“I am an entry-level employee who just graduated from a big-name university, which I thought would be helpful when it came time to job hunt. But I am finding that most of the companies I am applying to rely on automated application systems and even impersonal Skype interviews, making it nearly impossible for me to use my references or get my resume to the top of the pile. What should I know about besting these systems?”
To read the answer, click here: Besting the Digital System
EHRL, your advice is always spot on.
The job candidate states the he/she “graduated from a big-name university, which I thought would be helpful when it came time to job hunt”.
I humbly submit that perhaps the ATS is only half the problem for this candidate. Perhaps the other half of the problem is the candidate’s assumption that a “big name university” means that his/her resume should be on the top of the heap. Not so, my dear candidate, not so. As a Human Resources manager, I realize an ATS is imperfect…it is a tool to help me separate the qualified from the unqualified. This causes me to base a candidate’s viability on several aspects rather than university brand-name. I want to know about your experience, the problems you’ve solved, how you have helped former employers be successful (even if that employer was the fast food place you may have worked during college), your knowledge of the industry you’re trying to break in to, and your ability to “fit” in my organization. The university you attended isn’t what I want to know about you. I have interviewed several brand-name university candidates over my tenure, many of whom were not hired. This is about what you have to offer me…not about where you went to school.
To you, dear candidate, I wish the best success in your search for your next working adventure.
Wow, you and Alison Green could have a competition for “best stock photo accompanying guest article.”