Crafting a resume that captures attention can be difficult, especially as it’s increasingly common for recruiting companies to use AI for the first review.

While every company may have its preferences, there are key strategies that can give your resume a competitive advantage. Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the process and improve your chances of landing an interview.

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1. Understanding the role of keywords

One of the most critical aspects of optimizing your resume is the use of keywords. ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software is designed to scan resumes for specific terms that match the job description. These keywords are often the skills, qualifications, and experiences listed in the job description. Here is the tricky part – try to find a balance and avoid keyword stuffing – a resume packed with repetitive terms may be flagged as suspicious, especially by AI tools so try to incorporate keywords naturally into your resume, particularly in the skills, experience, and summary sections.

2. Keep it simple

When designing your resume, simplicity is your best friend. While creative designs may look impressive, they can confuse ATS software, leading to missed information. Stick to a clean straightforward format with clear headings and bullet points. Use standard fonts like Arial, or Times New Roman and avoid excessive use of graphics or tables which may not be parsed correctly by a company’s system. If you are an international applicant, keep in mind that photos and other identifying information may automatically exclude you from a hiring process as companies in Canada are striving to be more inclusive.

3. Highlight your achievements

A common mistake on resumes is listing job duties without highlighting achievements. Employers want to see how you added value to your previous roles. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments- did you increase sales by 20%? Lead a project that saved the company time or money? These are the kinds of details that stand out both to AI software and hiring managers.

4. Be mindful of your formatting choices

Placing a dedicated “Skills” or “Executive Summary” section at the top of your resume with a concise overview of your relevant skills and achievements is likely to catch a hiring manager’s eye. Using standard headings like “work experience,” “education,” and “skills” to guide the hiring system in properly categorizing your information. Finally, use reverse chronological order for your work history as your most recent experience will be most relevant.

5. Do not forget the human element

While optimizing for an ATS is important, do not forget that a human will eventually review your resume. Keeping this in mind, try to reflect on what excites you most about the opportunity to join the prospective company and take on the role you are applying for. Tailoring your summary or objective to reflect your enthusiasm for the role could be the key to getting a call for an interview.

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So, what are the key takeaways?

Improving your resume is a critical step in your job search, and understanding the role of hiring software can give you a significant advantage. We hope these tips help you in landing your next role!

If you require more career support in the Ottawa area, we suggest you reach out to one of the following organizations for 1:1 career counselling:

• YSB (Services available for persons of all ages!)
• Lawrence College Employment
• YMCA NCR
• CERC Ottawa
• Employment Ontario Ottawa Resource Centre

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