This is why you are not getting interviews 😰

December 14, 2022

TECLA connects the best tech talent in Latin America with the best remote-ok technology companies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. If you want to upgrade your career, keep reading!

Trying to beat the robots? We got you

You spend hours sitting down and curating the best resume possible, ensuring it outlines your skills and experience in the best possible light. However, you still need to get more interviews despite being qualified. Hit too close to home? Don't worry; we've all been there.

According to the latest research, 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and 6% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on some recruitment software.*These numbers will grow, so how can you beat the robots? Luckily, it's easier than you think. The first step is realizing that most organizations use an ATS to screen resumes. To defeat these software applications, learning to speak their "language" fluently is essential to ensure your resume stands out.

(*) Source: Jobscan and Kelly OCG Surveys.

Keywords, keywords, and more keywords

If it wasn't already clear, please use keywords. ATS algorithms scan vital information to determine whether you're a match for a job opening. Therefore, ATS narrows an applicant pool by searching for specific keywords. The recruiters choose which words to search for; they are usually skills, qualifications, and experience that match precisely what they are looking for in the job description. For example, in tech positions, it might be specific coding languages.But sometimes, less is more. Cramming your resume with too many keywords is risky and may cost you many job opportunities. Our advice? Keep it simple, analyze the job description, choose words that showcase your experience, and echos the keywords to improve your chances. 

But, do apply only to roles you're qualified for

Research estimates that companies only read 25% of the applications they receive for most postings. But, this is because most candidates needed to be more suitable for the job they were looking to fill. This doesn't mean you have to hit every job qualification or apply to a job only if you have the traditional background they are looking for.

Only invest so much in fancy formatting

It hurts to hear this when you have already invested in that expensive resume template or heavily designed custom resume. Fancy resumes are challenging for ATS to read, lowering your chances of getting through that first stage. Most ATSs will convert the document to a text-only file to scan your resume to search keywords. So at best, any fancy formatting will be lost. At worst, the ATS won't be able to pull out critical information. Please, avoid using text boxes, graphs, columns (ATS are programmed to read left to right), hyperlinks on keywords, and not commonly used fonts.

DID YOU MISS OUR LIVE EVENT?

LAST EVENT OF THE YEAR!

Have you ever wanted to work for U.S. companies but needed help knowing where to start? Here is all you need to know. Earlier today we had our second edition of Ask Me Anything with Sergio Yáñez Silva, Senior Software Engineer at Silicon Valley, and Josias Schneider, Senior Software Engineer at LaunchPad Lab.At the event, we cleared doubts about starting and navigating your career working remotely or on-site for a U.S. company. Learn how to apply and land a job for international roles from professionals working at U.S.- based companies.Watch it here!

TECLA'S POLL OF THE WEEK

We asked: What isn't true about remote work? Three options are correct, but only one is false - vote on the fake one!

You answered:

Don't miss the chance to vote on this week's TECLA Poll!

This season is full of magic, so let’s have a Walt Disney quote for the upcoming days:  "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." "A maneira de começar é parar de falar e começar a fazer." "La forma de empezar es dejar de hablar y empezar a hacer".

There is a looming thought which says – talk is cheap. Actions are what matter most in life; it is what will make your dreams come true. Show the results to prove something to yourself or the world. There's a lot of difference between planning and doing. We encourage you for this new year to start with what's stopping you and begin to put your goals into action.

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