How to get your resume past AI bots 🎯

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View this email online 🚨 What do you think of Life Kit’s newsletter? We want to hear from you! Please help us out by telling us what you like and how we could improve by completing a short, anonymous survey. This is a chance for us to learn more about you, our readers and listeners, so we can cover topics and stories that feel relevant and exciting to you. Click here to take the survey now.  Today’s newsletter is brought to you by our friends at TED Radio Hour. In some ways, it’s never been easier to apply to a job. With just a few clicks, you can upload your resume to any online job board.  But that convenience means you’re likely competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other applicants. And hiring managers are overwhelmed.  Over the last couple years, employers have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence tools to help get through the deluge of applications, journalist Hilke Schellmann reported in a recent episode of the TED Radio Hour.  The tech is getting more sophisticated. AI tools not only screen candidates, but analyze video interviews, conduct skills assessments and perform background checks.  Schellmann has spent years investigating how AI tools are being used for hiring and evaluating employees and where they fall short. On the TED Radio Hour, she shared tips for getting your application past the AI screeners — so you can up your chances of getting in front of a human. Listen to the episode here AndreyPopoy/iStock How to get your resume past AI bots ✅ Keep your resume simple. To make your resume machine-readable, avoid images, multiple columns, unusual fonts or special characters that confuse resume-scanning software. “You want to do everything to not confuse an algorithm,” Schellman says. ✅ Write clearly and use specific data. Use short, crisp sentences, be declarative and quantify data. Replace vague claims (like “improved efficiency”) with data (“cut processing time by 30%”). ✅ Use keywords strategically. AI scanners are looking for keywords from the job description, so mirror that language, but don’t copy it verbatim. “Some AI tools will throw you out because they think you just copied the job description,” Schellmann says. She recommends about 80- to 90%-overlap. ✅ List your skills, even the soft ones. Many companies are adopting “skills-based hiring,” so make sure your resume includes both technical and interpersonal strengths. Think about breaking your skills out to a separate section with bullet points, so a bot can easily digest it. ✅ Don’t be afraid to use AI to give your resume and cover letter the shine it may need. “They're great at polishing your resume, making sure all the grammar is on point,” Schellmann says. Use AI, but be sure to check its work. ✅ Skip the big job platforms. Apply directly through company websites. Schellmann says many recruiters told her they typically check their own system’s submissions before looking at candidates from job boards. AI-proof my resume Newsletter continues after sponsor message ✏️ More on job-searching from Life Kit Photograph by Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images; Collage by Beck Harlan/NPR The do’s and don’ts of writing a good resume. For many employers, the resume is still a must-have in the job process, says career coach Cynthia Pong. Here’s how to write a CV that’s competitive and up-to-date. Read the story.  6 tips for making a career change, from someone who has done it. Making a career switch can be daunting — but it’s doable. Audio producer Keisha “TK” Dutes breaks down how she made her own switch, and how you can too. Read the story.  A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety. How should you prepare in advance for a job interview? We discuss what questions to prep for, how to choose an outfit you feel your best in, and what to do if you get nervous. Plus, we walk through a mock interview to model how to answer common questions. Read the story.  How to get a job after college. Now that you have your diploma, you’ll need to focus on a different piece of paper: a resume. Here’s how to think about what you want to do and then go out and get a job — maybe even a career. Read the story.  Support our work & listen sponsor-free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening and even some specially curated playlists of episodes by theme (Master your budget, Organize your life, Move your body, and more).   Check out all the NPR+ benefits available at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ In case you missed it Becky Barnicoat for NPR 'Why does my toddler … ?' Your kiddo's most confounding behavior, decoded. Why does my toddler say "no" to everything? Say everything is "mine"? Want to crash into everything? Child development experts unpack common toddler behaviors and offer advice on how parents can cope. Read the story. Not sure how to support a friend with cancer? Survivors have advice. To help a loved one with cancer, think about what you're good at — and what they need. Are you organized? Plan their meals. Detail-oriented? Go with them to appointments. Survivors share ideas. Read the story.  Frustrated by a relationship? Questions to ask yourself to move forward. If you feel overwhelmed or stuck in a close relationship, therapist KC Davis, author of Who Deserves Your Love, has a list of questions to help you decide whether you should continue to engage. Davis provides guidance on how to create boundaries you feel good about without cutting people out of your life. Listen to the episode. The secret to waking up from a nap feeling refreshed (and not groggy). A good siesta can offer significant mental and physical health benefits. Here's how to take a nap that won't affect your nighttime sleep — and will leave you feeling energized.Read the story here. Look out 👀 for these upcoming topics We’re hard at work on new episodes. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect to learn about in the coming weeks from Life Kit. 🔎Collagen 101  💊How to get lower prices on prescription drugs  🏠Home decorating  Don't forget to take our Life Kit survey! We want to hear what you think about your newsletter, our podcast and our Instagram account. 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