This tailoring tool is meant to accommodate ATS systems, but it is actually making  it  harder for job-seekers and recruiters.

4 JobScan Traps That Make Writing Your Resume Pull Your Hair Out

Keyword Traps

Copy-and-Pasting

Keyword Traps Copy and Paste

Three vs. One

Keyword Traps Three vs One

Unintentional Overqualification

JobScan Feigns Overqualification

Like a lot of professionals these days, he would switch companies every couple of years or so.  It was never difficult for him.

No, he is not great at networking.  No, he does not have wealthy parents.  And no, he does not have a graduate degree.  In fact, he recently returned to college to complete his bachelors.

Despite his shortcomings, he has been able to present himself as an authority in his work and in hiring his team.

He has never believed in keywords and ATS.

Why?

Because of two reasons.

One, if the resume uses a lot of the same words as the job description, it will make the candidate appear overqualified.  As many of you may know, appearing overqualified is not a great position to be.  Hiring managers may wrongly perceive the candidate as overpriced and easily bored.

And two, if the candidate has indeed done most of the things stated in the job description, it might show that he or she shuns growth.  Now, this may be fine for risk averse companies that need someone to hit the ground running from day one.  Unfortunately (or, on second thought, fortunately), this is not the environment we live in today.

Yes, we do need to show that the knowledge and skills we have learned thus far are relevant for the job, but we need to demonstrate that we are lifelong learners who seek growth and want to tackle never-before-seen problems.  In this case, it is better to look well position for the role by looking confidently underqualified.

Gender Unfriendly

Keyword Traps Gender Unfriendly

The More Elegant Method of Using Jobscan (If You Must)

Sunbreak Resumes Jobscan Keywords

  1. Identify 3–5 job descriptions that you want to apply to.
  2. Highlight the common keywords in most of these descriptions as well as any industry or departmental jargon.
  3. Pepper the master resume with as many of these words as possible.

Final Thoughts

Sunbreak Resumes Final Thoughts

It is more important to tell your story.  Show that you are on the path you want to take.  Flaunt your hunger to learn and act on every obstacle.  Exhibit confidence.

Those actions will go a much longer way than using some misleading website.

So use JobScan strategically.

 

 

Want to know how I tailor my resumes?  Learn how at Tailoring: How to Handle Resume Writing’s Annoying Little Sibling.