by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Feb 4, 2013 | hiring, Job Search, Resumes and CVs
Screening by Humans
The resume screening process can break down in a variety of ways. In this post, we’ll take a look at the human factor: how errors and bias on the part of persons involved in the screening process might affect your candidacy.
Screeners who just “wing it.” There are a couple of common ways this might happen. First, if it’s a single person, it could be that he or she has sole authority over hiring and thinks: “I’ll know what I like when I see it.” Or it could be that a supervisor has asked a person or committee to do the screening without giving any clear guidelines. In these cases, it is likely that there will be some loose criteria, but unless the person or committee comes up with some that are clear, it’s pretty much like “shooting at the side of a barn.”
(Yes, employers are just as guilty of this as job-seekers!)
Sometimes bias comes into play. Sometimes screeners ignore stated criteria in favor of their own “preferred” qualifications. At other times, a “preference” may be factored into the equation. For example, some employers have a preference for hiring and promoting from within, or through employee referral programs. Some give preference to those that come directly to a human resource officer than to those entered through the web. Some may give preference to candidates who apply through the company over those forwarded by job boards. And some individuals might give preference to people who went to the same school, were a member of an organization they like, or who they know through social connections.
Sometimes, screeners are lazy or disorganized and skim hastily through the résumés. If it is because the person is lazy, there’s just no telling whether there will be a rhyme or reason to their picks. If it is because they are disorganized, they might give early applicants a more thorough review than those they review closer to the deadline.
So what can you do, in the face of human errors and bias? Not much, really.
- If a screener is just “winging it,” that is an internal issue for his employer to deal with, and it is well beyond your control. You’ll really never know if this is the case, so don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it. When someone is just making it up as they go along, it doesn’t matter how you’ve presented your arguments. It’s probably a blessing to not work with people who have such a loose grasp on such an important role.
- You can never control for a screener’s bias. In fact, there is always some sort of bias at play. In the best cases, the bias is toward a candidate with certain skills or experiences. In the worst cases, the biases aren’t stated, but internalized by the candidate, and it’s likely they justified screening a candidate in or out based on some other grounds. The best way to deal with perceived bias is to tightly align your arguments with a potential employer’s known biases. When reading job announcements, look for the terms “preferred,” “would a plus,” “desired,” or “ideal.” if you lack any of the skills or experiences listed with these terms, you will be less competitive than candidate who have those skills and experiences. The best you can do is argue for transferability of skills, aptitude, and motivation. So write your resume toward related skills and experiences, and describe them in ways that accurately depict your strengths in other areas, and your motivation to close any gaps. This can be done through re-writing bullet points and/or the professional summary on your resume, and through the cover letter. The strategy is simple. Acknowledge the gaps quickly and show how you would fill them, while also showing strong foundational skills in other key skill areas.
- You can’t control a screener’s laziness or disorganization. But you can apply early (as soon as you see a position posted), and organize your documents in a clear concise manner, that brings the most important details up front and early, so the lazy screener gets en0ugh information from pre-screening the document’s top third of page 1 that they don’t have to read any further to make an initial decision. Basically, make it easy for a lazy person to quickly see what you have to offer.
This post is part of a series adapted from my e-b0ok “7 Points to a Winning Resume.” Next up in the series, we’ll explore the applicant’s role in the screening process, and how you can increase your possibility for success.
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by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Feb 1, 2013 | hiring, Job Search, job search tools, Resumes and CVs
Where the Screening Process Might Break Down
In any screening process, there is always room for error. In fact, there is always a degree of error. This applies to machine-driven processes and human-powered ones.
Let’s talk about ways that each type of screening process might break down.
Computer Screening Software
Applicant Tracking Systems (also known as ATS) are highly sophisticated software packages that scan information in the résumé to determine the degree of match between an application and available positions. They do not simply look for keywords. Many can also read for terms in context, much like a human reader. For example, some screening programs are advanced enough to interpret how recent your experience is in a particular area, and rank you accordingly. Some can even relate relevant terms to other key terms or phrases. And they are at times a bit “picky” about how information is formatted. Some things to know about ATS that could result in your résumé being kicked out of the system, garbled, or ranked differently:
- Keywords without context. Basically, this is what I mean when I say “buzzwords.” They are on the résumé, but it may not be clear why. Today’s ATS systems are smarter than that, and so you are less likely to be able to game the system through simply putting keywords in.
- Graphic elements, including lines, boxes, tables, shading and non-standard fonts. These may be misunderstood by the ATS system and may result in your résumé coming back as garbled nonsense. Because of the volume of applications many employers receive, it’s not likely the recruiter will bother to follow up with a candidate whose résumé is unreadable. There are probably many qualified candidates that submitted materials that were readable.
- Files submitted in the wrong format. Many systems ask for Word or pdf for a reason. Word (.doc) documents are more easily read and scanned by the ATS systems. So submitting in another format might result in the résumé being flagged or ranked lower by the ATS. (for a great free online pdf converter, go here.)
- Cutting and pasting a text version rather than uploading another acceptable format. This is simple enough: text files may come back with interesting errors in spacing or tabs. If you accidentally cut and paste HTML into a text field, your markups will result in a document coming back loaded with garbage. And even if these things don’t happen, anything you have conveyed or emphasized through formatting or design will be lost. If you are given the option, ALWAYS use the format that will convey both the content and design as you intended. These days. .pdf (portable document format, which is easily read by Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview for Mac and many web browsers and word processors) is the standard. If given the option to upload a .pdf, do so. As such, both humans and machines will be able to read your content in context.
In my practice as a Certified Professional Resume Writer, I use a tool that emulates a typical ATS and can estimate the potential match of a resume to a job posting, by:
- Relating keywords between the documents,
- Estimating how recently a candidate has used a skill, and
- Estimating the length of experience with different skills.
The tool also tells the user whether an ATS will have difficulty finding some information, which helps identify possible formatting errors that might result in the ATS having difficulty parsing out information. By using keywords that mirror and match the language of the employer, and eliminating formatting errors, a writer can make smart revisions that result in a highly targeted argument for a candidate’s potential match to an employer’s requirements.
In the next installment in this series, we’ll explore the human factor: how human errors and bias can derail your candidacy during the screening process. This post is adapted from my e-book “7 Points to a Winning Resume,” which is available here. I am developing a brief resume-writing crash course based on this e-book, and will have details about that program in a later post.
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by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Jan 30, 2013 | hiring, Job Search, Resumes and CVs
How Will You Stand Out from the Crowd?
Once a job application arrives at an employer’s office, the screening process can begin. As mentioned before, screening might be done by a single person, by a group of persons, or by a machine. You may not know which approach a company takes, unless you ask specifically about how screening is done in the department or division where an opening exists.
There may also be nuances between writing for a machine and writing for human. Lacking information specific to a particular type of screening software, job seekers must do their best to present their arguments in language that can be easily filtered by both human and machine.
Let’s imagine a “typical” screening process, discuss some possible stages in that process, and then imagine some strategies that might be useful for capturing and keeping the reader’s attention.
It’s probably impossible to give one explanation that will cleanly and accurately describe all the nuances to different stages of the job search process, but let’s try to describe some generalities.
I have been on many screening and selection committees during my career, and I’ve seen a few thousand résumés during that time. My explanation of the screening process is heavily drawn on my personal experience. In no way should it be construed that my experiences are somehow universal. However, I do believe that I can bring some insights about how résumé screeners and job search committees might conduct their screening processes.
A “Typical” Screening Process
In my experience, screening works like this:
- Application packets arrive at the employer. This usually happens these days via e-mail or through a database-driven form that is part of an online application system.
- Some companies may use software to scan your documents or keywords and phrases before a real person takes a look at. This is less common in small businesses, non-profit organizations, local governments, and academic institutions.
- Other companies may allow a recruiter or members of a search committee to view a candidate’s materials as soon as they are available in the system, and to rank them.
Keywords/Scanning/Rubrics
Whether your résumé is screened by a person or by a computer, some sort of ranking system will likely be used to determine the degree of “fit” between the candidate and a fictional “ideal” candidate. Such a system relies heavily upon the use of scoring rubrics, which are much like the guides that a teacher might follow in grading a standardized test.
Ideally, the screeners use a scoring rubric to rate each candidate on their match to minimum and preferred qualifications. Ideally, those members of the committee follow those guidelines and come up with a list that accurately reflects the match between each candidate and the stated needs of the employer.
Ideally. Not always in practice. But ideally.
In the next post in this series, we’ll explore ways the screening process might break down, and what you might be able to do to minimize the possibility that you will be screened out of a process.
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by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Jan 28, 2013 | Job Search, Resumes and CVs
Think of your resume as a ticket. It gets you in the door. That’s it.
A good resume captures and keeps the attention of the person reading it, and creates in that person a desire to know more about you. Hopefully, that desire will lead the reader to seek out more information about you and to put your candidacy into context. This could mean that the reader goes on to read your cover letter. It could mean that you get invited to interview for the position. But it’s not likely that someone will just read your resume and offer you a job.
Resumes are used by employers for screening candidates, but interviews are used for selecting the best qualified person for the job.
If you’ve never been on the hiring side of the table, the screening process may be foreign to you. So let’s dive into that part of the process and try to understand it.
The Screening Process
Screening can happen in many different ways.
- A single person might do it.
- A committee might do it.
- Sometimes, a machine might do it. (Initially.)
But let’s not confuse the issue. They are all looking for the same things. You might call them keywords or key concepts or key phrases, but essentially they are the same thing.
A keyword is not the same thing, necessarily, as a “buzzword.” It can be, but it really depends. Many job seekers spend time consulting websites, resume books, and their colleagues and mentors about what the latest hot topics are in their industry. The difference between a “buzzword” and a keyword is this: a “buzzword” is a word that everyone is talking about; it may or may not relate to the position you are applying for; a keyword is a term that relates directly to the specific role to be played, and therefore, is directly relevant.
It’s important to recognize the difference between these two concepts. One (using “buzzwords”) is a cynical ploy that may lack coherence; the other (using keywords) is a smart, strategic move that brings together the aspects of your unique offering, and shows the match between what you offer and the employer’s needs.
I’m often asked by job seekers if I have a great list of keywords for jobs in higher education, and I tell them that I do not have a comprehensive list. In fact, I think it would be a disservice to develop one and put it out there as the end-all, be-all guide. In a later post, I’ll tell you why I feel that way, and give you some practical tips on ways find the best keywords for your target position. But next, we’ll delve further into screening processes, how they work, and how they might break down.
This post is adapted from my e-book “7 Points to a Winning Resume,” which I am adapting into a resume-writing crash course, for those who can’t afford to hire a professional resume writer, or who simply want to write a better resume on their own. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll delve into resume and CV writing strategies, though additional excerpts from the e-book, and guest posts from professional resume writers and career coaches.
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by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Jan 24, 2013 | Job Search, networking, Social Networking, Take 5
One aspect of career planning that is sometimes overlooked is the importance of networking, both in the real world and online. Statistically, only a fraction of available higher education positions are publicly advertised, so it is critical to cast a wide net in your job search. Online networking can help job seekers connect to advocates and decision-makers.
Here are some great tips to help you put your name and credentials out there and land the right job!
- Start with those who know you best, but don’t be afraid to branch out. The people who can help you most are those who know you best. Let your friends, family, and professional colleagues know you’re on the hunt. Not only can they provide you with valuable leads, they can introduce you to others and help you expand your network. Online networking is a great way to keep in contact with former coworkers, employers, and classmates, and enlist their assistance.
- Learn to use social media effectively. Social media is a great tool for network building if you learn to use it right. Join professional outlets such as LinkedIn and actively engage other social outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. This is a good way to reach out to other professionals in your industry, reestablish contact with former associates, keep your network informed, and stay current on trends in your industry. It is also a good idea to do routine checks of your online presence. Google yourself on a regular basis to look for inconsistencies and false or unflattering information. Prospective employers are turning to web searches more often to check out job candidates ahead of time. Remember that what you do and say online can come back to haunt you.
- Reciprocity is key. Networking is a give and take relationship, not a one way street. Share ideas and information with your network. Actively engage in forums, blogs, and other online communities. Add benefit to your interactions with others in your network, but do so with sincerity and integrity.
- Narrow your focus and follow up. Know exactly what you’re looking for before you look to your network for help and information. Monitor your social media time as well. Remember that these sites are great online networking tools and don’t get caught up in the social aspect of the medium. While these sites are fun and interesting, they are sometimes also a drain on your time and productivity. Make sure to follow up any leads from your network with diligence. Information is only helpful if you use it, and it helps you to maintain credibility. People are less willing to recommend someone who lacks commitment and follow through.
- Network for the long term. Networking should never considered be a quick solution to job placement, but a means of building ongoing professional relationships.
Online networking isn’t about applying pressure or asking for favors. Networking is an excellent way to make contacts and establish professional relationships that are fulfilling and mutually beneficial. Extending your professional network to cyberspace is an excellent way to expand your contact base beyond your immediate geographic location and increase your exposure in the job market.
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