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How to get your resume seen by a real person
You send out a resume and wait for a reply. You do the same many times, but end up with few replies. At some point, you’re wondering, “Is someone actually reviewing my resume, or am I getting rejected by a bot?”
Your thought isn’t out of place. Many companies use automated systems to scan resumes before they’re passed on to human recruiters.
But how do you ensure your resume scales through these systems and gets reviewed by real recruiters? I’ve written this guide to answer that.
Use keywords from the job requirements
Companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter resumes. ATS algorithms usually scan resumes for keywords related to the company’s job requirements, and resumes with significant keyword matches are sent for human review.
When applying for a job, edit your resume to fit the unique requirements. For example, if a company is hiring a Java developer, your resume can highlight experience as a Java developer working on Android apps. ATS systems are likely looking for “Java” and “Android” as keywords in this case.
Editing your resume for each job application feels strenuous, but it’s your best shot at getting it reviewed by a real person. Recruiters often receive a flood of CVs and use ATS software to filter them, so tailoring your resume to the job's specific requirements helps it pass the filters.
Use a simple design
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) use algorithms to read and extract text from resumes before deciding whether the resume fits the job requirements. The simpler your resume, the easier the text is to extract.
Avoid including graphics like tables, headshots, text boxes, and multi-column layouts, as this can confuse the algorithms. Particularly, these software systems can mistake graphics for incoherent text, and the resume will be judged unfit.
Stick to one column in your resume to make it easy to read. Follow a clear pattern such as:
Header |
Summary |
Experience |
Education |
Skills |
Use common fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Calibri that are easier for software systems to parse.
Pay attention to metrics
Along with keywords, applicant tracking systems (ATS) also look at metrics demonstrating your expertise for the job. In your resume’s “experience” section, instead of just listing past roles and basic duties, quantify what you’ve done in those roles.
For example, “I led email marketing campaigns that grew the user base from 1,000 to 10,000 members” is much better than “I ran email marketing campaigns that expanded the user base.” The former provides a concrete data point that ATS algorithms seek out.
It should be more like “I delivered 15 projects on time, cutting average development cycle times by 25%” than just “I managed software projects and delivered them on time.”
First, metrics help you scale through ATS filters. Then, when a recruiter reviews the resume, the metrics make you stand out from other candidates.
Use a PDF or Word document
This may seem trivial, but it’s a major step in getting your resume seen by a real person.
Upload resumes as PDFs or Word (DOCX) documents, as these formats are easy for ATS tools to parse. Other file formats make it difficult for algorithms to extract text, and the wrong details could be fed to the filtering algorithms.
Connect directly to recruiters
Above, I’ve focused on the steps that help resumes make it through ATS filters. Yet, you don’t always have to meet these filters in the first place. You can connect with recruiters, and your resume will be reviewed directly, but it requires a different approach than typical job applications.
You can scour LinkedIn for recruiters at companies you’re interested in, or check recruiters posting the kind of job opportunities you want.
Then, you can message them with personalized pitches indicating why you want the role and why you qualify, with your resume attached as proof.
Not all messages will pan out, but the ones that do can help you progress directly to the interview stage, with no AI algorithms scanning your resume for keywords.
Meeting recruiters by referral gives you better chances. For example, if you know someone who already works at the company where you’re seeking a role, you can ask for a reference to the recruiter. A colleague’s endorsement makes a recruiter more receptive to your resume.
You could also meet recruiters in person at local events, conferences, and meetups. If you’re a software developer, for instance, attending tech conferences helps you meet recruiters at local companies.
Don’t hesitate to network with employees, who can help refer you to recruiters, or with the recruiters themselves. This way, your resume will be reviewed directly, not handed to automated filters.
How likely is your resume to be reviewed by AI?
AI has significantly impacted recruiting. To start, recruiters increasingly complain about dealing with a flood of AI-generated resumes.
In one survey, 72% of recruiters reported encountering fake AI-generated resumes when screening job candidates. Resumes now take longer to review because recruiters dig more into references and job histories.
Yet, companies also increasingly use AI to filter resumes before a human reviews them. Many applicant tracking systems have integrated AI to analyze resumes and select the top candidates. The steps explained earlier help you scale through these systems.
Avoid the temptation of using AI-generated resumes. They seem like the easy way out, but recruiters can tell when something is off with AI-generated resumes; they often use vain metrics and are heavy on technical jargon but light on substance.
Maybe AI can generate ideas or the outline of your resume, but a human touch is compulsory. A real person will review your resume, so write it for that real person, not just optimize it to scale through automated filters.
