Do you have great skills and solid experience, but don’t get job interviews? It’s not you! It’s your
cheap résumé.
While getting your resume professionally written is certainly a good idea, not all CV writing services
are created equal.
No matter how much you pay, your resume needs to target the job you are applying for. Highlighting
your skills in a way that Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) understands.
Using International Resume Writing Services
Some résumé writing advice is universal, giving solid information covering international standards
and wide-ranging career objectives. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5978783/
However, when applying for jobs in Australia using an Indian or American CV writing company can
reduce your chances of meeting the ATS criteria.
This doesn’t mean that all overseas companies specializing in Human Resources, interview training, or CV writing are bad. But there is a definite culture in Australia that is not found elsewhere in the
world – with unique phrasing and keywords.
For example, most ATS software isn’t sophisticated enough to detect spelling variations. Having
excellent organizational skills isn't the same as having excellent organizational skills. This means that
just using the wrong spellcheck could be stopping you from ever getting past the HR algorithm.
Using Free CV Templates
When choosing a professional company to help you write your CV, check to see what their CV
templates look like. While many do create unique templates, which will help you stand out, many
also use a standard template for everything. This means that your résumé blends with everyone
else’s.
Few free CV templates are correctly formatted for ATS. These templates often use a lot of
information in the header or footer area which the recruitment software can not read. This also
applies to the excessive use of graphical bullet points and tables.
When you use a specialist firm you can see the difference in their templates. Just have a look at All
Resume Services, the Australian firm nominated for the best resume writing service in 2019.
Professional CV writers use formatting that appeals to human readers but will get your resume past
the ATS first.
Busting A Few ATS Myths
When you are serious about job hunting, you will likely have run a search on Google to get tips and
hints to land a job.
If you are going it alone, you will, unfortunately, encounter some very unsound information. If you
are getting the help of a recruiter or CV writing professional, they should be giving you better advice.
This Company Doesn’t Use ATS
There are a lot of different versions of Applicant Tracking Software that recruiters and companies
use. Don’t assume that because it is a small company, they won’t be using ATS. Some options are
even free (see here).
Hide All Keyword Variations In The Background
While there are certainly different levels of sophistication among applicant tracking software, trying
to use tricks like pasting all your keywords in a text box in the background is a terrible idea. Other
than it simply not working, you are likely to confuse the software if it does a contextual scan.
Additionally, an HR recruiter is unlikely to want to hire someone who uses trickery and dishonesty.
My CV Is On LinkedIn
Some recruitment software can pull information from your social media profiles. This may include
your profile picture, profile information, and general interaction. While this can be an excellent place
to use additional, human-friendly, keywords, social media is in addition to your primary resume.
Social media profiles provide extra information but should not be the sole source.
Blog Summary:
Using cheap resume writing services, free cv templates or following advice on how
you can bet job ATS to get an interview will often have unfortunate consequences.
Trying to find the right job in the Australian job market requires the right approach
and the right keywords.
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