Write your resume for current hiring practices

A few essential tips will help you write a resume that meets ATS systems’ requirements and better position you to get job interviews. When you understand the current tools available to write and evaluate resumes, you’ll have more confidence and success searching for jobs.

Is it legitimate to use AI to write your resume?

Yes. Artificial intelligence can help you craft a strong resume, so you’ll stand out to employers. A mistake many job seekers make is failing to make sure the version AI produces is personal and accurate.

It’s essential that you edit the AI draft, looking for a few different issues:

• Be sure your resume uses language you’d be likely to use – somewhat formal or unnatural language is a red flag
• Only include true information about you – AI can generate great-sounding descriptions that exaggerate your experience or completely falsify your information
• Is your resume generic? Will it look different from other candidates’ resumes? Employers sometimes receive duplicate resumes generated by AI, from different candidates, which they immediately reject

So how can you use AI skillfully to help draft a great resume?

If you’re new to using AI, tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot offer a free basic version that will create resumes. Find them by searching for "AI tools" or "free AI resume tools" and reading the descriptions to see which features they offer. Some prompts will require you to paste in documents, such as your current resume or the target job posting. Enter prompts like these to create or improve your resume.:

• Please read my current resume and rewrite it to make it stand out to hiring managers.
• Please read this job description from my current (or past) job and create a resume. Please ask me questions to help strengthen the resume.
• Please ask me questions to help create a resume for a job in (occupation).
• Please compare my resume to this job posting and make suggestions for targeting my resume to this position. Please ask me questions about my experience to help strengthen the resume.

Again, modify the version AI produces to ensure it uses your “voice”—meaning that you personalize the language generated by AI— and that information is true and accurate.

What is an ATS (Applicant Tracking System)?

Applicant tracking systems have become common in U.S. hiring practices. Companies use ATS software to receive job applications, filter out resumes that lack pre-set criteria like software skills or management experience, and track candidates’ status in the application process. Some automate interview scheduling and send emails to candidates.

What gets your resume noticed?

Once resumes have been processed by an ATS, a recruiter, hiring manager, or human resources professional will scan your resume looking for the minimum qualifications for the job. So, it’s important that you focus your resume on a specific job title and use essential keywords in your work experience, skills, and summary sections that show how you meet those minimum qualifications.

Follow these steps to use the right keywords:

• Check the Job Finder for job postings with your targeted job title. Read through 10-15 postings to identify the most frequently mentioned requirements, such as type and years of work experience, technical skills, soft skills, personal qualities, training, credentials, or other. Create a list of those core keywords.
• From that list, include on your resume all of those skills and qualities that you possess. Use the exact terms mentioned in postings. Any variation from what’s written in the job posting may fail to be recognized as a qualification.
• With fewer open positions on the job market, aim to respond quickly to job postings. Employers may quit looking once they have a strong batch of applications in hand.