How To Tailor Your Resume for Scanning Iowa

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Go for the hits. Create a list of key words and phrases from the job ad that you think are important, and then make sure you include them at least once in your resume. More than once is good, especially if it makes sense to do so. It's kind of like writing for search engine optimization: you want the computer to pick up on the fact that your resume has all of the "ingredients" to rank it highly, but you don't want to stuff it so full that a pair of human eyes will toss it because it doesn't make sense. Format for success. If you’re certain that your resume will be scanned, you may want to consider a slightly different format. Much like with a functional resume, list your general skills and experiences at the top of your resume (those that incorporate the key words and phrases). Why? The computer will immediately be impressed. You can expand on your greatest hits later in your resume. Word it well. After the third time you’ve used verbs like “managed,” “designed,” or “operated,” you’ll probably be looking for more creative ways of saying the same thing. That’s fine, as long as you don’t get so creative that the computer doesn’t register your task. If it’s scanning for “managed”—as in how many people you managed in your last position—and you decide to say something such as, “I saw to the professional needs of five staff members,” the computer will skip right over it. Some sophisticated scanning systems are programmed to look for synonyms, but don’t gamble a possible career on it.

Skip the fancy stuff. When you suspect (or know for certain) that your resume will be scanned, pass on the colored paper or decorative fonts. Use plain white paper and a basic 11- or 12-point font such as Ariel or Times New Roman. Fancier fonts may come across as unintelligible to the scanning device. ...

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Author: Jason Kay