If you are a job hunter, you might want to read the latest trend in what’s happening with your resume. According to Loretta Grantham of the Cox news, computers are weeding out most resumes that are submitted. Basically, the point of the article is that the typcial resume gets tossed out by the computer before it ever makes it to a hiring manager’s desk.
Now, you must “impress” a computer programmed to eliminate you. Link: Sorry, no one’s reading that resume you sent
I think this type of computer filtering of resumes will spawn a whole new cottage industry of SEO services for job hunters. Much like Search Engine Optimization there will be companies who make your resume keyword rich just so the computer doesn’t kick it out.
Am I wrong? What’s your take?
Technorati Tags: job search, career, SEO
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s not good IMHO. So, “ideal candidate” who gets past the computer, would be good search engine optimizer, but someone perfect FOR THE JOB could be kicked out because one typo (maybe a little far-fetched, but still…).
Main argument of use of computers (overall) is about cutting expenses. Clearly, there are some areas, where it is not ideal.
How about aiming for perfection? I still believe, it is a better aproach and sometimes reaching out a bit to help someone proved to be great tactic for my business. Something computer would never be able to do. With only computers, one can never create really customer-friendly company. With people, aiming at tricking computers with their resumes, it would prove to be exccruciatinlgy difficult.
I love how computers help with most tasks. But I also interviewed every of my 50 employees myself (as well as many others, who I rejected)
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Premek: You’re assuming that companies are actually looking for the “ideal candidate”.
Most medium to large companies these days are focused on doing whatever it takes to actually AVOID making hiring decisions. They are focused on hiring the proper race so they won’t get sued for a lack of “diversity”. They are focused on using one of a myriad of psychological or aptitude tests that will spit out a number so that their decisions are made for them.
That way, when they are dragged into court, there is no liability. Or at least a transfer of liability to the brilliant companies out there milking businesses and making actual hiring a numbers game that requires nothing more than a calculator.
So I do think SEO type services are on the horizon. Shortly to follow are services that will “train” your mind for tricking these stupid psyche tests into telling the companies that you are indeed the ideal candidate.
And lastly, the genetic, family tree type services should explode. If they can take a strand of my hair and provide me a piece of paper that says one of my ancestors was “diverse”, then as a white male, I will be much more likely to be hired than I am now.
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God help the poor chump who has to read through all the “pre-screened” resumes that have been generated by keyword-stuffing SEO masters. If the world of AdSense websites is any indication of what this sort of search engine game creates, it will get much harder to weed out the good ones from the garbage.
At the end of the day, as a job hunter, you will likely have more success by identifying companies you want to work for and making human contact (phone calls, job fairs, and a little detective work to find out who is in charge.) This is nothing new, industrious folks have been doing it for ages.
If this does create a mess of junk resumes, employment agencies will start offering services promising to qualify candidates for jobs before sending their resumes.
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