When youre applying for a job, you work hard to make sure your resume will command the attention of the first person who reads it. But its increasingly likely that the first reader of your resume wont be a person at all.
Inundated with hundreds--or thousands--of resumes for some positions, many companies are using technology to streamline resume screening.
"Any time you submit a resume, you should expect to have your resume scanned for keywords," says Chandlee Bryan, career coach and owner of Best Fit Forward.
Also on Yahoo! HotJobs:
Networking tips for shy people
6 secrets to being on time
Find a new job near you
Get personalized Twitter job alerts from Yahoo! HotJobs
Companies use applicant-tracking systems to electronically sort through and store resumes. The systems search for keywords, sort the resumes, and give hiring mangers the most-promising candidates.
Although designing a resume that will impress both a computer and human readers may seem intimidating, there are some advantages.
"It used to be that when a recruiter said, Well keep your resume on file, it meant it was going in the garbage can," says Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers and the author of "Happy About My Resume." Now, they may actually mean it.
Experts offer these tips for making sure your resume stands out electronically and in person:
Choose the right keywords. Hiring managers and recruiters will use the applicant-tracking system to search for keywords related to the job theyre looking to fill. To make your resume rise to the top of the list, you need the right keywords.
"Review the job posting for the position and try to mirror that language," Safani says. Find words and phrases that describe what the company is looking for and use them as much as possible.
