Having Nightmares About Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)

Having Nightmares About Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)One of the top concerns of jobseekers in 2018 is this vague, impersonal, robotic smoke-monster known as the Applicant Tracking System. For those who have bedrngnis heard tellwhilst sitting around the campfireof ATS, it is a software in use by 97% of large companies and 80% of small/mid-size companies to scan incoming resumes and determine whether they are worthy of moving on to human scrutiny.While many job hunters are aware of ATS software, they dont have a strong grasp on how it works or how to ensure that their resume wont anger the system. For example, during a recent resume evaluation for a client, I noticed that his entire resume was formatted into text boxes. It looked fantastic, but when I converted it to a plain text file (which is essentially what an ATS will do to parse the document), the text all disappeared except for a few random symbols. As a result, this client, who had an extremely impressive background in Digi tal Forensics and Cyber Crime Prevention, was being rejected left and right because his resume looked like a blank piece of paper to the ATS software.How to Fix Your Format for ATSThere is a LOT of talk about the importance of keywords for ATS, and it is absolutely truebut having a resume format that can be successfully read by ATS is also key. You might have the best content in the world, but if your format is not compatible with the software it wont make any difference. If the ATS software cannot comprehend the resume format, it will skip to the next A few common format blunders that you can quickly correct Do not put important information into headers/footers, it will be invisible to some ATS versions Avoid text boxes, tables, and charts and graphs Do not add your degrees after your name on your resume they can be read as the last name by some versions of ATS Leave off live links in favor of URLs live links can be interpreted as viruses Include standard section headers (such as Professional Experience and Education) When in doubt, save your resume as a plain text ASCII file to see how it turns outHow to Optimize your Content for ATSNow we can focus on keywords for a moment, because they can determine your resumes rank in the pile of candidates. To put it simply, ATS will scan your resume for keywords and key phrases that match the keywords the company has assigned value to. For example, a client in government relations would most likely need to include keywords such as trade policy, advocacy, global relationships, government affairs, and media relations.How do you know which keywords to include? I suggest going through job postings with a highlighter to capture all of the important terms and phrases of the position. Any skill or area of expertise that you can claim that isnt already on your resume, needs to be incorporated.Keep in mind Depending on the version of ATS, it may not be able to understand different tenses or word forms of a keyword, so be sure to incorporate keywords in different forms (such as manager/managing/management) throughout the resume to ensure that you get credit Keywords like full-time or communication carry less weight than more unique or specific keywords to the position (for example, logistics for a supply chain management position) Including a Key Competencies/Areas of Expertise section is a great way to load your resume with relevant keywords (and is perfectly standard for contemporary resumes)If you are thinking that this doesnt seem like the best system for assessing kompetenz value, you are 100% right. ATS has a lot of critics who feel that it does a great job of weeding out excellent job candidates in favor of those who understand ATS, but not much else. While that may be true, it is ubiquitous, at least for the time being. In 2018, it is not enough to be a strong candidateyou also have to be a candidate who is informed about hiring practices.

5 Frustrations Every Woman in Customer Service Has Faced

5 Frustrations Every Woman in Customer Service Has Faced Customers come to you with a frown, and its your job to turn it into a smile. Even when circumstances beyond your control happen that affect your customers moods, you are the one who gets lambasted. Tzu siche are even times when you try your very best to produce a positive outcome for their dilemma, and it just doesnt work out. During these times, you stand firm in your answer, and your customer shifts their eye contact in search of aelendher employee to validate or not validate your answer. Or ask to speak with your manager. What was it about what you said that they didnt understand? Was it because you are a woman that they think you need help handling the situation?Working with customers can be hard. There are times when someone thinks of you as their punching bag. Customers may unload their anger and frustrations onto you because they want to get it off their own chest. Or, they could expect extra measures to be taken on the ir behalf because you seem so nice. Your job is to fix problems, and you have the skillsetto do it. Customer tafelgeschirr is often one of the most important jobs in a business, but it gets the least praise.Does all this sound familiar? Then you must be a woman in customer service Here are five frustrations every woman in customer service faces, so you dont feel alone in your daily challenges. 1. Being undermined.When a customer comes to you with a problem, you want to help him or her out. But when they dont like your answer, it can dial into any self-doubt you have inside your body. The entire interaction and decision can be processed in a second and you can feel out of control. You go from someone empowered to the service representative asking your manager for help. Thats never a good feeling.2.The blame game.Any good customer service representative will know that its our job to make customers happy. But sometimes putting ourselves last at this job can have regressive effects. For example, saying sorry too much when a mishap crops up can only anger the customer more. Or saying something is your fault can push the customer to ask for more and more leeway, discounts, or Im sorry free shipping from you. Its a lose-lose situation.3. Being the customers emotional punching bag.If you are of the caring and kind variety, some customers will try to use your kindness to their advantage. For example, some customers may have you listen to their problems, then use their sad situation to manipulate you and drive the situation in their favor. Or, they share their emotions with you just to use you as a punching bag. Its not fun.4. Management power grabs.We all know that the dynamics between women and their male managers can be detrimental. But in customer service, which sometimes lacks the protections professional women have like economic privilege or the perception of being educated and intelligent, bad management can be especially present. Male managers can be patronizing , unequal in how they distribute responsibilities and promotions, and more.5.Being subject to offensive comments.Some people who work with you in customer service apparently havent had a drink of the new Kool-Aid going around. The Kool-Aid that empowers women and doesnt subject them to lewd comments. Customer service agents are subject to all kinds of nasty comments about their appearances or other traits because theyre required to be nice to everyone. Its a serious problem.Yes, it can be easy to get stuck in the routine of life and accept some of the behaviors mentioned as your new normal. The goal of customer service is to please the customer so that they keep coming back and buying from the business. But dont let your kind nature work against you. You are making a difference at your job by leading as an example. Show other women at your business not to accept flack from customers. You are inherently valuable, whether or not you make the sale.--Gabriella DiDio is tired of the stru ggles of getting ahead in her career so, instead of revolting, she created Taupe Shoes an empowering website for women that can help you become stronger through your work dilemmas. You can follow Gabriella on Twitter.