Greetings!                                 

About Wake Up to a Job You Love © - the online, self-study version of my career coaching program: I've committed to it as my "summer project" with the goal of launching it mid-October. Please scroll down for details and for an article archive, introducing the content of this program.  

Is your job search stuck and your career stalled, no matter how hard you try? Consider scheduling a private Career Action Planning (C.A.P.) Session with me. We'll get to the root of your career problem and on the road to landing your dream job in record time! Read the testimonial of one client who landed soon after his C.A.P. Session; and the quick story about another client I highlighted in the October 2012 issue, who had a C.A.P. Session last July and landed in September...and another I wrote about in the March 2013 issue, who had a C.A.P. Session last October and landed in December!   

When searching for a new job, you've probably applied for jobs online by submitting resumes via email or completing online applications. You may not know that your resume could be stored in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Research reveals that ATS's are used primarily in midsize and larger companies, and in nearly all Fortune 500 companies.  

ATS software helps hiring managers: 1) manage applications for open positions; 2) screen out candidates who lack the required skills for the job; 3) make the hiring process more efficient; 4) comply with EEOC regulations. Hiring managers use ATS software to quickly identify candidates who have the desired skills, education and experience for specific job openings, without having to sift through hundreds of resumes.  

When a resume is submitted, the ATS "parses" the information and places it in specific fields inside the ATS database, e.g., work experience, education and contact info. Then, it analyzes this data for criteria relevant to the open position, i.e., years of experience or certain skills. After that, it assigns each resume a score, ranking the candidates in comparison to other applicants, so hiring managers can identify the best fit candidates for the job.

The ATS uses a keyword matching system (established by the most relevant keywords outlined in the job posting) to rank and select candidates. Keywords are nouns, adjectives or phrases that describe skills, abilities, knowledge, education, training and experience. In the ATS, keywords in a resume are graded in two ways: 1) appearance: whether they appear in the resume at all and how many times; and 2) relevance: whether they appear in the correct context, not as random, disconnected words. 

To increase your chance of getting found in an ATS query, you first must be qualified to do the job you apply for; then you need to tailor your resume by naturally weaving in relevant keywords from the job posting.  One way to identify these keywords is to use "word cloud" technology. Here's how:   

1. Locate the posting for the position you want to apply for.
2. Select and copy all the text to a Word document or clipboard.
3. Go to www.tocloud.com or www.wordle.net to create a tag cloud.
4. Paste the text into the text box and generate the word cloud.
5. Note that the word cloud will highlight keywords and phrases from the job posting. The larger the words, the more relevant they are. Click here for a word cloud example or scroll up to see the word cloud graphic in the header of this article.

A word of caution: never put skills you don't have on your resume as an attempt to "trick" the ATS into selecting you: once a resume is chosen, it will be read by human eyes.  

 

ATS software isn't picky about the resume length, so you can submit a document that is two or more pages. However, an ATS is strict about formatting. Click here for a 1-page guide: "Formatting a Resume for ATS Compliance" which includes a handy checklist.

 

The easiest way to see how an ATS works is to try one out. However, since ATS software is quite expensive, Preptel

offers a free online ATS-mimicking service where you can assess your resume using ATS criteria. Preptel will analyze your resume and match it against keywords for specific job postings, so you can see which keywords need more emphasis. Go to Preptel and use this companion, 12-page screenshot guide to get started!

 

Applying for jobs can be a competitive, frustrating experience. However, if you modify your resume according to how an ATS works, you're likely to "game" the system into choosing your resume over hundreds of other applicants. 

  

Wake Up to a Job You Love © Home Study System  (Beta) Coming Soon!  / Archive of Article Series

I've been planning a "beta launch" of this self-study system of my career coaching program. It's based on the core content and tools I use with my private clients, to help them build a solid, laser-focused plan to land a job they love which is fun, fulfilling and financially rewarding. This system is perfect for you, whether you're unemployed and struggling to land, or unhappy with your current job or employer and you don't know which way to turn.  

I've decided to postpone program until Fall 2013. It will be priced at an introductory "Charter Member" rate of $147.00. 

Depending on how many people enroll, I may host monthly Q & A group calls and create a private Facebook group for participants to post questions and interact with each other. I am planning to offer some special bonuses for the first 10 people who sign up.

There will be a special sales page created for this program and you'll be notified when it's ready. Until then, here's a description of it on my website: 

If you have any questions, please email me joellyn@career-success-coach.com; and I will be personally reaching out to those of you who have already expressed interest. 

Here's the article archive, introducing the content of this program: 

 #1: Know Your Top Transferable Skills Sets, Then Plan Your Career Transition

#2: Build Your Confidence and Career Marketing Content

#3:  Discover Your Perfect Career Path Through Your Hardwired Preferences 

#4: How to Choose Ideal Work that Fits Your Personality 

#5: The Six Dimensions of Career Clarity

#6: Where Do You Want to Work? Make A List of Target Employers

#7: Which Workplace Culture is Ideal for You? Let Your Workplace Values Be Your Guide 

Career Action Planning (C.A.P.) Session 

• Do you work hard on your job search but seem to get nowhere fast?
• Are you burned out with your job, but don't know what other work might satisfy you?  
• Do you have trouble understanding how your transferable skills can be used in other professions?
• Do you apply for jobs online, only to get "thanks but no thanks" responses?
• Does it seem like your network can't help you with your job search the way you'd like?
• Do you get interviews--- but no offers?   

Is it time to take a risk -- a giant step forward -- to end the pain once and for all? You may surprised: the problem might not be what you think and simpler to overcome than you thought possible.

Regardless of the issues you face or what you may be frustrated or confused about, I can provide the clarity, creative thinking, objectivity, and perspective you need to get your career and job search moving in the right direction.  

Let's get started with a Career Action Planning (C.A.P.) Session to help you figure out what's working, what needs attention, and what the next steps are to land the job of your dreams!  

Skeptical? Here's what one client said about his experience. He got hired five months after his C.A.P. Session!