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Are you new to the job market? Looking for a new job after years in your last one? Maybe you're pleased with your present job, but you're interested in other prospects and wouldn't mind hearing from a recruiter.

Here's something you should know: There's nearly always a computerized gatekeeper between your CV and a real human's eyes.

The applicant tracking system, or ATS, is the first step. It is a type of software that businesses and recruiters use to manage and speed up the screening and recruiting processes. These platforms typically use machine learning and artificial intelligence to quickly review applicant submissions and identify candidates who meet specific employment requirements. When new positions become available inside a business, recruiters will use their ATS to examine previous job candidates.

Outbound recruiters utilize different digital screening and sourcing techniques to discover you wherever you are online, whether that's LinkedIn, other social networking platforms, employment sites like Monster and Indeed, industry-specific destinations like GitHub and Medium, or elsewhere. Recruiters are increasingly relying on outbound ways to locate applicants as the job market advances, rather than merely waiting for talent to come to them via a conventional application process. They often employ technology-driven solutions like RecruitBot to automate this outreach and filter through the never-ending collection of resumes, profiles, and other data points available on the internet (and inside their own ATS).

Whether you want to get your CV past an ATS or capture the attention of an outbound recruiter, optimizing the information you give about your talents and expertise is more crucial than ever. Here are five things to consider when you polish your resume or profile:

1. Use keywords related to the job you're applying for or want to get hired for. What are the talents, qualifications, titles, and words that appear again and again in job descriptions that interest you? Make this clear in your CV or profile so that the ATS or sourcing program understands you're a good fit. When applying for a new position, modify your CV to reflect essential terminology from the job description.
2. Keep your information current. Even if you aren't actively seeking work right now, update your online professional profiles with keywords that reflect your most recent accomplishments, training experiences, and areas of expertise. Always keep your contact information up-to-date so that recruiters may contact you. If you're seeking, reload often; most systems prefer applicants whose data has just been updated.  (Keep in mind that they may contact you through social media rather than email or phone, so check those inboxes on a frequent basis and adjust your settings to get notifications about new messages.)
3. Format your resume in a clear, professional typeface and font size that is straightforward and easy to read. Fancy visuals, unusual formatting, and complex text styles may cause source systems and ATSes to get confused. When applying for a job, always use the file format indicated in the advertisement, such as a Word document or PDF. Avoid placing crucial information in headers, footers, or tables, since an ATS may overlook it.
4. To describe educational accomplishments, professional qualifications, and career experience, use organizational approaches such as bullet points and chronological sequence. This prevents the ATS, or outbound recruitment tool, from converting your nice and tidy profile into confusing blocks of text.
5. It's important to remember that it's not only about the automated tool, or ATS! If your application, resume, or profile passes the basic screening technology, the information you provide will be reviewed by a real human. Concentrate on building an engaging and real story to help assure your success when you reach that point. Because, in the end, most people value excellent tales more than machines do.

Try these easy strategies right now to improve your chances of connecting with your future job. 

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