Writing your CV for robots rather than humans

Saturday, 15 September 2018

Use role specific keywords that AI can recognise, even on your Linked In.

Job seekers are having to adapt their applications to be read by algorithms rather than people to stand out from the crowd, a recruiter says.

An online poll of more than 800 New Zealanders conducted by Hays recruitment found 29 per cent indicated they have already adapted their CV and online profiles.

Another 55 per cent said they had plans to do so in the coming 12 months.

Hays NZ managing director Adam Shapley said the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms had grown in every industry, and recruitment was no different.

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'Typically, it is time consuming and repetitive tasks that are being automated. In the case of recruitment, one job ad can elicit hundreds, sometimes thousands, of responses. Many of these may be inappropriate but all must be screened in order to identify the suitable candidates,' Shapley said.

'If a recruiter does not advertise, they'll instead use digital technology and data science to examine large amounts of data to find the most suitable people for a job.'

Here's how to impress the bots before you get to the boss:

Keywords

Pepper your CV and online profile with keywords relevant to the jobs you apply for. Look at job descriptions for your ideal role to pick out keywords and key phrases.

Use keywords to also describe your soft skills and achievements.

Shapley recommends combining action verbs with keywords. For example, instead of writing that you 'always achieved your target goals', try 'I surpassed target goals by 20 per cent in quarter one and 18 per cent year-on-year.'

The right format

Ensure your CV is in the accepted format as an alternative style might not contain the content AI recognises, and your application could miss the shortlist.

LinkedIn

Frog Recruitment director Jane Kennelly said it was important to 'sell your skills' on Linked In as it was the first port of call for many employers and recruiters in the hiring process.

'Keep your profile up to date. It's also good to have relevant networks and connections. That way you have a better chance of getting noticed,' Kennelly said.

Shapley said people leave the summary field blank, but job seekers must use the full character count to highlight their successes, skills and value using keywords.

Keep it simple

Avoid unusual job titles.

Even if your official job title was unconventional, using an industry-standard title in your CV and online profile would give you a better chance of being recognised by an algorithm, Shapley said.

Don't job-hop

Do not change jobs frequently, Shapley said.

Hiring managers valued stability and turnover could be factored into the criteria AI screens for.

'Recruitment will always remain a people business.

'At its heart are trusted relationships, which means that the value of the human touch can't be overestimated. But at the same time, technological advancements are speeding up certain elements of the process. Recruitment is evolving, and we all need to evolve with it.'