchers. It is best to do some research on the net (just type ‘profile builder artificial intelligence’ on google) and check the options. Once decided which software to go for, just upload the profile on to the software. The job one is opting for also needs to be chosen and uploaded. Once that is done, the software suggests changes that can be made on to the profile with the job description in mind. What it is doing is customising the profile for every single job that one will opt for, thus making the profile best suited to that particular job. As a result, the software scanning profiles on the other end will have a higher chance to catch on to the profile.

If using AI is not an option here are six hacks which one can do oneself in order to give ones resume a better chance to get selected.

1. Scan the job description really well: Take note of keywords being used throughout the JD. The more the better. Write them down. It will be required to use those exact key words in your profile.

2. Use exact keywords: Match the resume words with the keywords given in the JD. For example: if the JD asks for “Must have led teams of over 200 people”, and you have done so, instead of writing “I have been a team leader” or any other sequence of words, change it to “Led a team of over 200 people”. Check for missing keywords in the profile from the list noted down previously and use them where relevant. Example if a sales job one is applying to asks for “entrepreneurship attitude” and this has not been mentioned in the profile, find a situation which has asked for entrepreneurship skills and add it on. Also words like “technology”: in industries like banking or verticals like sales, one may skip this particular word in the profile, but if a JD asks for it, one would have to mention it if there is a relevant to the work experience. If not, maybe the job is not a right fit anyway.

3. Avoid jargon: Words like “expertise”. “focussed”, “results”, “optimised” or “grow” for instance, is so widely used in resumes that even recruiters shy away from giving them any importance. AI will not read them. Instead avoid the vague words and get into details. 

4. Add accomplishments: and results of actions taken in previous experience. For example if the profile contains a sentence like “Built new software to channelize data into proper categories” one must also add the result of this, example “leading to the company saving 33% time in sorting the data”. Being specific is key. 

5. Customise Customise Customise: Every company is different. Every single job description is different. What works for one JD will not work for another job, especially if AI is involved in the process. Hence every time one is applying, one needs to freshly customise the profile accordingly.

6. Double check all information: A simple lack of basic information can lead to the profile being rejected. So double checking is necessary for basics such as age, date of birth, phone numbers (along with country and city codes), email ids, educational qualifications etc.

All this needs a little more time than it previously needs to but it has more benefits for the job search process. A recruiting manager roughly spends 10 seconds on a profile before deciding on it. Add to it, the human biases which consciously or unconsciously does creep in, in the initial stages, the job hunter is probably better placed with a machine. A few extra steps can ensure a profile gets better hits and gets chosen to go to the next round. 

Happy hunting.