How Readable Is Your Resume?

November 25, 2013

Career Advice

You’ve likely spent a lot of time drafting up an impressive resume filled with intriguing bullet points, action words, and outstanding achievements. There’s no way a recruiter will turn their head once their eyes fall on this piece of perfection. But what if a recruiter isn’t the first to see your resume?

There is one way in which resumes and LinkedIn profiles are becoming more and more similar: keywords. Many companies are using Applicant Tracking Systems to find the best candidates possible in the shortest amount of time. These robots find your application by scanning for certain words and experiences. If you don’t personalize your resume for each job you apply for it might not even make it in front of a hiring manager — even if you are qualified.

The moral of the story is this: When it comes to your resume, there’s no room for interpretation. You must explicitly explain detailed experiences that make you qualified for a position. Read the job description and look at each of the qualities listed — now be sure to include all of these ideas in your application. HireRight.com created this infographic detailing the process.

Meet the Robots Reading Your Resume - An infographic by HireRight

Is your resume robot friendly? Share your tips below!

About Spectrum Brands Careers

Spectrum Brands is a global $5 Billion Consumer Products company headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. While you may not be familiar with the Spectrum Brands name, there is no doubt you will recognize some of our brands.

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3 Comments on “How Readable Is Your Resume?”

  1. Shannon Says:

    How are you not supposed to upload it as a PDF? Uploading as a word doc is even riskier.

    Reply

  2. shannonwaisath Says:

    How do you avoid uploading it as a .pdf? Sending a word doc is even riskier than a .pdf file.

    Reply

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  1. How to Make Your Resume Keyword Friendly | Spectrum Brands Careers Blog - June 10, 2014

    […] no secret that some robots are reading your resume as well as recruiters. Applicant Tracking Systems scan submitted resumes and push the most […]

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