Get Ahead with AI: Overcoming HR AI Bot Filters for More Interviews

 

Human Resources and AI

HR departments have been using software to screen resumes for years, and now with easy access to AI, the software can screen thousands of resumes/CV's very quickly. From a human resources standpoint this saves them a huge amount of time and effort. The job posting draft is created inside the software and can be tweaked for the position so that the correct requirements are listed.

The job posting can then be verified by the hiring manager and once confirmed it is posted online or with the recruitment agencies employed by the company. This results in a massive amount of applications being sent in, and it would be physically impossible for a small HR department to sift through and find the best applicant.

How to Beat the BOTS

Firstly, you will need to gather your files. Copy all the job listing text, or if it was advertised in a newspaper, use an image to text app, and save the text to a text file on your computer or device. The more information that the job listing has, the better, as this will help in one of the steps to follow. 

Next would be to adjust your resume/CV manually so that it is inline with the job you are applying for, listing your related experience and so on. Every job has unique qualifications, and a tailored resume maximizes the chances of passing through applicant tracking systems. Tailoring your resume ensures it is not only optimized for AI systems but also speaks directly to the employer’s specific needs, helping you stand out from generic applications. Save your newly edited resume in an easy to find location, possibly in the same folder/location where you saved the job listing text.

The next step is to open your favourite AI such as ChatGPT or Copilot and look for the upload button. What you need to do is upload the job listing, and your resume.

 

 

 

That was the easy part. The next step is critical though. You need to explain in a prompt to your chosen AI what it needs to do with the two files that you uploaded. You need the AI to detect and highlight the most important keywords in the job listing and rewrite your resume to optimise it for the job you are applying to.

 

Here is an example of the prompt that I used:

 

"You are an expert in crafting resumes optimized to make resumes stand out when being reviewed by applicant tracking systems. Attached is the job description to which I'm applying, and my most recent resume. First, highlight keywords present in the job description that are lacking in my resume. Then, note which keywords may be the most difficult to incorporate into a rewrite of my current resume bullets. Finally, ask me any questions about my career experience to help you be able to incorporate those additional keywords as I will eventually have you rewrite my resume."

Your chosen AI will then get to work analysing your two files and and list all the requests from the prompt.

As you can see from the image above, ChatGPT started listing the missing keywords and under-represented information required by the job listing. I am not a Siemens engineer so there were many issues in the list from ChatGPT. But this is just an example of what AI can do for your resume so lets continue.

Your next task will be to answer the questions listed by the AI so that it can use that information to update and add it to your resume. Answer the questions with lots of detail so that the AI can use your experience and knowledge to build the best resume possible. While AI can help with the technicalities of resume optimization, it's essential to ensure that the experience and skills listed remain truthful and aligned with your actual capabilities. Finish by telling your chosen AI that you have completed answering the questions. Next you will need to prompt the AI again to update and rewrite your resume by sending it another prompt. Here is an example:

"Re-write the contents of my resume seamlessly incorporating the important keywords you originally highlighted into my bullet points accompanied by strong action verbs. Assure my bullet points are no more than 2 lines (but ideally one line each) and that the resume is optimized for the job description."

After a few seconds you should see a new resume being generated for you with all the included keywords and highlights from the job listing. From there you can easily copy and paste the text from the AI into a new document and start building a new and improved resume that will hopefully help land you the interview. 

Conclusion

One of the problems with systems like this is the fact that there is no human intervention after the HR software has been used to create a job listing for a new position. Many things can go wrong here, an incorrectly configured system could quite easily disregard almost all the resumes sent in and deny your resume the chance it should get.

Many other people are also using AI software to help improve their resumes too, which means that a lot of the resumes are going to end up having the same details and keywords. But if you do not do this, you are at a disadvantage as the HR bot can only do what it was configured for, and that is to analyse the text on everyone's resume and select the best match.

Basically, what is happening is you are now using AI to fight AI, and hopefully get that much needed interview. If you cannot get interviews, you cannot be hired. So think carefully when typing in the prompt to ask AI what you want it to do. The more specific and detailed you are, the better the resulting resume will be.  

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Cheers!