How to write an AI-friendly resume

What are AI resume scanners?

Resume AI bots are computer programs used by employers and human resource specialists to assess applicants for job opportunities. Instead of sifting over thousands of resumes, the recruiter may utilize this technology to reduce the number of job applications they have to review.

Depending on a job specification, this application searches for the most suitable resumes using artificial intelligence. AI bots can minimize prejudice and assist companies in deciding the right candidate for the specific position, saving companies time during the recruiting process.

Indeed, 98 percent of businesses utilize an AI-enabled technology known as an Application Tracking System (ATS) to screen out applicants before a person evaluates applications. Organizations employ a range of products of these AI-powered platforms. And, not just big corporations use an ATS for the recruitment process.

According to reports, 50 percent of medium-sized enterprises currently incorporate various types of AI in their recruiting procedures.

If you wish to outwit the ATS's AI programs, there are few simple guidelines to apply and strategies to understand. And besides, while computers are effective at finding eligible individuals, they are not without flaws. 

You should not miss an opportunity to obtain your dream job by failing to meet a few of the core conditions for making it through the initial stage of resume screening.

Many firms use AI software, but not all tracking software is equal. Machine learning systems collect and analyze the material on your CV, selecting keywords based on the job criteria. The tracking software checks how often a keyword occurs in a CV and its relevancy to the position. Applicants are either discarded or selected at the end.

When an applicant is selected, their resume gets stored in the ATS, where an employer may locate applicants by utilizing keyword searches identical to how someone searches online. There are many AI-powered application tracking solutions available. How do you account for all of them? Here are the basic ground rules to follow;

• Tweak your resume text with correct keywords. As previously said, an ATS evaluates if you're suitable or not depending on how well your phrases fit the criteria to the job requirements. Although a growing number of ATS system manufacturers can identify synonyms, many businesses continue to rely on exact strategies. For instance, the job post may request that the applicant have a solid history in "international affairs." If you typed "global affairs" rather than "international affairs," your CV may be ruled out since you did not utilize the precise wording specified by the company. Using a marker, select a few keywords that you may include in your resume. For example, if a job posting states, "Seeking a competent marketer with a solid history in copywriting, social networks, and email campaigns," you should include the terms "marketer," "copywriting," "social media," and "email marketing" in your resume.
• Prevent writing valuable details in headers and footers. ATS AI systems may be unable to interpret and interpret data in an application's header and footer. Select other sections on your resume to provide significant facts such as contact details so that your data is correctly recorded and maintained.
• Consider a hybrid resume style. A combination resume style is the industry norm that integrates a professional overview and core skills segment with a list of sequential accomplishments and job experience. It is the right approach because ATSs require information to be in chronological sequence to interpret it appropriately. To fit this style, you may pick from a variety of resume variations. Some businesses utilize a technology that converts your resume to plain text. Examine your resume in this form before sending it. You want to ensure that all your material is consistent and that the chronology of events remains logical. When structuring your CV, be careful to incorporate your experience in reverse chronological order so that the AI can convert it to clear text.
• Minimize adding fancy style since the ATS will eventually transform the content to a text-only version using images or needless decorations will lower your chances of defeating the algorithms. When structuring, avoid things like images, graphics, custom bullets, colors used to emphasize text.
• Confirm that your resume is compatible with ATS software. One trick to verify that your resume will clear an AI bot's checks is to copy/paste it into a simple text converter. Is the information disorganized? Was anything removed? If the simple text edition of your CV does not have complete information or has the segments restructured improperly, it will fail the ATS check.

Things to Avoid When Preparing an AI-Friendly Resume 

While AI-driven ATS programs are not flawless, they do assist hiring managers in locating the job applications of people who are genuinely suitable for a role more rapidly. Here are three common blunders that individuals make that you should eliminate;

• Transparency is necessary at all stages of the hiring process. If you deceive the algorithm, it will eventually backfire because the human recruiter will finally review your application. Don't assume you can get away with submitting for numerous positions inside the same firm and same time. The artificial intelligence filtering technique isn't ideal, but it will surely alert you if you openly try to trick the software.
• Do not employ ambiguous or vague terminology. In an attempt to adhere to ATS-friendly terms, the job seekers lose perspective of the larger vision of what they're attempting to express. You may still be precise when emphasizing your accomplishments and what sets you apart. Describe how you assisted the firm in accomplishing targets, increase sales, pioneer many projects, and so on.
•  Don't overburden your CV with terms that you believe will get you inside the company. Because this the algorithm will flag it as fishy, and your interviewer will finally determine whether you aren't a suitable fit.

Resume-Writing Tips for a Human Employer

After completing a digital form, it never harms to follow up with email communication to the recruiter in charge. You must still observe the corporation's employment method standards, but the special connection of contacting might be the gap between getting attention or not.

Determine who is the core decision-maker for the role is and write them a meaningful message. Even better, if you have connections within the firm, check if they can pitch for you and provide your CV to the appropriate individuals. Whenever you start looking for employment, you should establish and cultivate your network of individuals who can help you and vice versa.

Designing your CV for an ATS, evaluating your current professional relationships, and taking significant measures to expand them must be done simultaneously. Examine your LinkedIn profile to discover what ties you may make for yourself and others. It's also a good idea to join professional organizations and meetings related to your business and expertise.

If you want to know more about how to write AI-powered ATS resume, here is a guide on resume-writing tips to get past the AI-powered ATS.

Guidelines for passing AI-powered ATS

Consider these suggestions while developing your AI-friendly resume: 

• Create your resume/CV for a human. Although an AI analyzer may examine your application before a recruiter, you should still create your resume for a person to read. If you pass through the AI applications, the manager responsible for recruiting is the following individual to view it.
• Showcase your accomplishments. Utilize your experience segment to highlight successes that will catch the interest of a recruiter. An ATS AI can recognize relevant experiences and milestones.
• Provide one resume. The software can tell whether an applicant has sent numerous applications. Be a truthful candidate, and post only one well-stated application.
• Employ key phrases with caution. The AI systems can detect whether you are stuffing phrases into your CV. Strive to weave them in organically across your resume.
• Incorporate both soft and hard talents. Recruiters may utilize AI technologies to determine whether candidates possess the exact skills they need. Assess the job requirements to determine which soft and hard capabilities to include. The soft skills enable you to collaborate with people, whereas your hard skills are your technical ability.
• Include a synopsis. An overview is a one-sentence text that appears at the top of your document. It's a simple approach for you to include phrases containing a summary of your industry experience, abilities, and successes.
• Prevent including details in your header and footer. Though it's usual to provide your contact details here, AI bots may not be able to notice it. Ideally, incorporate it in the document body.
• Write another email as a follow-up. If you don't hear from the hiring manager, your application did not make it to the ATS system.
• Applicability is essential.
• Make your job history and knowledge appropriate to the task at hand. Relevancy is fundamental in excellent writing, but as ATS programs get more complex, the search terms they provide to their users are highly accurate. As a result, it's advisable to pare down your descriptions of previous employment that don't demonstrate your preparation for the career in consideration.
• Use specific language and terms. Compare the wording of your CV to that of the job posting and the corporate website. If you believe that the terms Python developer" and "programmer with Python experience" mean the same thing, consider it again. To a recruiter, they may signify the same thing, but not to an ATS system. Use the precise terminology from the job posting when describing your qualifications, expertise, and long-term objectives. These are the phrases that the program will check for, and they could be the precise phrases that recruiters employ for specific keyword searches.
• Prevent using visuals and pictures. It is okay to split your content with a couple of lines and text boxes for the advantage of human reviewers. However, most monitoring algorithms don't know how to handle pictures and sophisticated typefaces, as changes might make it tricky for the software to filter and categorize your CV. Use basic typefaces such as Times New Roman, Garamond, and Calibri.
• Carefully consider if you're inclined to utilize a concealed white typeface to include more phrases and imply talents you don't have. Because when your application does eventually reach a human reviewer, they will quickly dismiss it, causing significant harm to your credibility. It's not worthwhile, specifically for a position that necessitates qualifications you don't possess. Increase the size of your skills segment, particularly if you have technical knowledge.
• Fill up your resume skills segment with every professional certificate you have. Describe each software application you've ever employed from, Illustrator to iOS to your previous company's proprietary information processing platform.

Avoid the urge to structure your resume subsections unconventionally. Maintain your contact details at the top of the document, accompanied by a synopsis, educational qualifications, job background, and technical and soft skills.

Check out our guide on resume writing tips to get past Artificial Intelligence Screening.

Conclusion

Recruitment patterns are shifting, and with more applications comes a greater dependence on artificial intelligence. Eventually, AI bots help employers devote more time to relevant activities and connection development with top applicants. Nonetheless, constructing a CV that you know outperforms the machines and wows people may be frightening. Our resume builder tool can help you in creating a resume or CV to pass the ATS application. 

Ultimately, it's not worth the effort to create a CV that stands out from the crowd. It is preferable to keep it clean, easily readable, and relevant to the position you want. Failure to do so might result in lost chances since AI-powered ATS will prohibit your résumé from ever making it to the next phase of the recruitment process. 

If you want to distinguish yourself from other applicants, include some personality in your cover letter, which the recruiter will review once you pass the AI scanning test. With luck, you'll earn your chance to excel in a face-to-face interview after surviving the AI hurdle, which is the final objective of every job-seeker.