Anyone tuned in to the job market will have seen a lot of discussion about the role technology plays in the hiring process and in particular, the role of artificial intelligence. While it can seem like this would only affect those located in the country’s biggest technology industry hubs — like San Francisco, Austin and New York — Idaho has employers who are using some of the most sophisticated technology that exists in order to attract, shortlist and onboard talent. Companies such as Micron Technology, ADM and WinCo Foods, who collectively employ over 80,000 people, are some of the largest employers hiring in Idaho. Therefore, it is important to know and understand how technology impacts your chances of getting the job you are aiming for.
You might be surprised to learn that WinCo Foods uses the latest AI technology to manage its employment process — iCIMS is one of the most sophisticated applicant tracking systems (ATS) in the world. Because of this, your ability to get a job with the biggest Idaho employers like WinCo Foods will be dramatically impacted if you do not tailor your resume, application materials and search process specifically with technology, including AI, in mind. To that end, here are my top three ways to boost your chances of landing a new job in Idaho.
Use leading employment sites
There are many who still choose the route of printing resumes and networking for their next position. While arguably these methods still have merit and do still work from time to time, the reality is that the leading employers in Idaho are using SaaS (software as a service) based systems to onboard their talent, and these integrate directly with the major employment sites and job boards. Having a resume on those sites will maximize your chances of being matched to a position with the most competitive employers in the state.
Resume writing for artificial intelligence
In most cases, a human is no longer reading your resume. And especially not at the largest employers in the state of Idaho — their ATS will have integrated matching, chat bot and shortlisting technology that does the job of a hiring manager. Because of this, how you would traditionally structure and write your resume is no longer the most effective way to do so and must be adapted to increase your chances of getting hired by the best employers in Idaho.
Look at the content in your resume in comparison to the job description. Does your resume include many of the keywords in the description, or are you using one resume for all positions, assuming a human will be able to see the relevance in your experience? The reality is that AI cannot reason like humans can and instead will only look at each resume objectively and evaluate it based on the specific wording that was used in the job description.
Do not include your entire career history, especially significantly more junior roles. Again, since AI cannot reason like a human can, it may deem you as less qualified if there’s too much emphasis on the past. Keep your experience to a maximum of 10 years and avoid including positions that do not bear much relevance to the jobs you are looking to apply for today. The best way to increase your chances of landing a promotion or career jump is to write an aspirational resume that explains how your immediate past and present experience make you qualified for the job at hand.
Navigating ATS
This is one part of the job application process that can easily confuse any jobseeker. When you find the job you wish to apply for, you then complete an application for the role on the job board, but that doesn’t mean your application is successfully submitted or even complete. For example, if you applied for a role at WinCo Foods, once you submit the application on Indeed, Job.com or ZipRecruiter, you will then find yourself sent to a branded website for WinCo Foods. This is actually just a microsite layered on top of their applicant tracking system, iCIMS (which can be confirmed by looking at the URL as it will have iCIMS in it).
Instead of being done with your application, you have actually just begun the process and will need to complete all the steps within the ATS in order to ensure that your application has been successfully submitted. The number of phases the hirer has added into their ATS application process will determine how many pages of information you will have to complete.
Also, remember that your application must be written for an AI reader, not a human one. If you do not follow all of the above steps and tips here as well, you risk not being shortlisted by the ATS. You will know once you have truly completed your application as you will typically be sent both an SMS and an email confirming successful submission.
The bottom line
While the world has been difficult to navigate for the past 16 months, landing the job you want is also becoming more difficult as the steps required by employers to complete the application process become increasingly more complicated. Advanced technology is no longer just the purview of Silicon Valley and major tech companies — it’s a pervasive part of leading employers’ hiring process all over the country. In a state with over 700,000 working people, the technology tools used to attract, shortlist and place this workforce are identical to those used in any other high-tech employment region in North America. So, if you begin the hiring process with all of this information in mind, you will drastically increase your chances of landing the job you desire.
Author: Arran Stewart, Co-founder and CVO of Job.com
Original article found here