How to get your résumé past the robot reading it

If you took a year off to write the Great American Novel, say so.

Otherwise, it will look like you were doing nothing, and you might be screened out.

To some extent, this means using the same phrases in your application materials as you see in the listing, even if that can feel a little cheap.

Being robotic is good if you’re talking to a robot. That does not mean, however, that you should game the system and use terms that don’t actually apply to you.

Skills are changing faster than ever. Rather than learning every new technology, you might be better off explaining that in the past you’ve been good at picking up new software. That might include using words like “transformation,” “migration,” or “upgrade,” and really explaining how you handled change at other jobs. “What employers are looking for is agility.

If you can demonstrate that in your story, and pull those elements out when you’re in person, you have the best shot.

Try to outsmart the algorithm, or try to actually get in touch with someone who works at the company.

That way, you’ll at least have a shot to tell your story. If you apply online because they say apply, you also have to work your back channels.

Create a list of the requirements you are looking for in a new job —you will often discover that the list you make is too long.

It’s one thing to not want to sell yourself short, it’s another to be so specific that you find absolutely nothing is the right fit. Her advice: Shorten your list to two or three things you really need.

It’s easiest to get a job if you’ve got one.

You automatically seem appropriate for a similar position, and you avoid gaps in your résumé.

Rather than looking for people who have exactly the skills in the job description, look for those who have attributes similar to your best employees — those who are most productive or who’ve stayed with the company longest.

This also means making sure your algorithm isn’t unnecessarily excluding huge swaths of candidates, including parents who’ve stepped out of the workforce to care for kids, people with criminal backgrounds, or those with gaps in their employment.

Make sure job descriptions are up to date and that they focus on the core skills the person absolutely needs.

This requires involving the person who’s directly supervising or working with the candidate to weigh in on what’s needed for the job.