Computer-Friendly Resume Tips
What job hunters of the 1990s need to know is that computers read resumes differently than people do.
Those who don't know this fact risk having their resumes crash and burn in the embers
of the electronic age. How big is the risk? Studies don't agree, but about half of all
mid-sized companies and virtually all the giants are using job computers-or computers that
scan resumes by the thousands and store their data for instant recall. Growing numbers of
third-party recruiting firms and state public employment services are also turning to this
method to process the resumes they receive.
You can avoid the resume casualties of computer-friendly fire by following these
suggestions in creating your resume.
Focus on nouns, not verbs.
The computer searches resumes for the "key words" it has been programmed to
find-words that define the requisites of a particular job. The key words for an
accountant, for example, might include "BS accounting, accounts payable, accounts
receivable, IRS Amendments, and CPA." If your scanned resume doesn't contain these
key words, the computer passes it by...and you're out of the running.
While there are no absolute content rules in computer resume searches, the majority of
experts agree that the action verbs that work so well on paper resumes lose their punch on
scannable resumes. Job computers rarely search for a match on verbs like "inspired,
built, calibrated, represented, or verified." Yes, your resume should include action
verbs for sentence flow and human eyes; a computer just won't search for them.
The higher the number of key words you have in your resume the greater are your chances
of leaving e-storage and popping to the screen where humans can get a good look at you.
The key words work as a kind of electronic catcher's mitt by nabbing employers' attention.
Your counselors probably have told you to seek internships and other work experiences, and to join student chapters of professional associations. They were right for many reasons; the newest is that such activities produce marketable key words for your resume.