Don’t let the CV algorithms beat you!

There was a time when dropping off or mailing a copy of your paper CV to an employer, who would sort through it by hand, was routine. However, thanks to technological advancements, many large businesses now utilise Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or algorithms to narrow down candidates and save time throughout the hiring process. But what are CV algorithms and, more importantly, how can you ensure that your CV gets past the robots and into the hands of a recruiter?

What are CV algorithms?

Simply put, an algorithm is a set of rules or processes that are used to solve a problem or complete a task. When it comes to real-life human circumstances, the process of opening a bottle of water, pouring some into a glass, then drinking it may be represented as an algorithm. As could the process of looking at a bus schedule, selecting a bus, boarding, and arriving at your destination.

Humans can code computers to follow rules or procedures to do tasks, and many employers now utilise ATS software to determine if the skills and experience indicated on a person’s application are relevant to the role being applied for in a matter of seconds based on a set of criteria. It accomplishes this by utilising algorithms to search their CV for specific keywords and phrases.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are computer algorithms that act like robots, screening hundreds or even thousands of digital CVs. If an algorithm can’t grasp your CV because it can’t identify any relevant keywords or phrases, it won’t be chosen — and your CV will never be seen by a real person. The ATS algorithm may also prompt the sending of a rejection email at this point. Whether you’ve ever received a generic-looking rejection email that makes you wonder if anyone has even read your CV, it’s likely that they haven’t, and it’s the result of algorithms.

Surprisingly, CV algorithms are thought to reject up to 75% of all CVs. This may not seem fair, and it certainly brings its own concerns, yet whether we like it or not, large businesses are increasingly adopting this policy. Employers believe that because most application processes are now digital and they frequently receive a flood of CVs, algorithms help them to save time and money by screening out those that look to be unfit for the position they’re hiring for.

While it can be aggravating if your CV keeps failing at the first hurdle, it allows you to concentrate all of your job-search efforts on making your CV the best it can be in order to bring you to the interview stage. Fortunately, there are a few various techniques and tricks you may use to lessen the likelihood of your CV being rejected by the ATS robots.

Your CV should be something you are pleased with because it summarises some of your most remarkable professional accomplishments. It’s essentially an advertisement — for you and your accomplishments. Even if you have what many people believe to be the perfect CV, if it doesn’t make it past the algorithms, it’s unlikely that anyone will see it. Try the following methods to offer yourself the best chance of beating the algorithms and impressing the recruiter.

Establish your relevant skills, talents and accomplishments

If you want to satisfy the ATS robots and give the recruiter a terrific first look at what you have to offer, put emphasis on your CV on keywords regarding your talents and achievements — not your future career aspirations.

It can assist to divide down your skills into keywords that describe your “hard” and “soft” skills when recognising them. Your hard skills are ones that you’ve learned and then practised and/or educated to improve. “Budget management,” “typing speed,” “foreign language skills,” and “SEO marketing skills” are all examples of this. Soft skills are personality traits, abilities, or habits that are used in interpersonal situations. “Highly organised,” “good listening skills,” and “initiative” are just a few examples.

It’s a good idea to spend some time checking over the job description to ensure that your hard and soft skill keywords match at least some of those that the algorithm will be looking for. The keywords included in the personal specification and role description are frequently strong indicators of what the ATS algorithms are looking for in candidates’ CVs. It’s also a good idea to look at company or industry-related websites to see what kinds of keywords you should use when describing your abilities.

To provide specifics about your experience and accomplishments, it’s preferable to employ hard and soft skill keywords in short, snappy sentences. “I used my outstanding organisational skills to create a well-publicised, high-profile event with over 1000 guests,” for example. This will ensure that the facts of your experience and accomplishments remain relevant to the position you’re applying for. If you’re changing jobs or careers, attempt to figure out as many transferable hard and soft talents as you can.

It’ll never be enough to merely add a list of keywords from the job description since, while this may get your CV past the algorithms, when it reaches human hands, they’ll be looking for examples of how you utilised these skills. Recruiters can detect if you’ve just inserted a list of keywords because they were in the job description, and they’ll move on to the next candidate quickly. Furthermore, you won’t be the only one adding some of these relevant keywords to your CV — therefore each phrase must be related to a specific personal achievement in order for you to stand out.

No room for the fluffy stuff

Whether or not you have lots of relevant skills and experience, algorithms will only be able to grasp what you’re talking about if you use the right words. As a result, avoid utilising fluffy explanations that will go unnoticed. Instead of expressing “you’re sociable with a bubbly personality,” try referring to appropriate keywords that convey excellent interpersonal abilities, such as “empathy,” “communication,” or “positive attitude.” One useful strategy is to put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager and consider what words or talents you would use to identify the best candidate for the job.

It’s also a good idea to leave out anything that has nothing to do with the job you’re looking for. For example, you may have won a marketing award in the past, but if you’re seeking a position in finance, this is useless and shouldn’t be included in your application. Keep in mind that space on your CV is limited, so don’t fill it up with information that is neither useful nor algorithm-friendly.

Use conventional job titles

When you’re describing your previous professional experience, algorithms aren’t likely to pick up on unusual job titles, so it’s preferable to use a more standardised title to reflect your work. For example, instead of writing “Digital Dynamo” (even if it was your job title), write “Digital Marketing Manager,” or “Recruitment Manager” instead of “Talent Delivery Specialist.”

If you lie about your job title to get past an algorithm, you risk being rejected later for being dishonest. However, don’t be hesitant to change job titles to clearer, more well-recognised versions so that both algorithms and human recruiters can understand them.

Take into account the style and arrangement of your CV

Algorithms don’t just look at the words you use in your CV, believe it or not. They’re also set up to reject CVs that are formatted in an unfavourable way. Fortunately, you may bypass this by remembering to avoid the following:

• OVERUSE OF CAPITAL LETTERS
• Unusual fonts and colours
• Graphs, graphics, or any type of symbols — apart from bullet points
• Tables and text boxes
• Unconventional section headers. Stick to standard terms like “professional experience,” “education,” and so on so that algorithms can sort through your data.
• Headers and footers. Some algorithms remove the headers and footers from CVs, as well as any information they contain. As a result, it’s advisable to make sure that all pertinent information is included in the document’s main body.
• Hyperlinks (adding a website link to a word or phrase) to significant documents or information, such as a portfolio link. Because some algorithms eliminate hyperlinks, make sure to include the entire website link in your CV if necessary. Alternatively, include a note stating that you will provide extra papers or information in a separate email.

It’s also important to ensure your CV is scannable. Because algorithms will read your CV from left to right in the same manner that humans do, it should be structured in such a way that there will be no guesswork as to what information should be read next. Otherwise, there’s a chance that information will be missed during the scanning process of an algorithm. Having an easy-to-read CV can also make it easier for a recruiter to read farther down the line, which can continue to work in your favour.

Check the file type that the recruiter expects to be used

Submitting a CV file in the wrong file format is a quick way to get your CV rejected by an algorithm, so always double-check the job advertisement to be sure you know what file type they’re looking for. A Word document (.doc or.docx) or a PDF are the two most typical file forms that an employer may require, with the Word document being the most popular choice where algorithms are involved because it allows for quicker scanning. For this reason, if a job advertisement doesn’t indicate what format to use, it’s better to submit it as a word document.

Don’t try to outsmart the ATS robots

When people learn more about algorithms, they try to outsmart them by copying and pasting blocks of keywords (or even the entire job description) into a white font at the bottom of their CV in the hopes that no one will notice — or by including a section named ‘Keywords.’

Even if your CV passes the algorithms using any of these ways, a human recruiter at the next stage of the hiring process will almost surely ignore it after one glance at your CV, which is littered with the terms “marketing, marketing, marketing.” Recruiters will not consider it a plus if you are willing to cheat the system in order to advance.

Even if you include a ‘Keyword’ section, it will be meaningless without context and will not demonstrate to an employer why you are the best candidate for the job. Instead, a ‘Key skills’ section with the appropriate information — readable by both computers and humans — is far more preferable.

And finally…

It can be extremely aggravating that in today’s modern society, we have to jump through an increasing number of technical hoops in order to get a job. However, you may limit the likelihood of algorithms blocking your job hunt by recognising them for what they are (a time-saving utility) and becoming as knowledgeable about them as possible.

You’ll have a far greater chance of succeeding if you can beat the ATS algorithms and get your CV into the hands of a human. If you can defeat the bots, you can focus your job search on honing your interview approach, and you’ll be one step closer to landing the perfect job.