20190412.0430

Another of the pieces LinkedIN suggested for my edification was Bernard Marr's 7 April 2019 "How to Write a Resume to Appeal to Robot Recruiters." In the piece, Marr notes the vanishingly small time spent reviewing resumes before briefly discussing automated resume review and laying out six tips to speed resumes through the automated systems used by many companies: embed keywords naturally, research relevant automated systems, tailor resumes to descriptions, simplify file types, simplify and condense formatting, and make human contact. The piece ends with a call for feedback from readers.
The advice Marr gives is not exactly new to me, not after having taught the kinds of classes that review such genres as resumes as many times as I have, nor after having sent out as many job applications to as many employers as I have. The limitations of machines are clear to me, certainly; I am qualified for a great many jobs, adept in the skills required of them, but because most of my experience had been in teaching things rather than in the direct professions, the automated systems I encountered rejected my applications out of hand. Or I think they did; I still have not heard back on more applications than I have heard back on, though I do still occasionally get word that I have been rejected from a job I applied for two years ago or more.
That the advice is not a surprise does not mean there is not value in Marr's words, though. It is good to see an acknowledgment that there are, in fact, factors outside applicants' control regarding their applications, even as Marr exhorts readers to do what they can to circumvent those factors. Often, an applicant not being able to secure a particular position is ascribed to the applicant not working hard enough, but there is no person that can outwork an algorithm on a continuing basis. Ultimately, gaming the system in the way Marr recommends relies on chance--that the algorithm responds as expected to the stimulus provided and that the human reviewing the materials on the other side will, as well. And the chance of the latter seems slim to me; with hundreds of applications, why would a reviewer give consideration to any? The pay is the same whether any one applicant receives a response or not, after all. Even if there is a fancy handwritten card: I have been told that no few places will reject an application for not following directions, and I have not seen a thank-you in any such.
Even now, I worry about going back onto the job market for just such reasons. It took me years to find a solid job that I happen to like. I do not want to spend more such years now.