Beating the System – the “Applicant Tracking System,” that is…

by Jamie Grant, C’98 GEd’99

Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATSs, are very popular among employers for the many ways such systems can ease the process of sifting through applications for candidates that are the best match.   If you’ve applied for a job in the last 3-5 years, you’ve most likely submitted information through an ATS, provided to your employer-of-choice by a software vendor like Taleo, Kenexa-Brassring, iCIMS or Peopleclick.  While recruiters and hiring managers still do certainly read through resumes and applications –and look at LinkedIn pages – you should be aware that you may need to “beat the system” to get a human being’s eyes on your online submission.

How do they work, you ask?  Google and watch one of the many videos available to see these programs in action from a recruiter’s perspective.  The main thing to understand?  These systems and the job descriptions within them (which I like to call “employer wish lists”) are designed to function by *keywords* – keywords which should ALSO be reflected in your resume to get you the highest possible match-score and the greatest chance of being seen by a person.   A talented career advisor can quickly go through your resume and job description with you and point out the keywords you have – and those you’re missing – in an effort to help you get as close as possible to a perfect match.  You can also use tools like Jobscan.co to quickly analyze your resume content and the job description.   Our friends at Jobscan also recently wrote a post about optimizing resumes for ATS that you might find helpful!  https://www.jobscan.co/blog/applicant-tracking-system-and-ats-systems/

You’ve worked so hard to get where you are – now, make sure you can sail through the last few hurdles to get your resume seen by the professionals who wrote you their wish lists – and that make the interview offers!

 

Making Your Search Your Own

by Jamie Grant, C’98 GEd’99

I met recently with a senior contemplating career fields and really unsure how to proceed – did he follow what he thought “everyone else is doing,” i.e. attending career fairs, applying through On-Campus Interviewing, attending information sessions, etc.?  Or did he forge his own path and work to identify positions not necessarily offered through campus vehicles but rather through networking and research to unearth opportunities through a different route? 

The moral of this conundrum is that there is NO ONE WAY to find a job, much less start a career.  Think of your search as a tool box – there are lots of different kinds of tools, some more appropriate for certain types of work than others, and everyone uses them differently.  Different does not equal better or worse – it’s just different.  Career Fairs and On-Campus Recruiting may make up part of your search efforts, and perhaps for what you have interest in those are the two most important tools you need.  But this process is certainly not one-size-fits-all and as an advisor, I warmly encourage you, as I did this student, to speak with one of us about YOUR job search.  Make it your own – and give yourself the greatest possible chance to find fulfillment and success on YOUR terms.

Identify ways to avoid job search stress

by Jamie Grant C’98 GEd’99, Associate Director

I meet with many students seeking internships and full-time positions who are at times incredibly busy with their coursework – and on top of their studies, trying to balance a comprehensive and effective job search.  This can understandably be a very stressful combination of activities, and so Career Services is always working to identify resources and tools to help our students not only strike a balance but succeed in both arenas. 

To that end, a partnership between Career Services and CAPS has generated an upcoming workshop series designed to help students excel in the career planning and application process – with sessions on different kinds of personality and strengths assessments as well as the aptly titled “Managing Anxiety Related to your Job Search,” participating students will have several opportunities throughout the upcoming year to bring their concerns and identify solutions and strategies to enhance their application process.  At the start of the semester, please be sure to check the Career Services calendar and/or the CAPS website for details on specific programs and their scheduled dates/times.

Beyond workshops, Career Services is also always working to identify and provide the latest tools to help students manage their career development.  A really neat resource, free for our current students and discounted for alumni, is Jobtreks – your Jobtreks account will allow you to: 
     – Access a proprietary database of 9,000+ companies
     – Create your target list of companies
     – Browse 30+ job boards and other job search resources
     – Manage your companies, contacts, & job applications
     – Create to-do lists, notes, & alerts, and
     – Prep for interviews and networking

so that you can keep all of your thoughts, research, contacts and networking resources and more in your own private database!
Jobtreks logins are by academic status, so please see the list below for your appropriate link to register:

So, with these upcoming workshops and tools like Jobtreks, you have a few special resources to help your job or internship search to be a manageable and interesting journey of self-discovery and possibilities.  And, if ever you feel the least bit overwhelmed or stressed about career-related issues, please reach out to one of your career advisors to discuss your individual concerns.

Finding just the right “fit”

I was recently talking with a family member about her fairly new job – she’s been there 8 months, and had been with her prior organization for 8 years.   We discussed the many ways in which her two experiences have been different – in her previous company, she had made deep friendships and many partnerships, she felt that she was a valued part of a team, she was allowed to innovate, her suggestions were heard and contributions recognized both privately and publicly.  She changed jobs to help advance her career…but it turns out that this new position is lacking so many of the things that felt so important to her before.     

As we finished talking, we focused on developing an action plan – determining what she could do to adjust her job and find new opportunities that helped her to contribute, feel valued and make partnerships.  After talking with her boss, with whom she has developed a great relationship by clarifying his expectations and exceeding them, she will be taking the lead on a new project and developing an affinity group amongst her peers to forge relationships across the company. 

It is so hard, when interviewing for a job, to figure out if you’re the right “fit” for the organization, and so easy to get frustrated – or immediately start looking for a new job – when you begin to realize that perfect “fit” isn’t there.   Now, I am not one to advocate for making yourself miserable if you’re truly unhappy and unfulfilled in your work – by all means, use your energy to begin planning your next move.  But, it is so important to have these conversations with someone you trust – a mentor, a friend, your sister – so that you can begin to figure out what you like, what you dislike, what your values are and how you can find a position that plays to your strengths, helps you to grow and “fits” you.  I think of career paths as an accumulation of knowledge, experiences and decisions, as well as something unique to a person.  What do you like about your current role?  What do you dislike?  What are you able to change?  How can you find your best fit?  If a Career Services advisor can help you in thinking about this, by all means please contact us!

 

Keep Moving Forward…

Walt Disney once said, ““Around here…we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  (emphasis is mine)
 
I was introduced to this quote through a movie my children love, Meet the Robinsons.   If you haven’t seen it, and need some inspiration to keep putting one foot in front of the other – despite a setback, or while you’re studying, or in your job search….or just in your life – I highly recommend the film.    

The wonder of being able to let go of set-backs, to engage in the process of learning and to keep your mind future-focused is a gift you can give yourself.  By carving out some time for you, to feed your curiosity, or to explore what you really enjoy, or learn something new, you may experience a sense of renewal that can restore and energize your spirit. 

I like to “practice what I preach,” so to speak, so I am taking some online coursework in an area that I have interest in – data visualization.  I’ve been putting it off for a while….but I scheduled a whole afternoon to engage and really learned so much more than I thought I would.  Maybe my new skills will help me in my work….or maybe not – and that’s okay.   Not every passion or renewing activity in which you engage will be a resume builder.  But if you have a love of learning….or you did once upon a time….and you’ve not experienced the thrill of a new idea or building a skill recently, I warmly and wholeheartedly encourage you to carve out some time to do so.