In the past, tricks like adding a personal letter, or having a creatively written biography, could be used to make your CV more memorable and put you at the top of the candidate pile.
However, job seekers who still rely on these methods will struggle to get noticed, because we now have to impress AI and tech-based channels first if we want to get to a face-to-face interview.
Gone are the days of the hand-written resume or personal appeals. AI technology filters for information rather than personality. Personality is still important in the interview, but it won’t get you on the shortlist.
At Woods & Co we encourage job seekers to optimise their resumes for our own database as well as SEEK Premium Talent Search. Many job candidates are unaware that once they submit a CV on SEEK their CV remains in the talent pool. If your CV is optimised correctly, then SEEK Premium Talent Search can help you get headhunted. All it takes is a few simple tips and tricks to fine-tune your CV for the AI algorithm.
AI and tech-based channels is the new approach to recruitment.
Today, nearly all jobs are found online. Yet whether job seekers apply for a job position through a recruitment agency, to the company directly, or through websites like SEEK, most candidates are being sorted into the “yes pile” and the “no pile” by AI technology.
This applies even if you want employers to come to you. When you submit your CV to a database like ours, or LinkedIn, or SEEK, your CV needs to be optimised to match Boolean search terms, so that AI technology can correctly match you with employers.
In short, no human eyes will look at your CV until and unless it passes the AI test first.
So how do you impress technology?
The first thing to understand is why employers use AI technology and Boolean search in the first place. AI and tech-based channels make the process more efficient, which in turn saves businesses time and money.
AI and tech-based recruitment also mimics the pace of business; these days nearly all businesses use video conferencing and software like Docusign and they expect recruitment to move at the same speed.
AI and tech-based channels help sort through candidates so businesses don’t spend forever looking for good candidates.
Woods & Co believe that a personal touch is a fantastic way to go against the grain and get noticed, e.g., a personal letter can communicate soft skills like aptitude and character at the interview stage.
However, our first task is to optimise good candidates for the systems so they stand out in the first place. Which means you need to properly express your aptitude for the job in a digital-specific format.
People decide if they like you within the first 15 seconds, and this same bias occurs in AI.
AI recruitment technology takes a quick scan of your information before coming to a decision. Keywords are what put you into the shortlist where you then get looked at more closely.
AI and Boolean searching doesn’t look at the font, or the number of clients you have, or the people you know, it looks for keywords that are relevant to the role you are applying for.
These algorithms want to know if you have the ability and experience required by running through a tick-list. For this reason, you need to make sure you have the dot points from the job role present in your resume.
For example, for a sales consultant, make sure that the 5 to 10 dot points under your last job position include words like “sales”, “customer service”, “phone based”, or whatever phrases are associated with the duties of the job you want in an ideal world.
Job candidates should also be mindful of how they use platforms like SEEK. Job sites are known to hold your details and track how you use their platforms, and it is believed that their algorithm benefits people who are consistent about what role they’re applying for.
For example, if you regularly apply for admin roles, then job sites are more likely to flag you as a suitable candidate for an admin role.
From there, the job site uses your job titles and the dot points below them to rank you among other candidates. This is very important for candidates to be aware of, and perhaps more important than the company name or other details.
Woods & Co streamline the hiring process by getting to know job candidates and employers alike to find the best match. Contact us today to discuss your job requirements.
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