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In the advent of technology, computers filter prospective employees. Human resource departments heavily rely on the applicant tracking software to seek top candidates. The application searches résumés based on the keywords preset by the company. The employer retains curriculum vitaes with the keywords and discards those that do not have, not even considering the person’s credential.

This software clears all formatting and scans hundreds or thousands of résumés according to the predetermined words. It also accounts the preferred skills and rate CVs on the number of keywords that appear and skills that match. Instead of making a generic one, come up with a résumé suitable to a specific job.

Focus on the keywords. No need to seek a mind reader’s help to assimilate what a company seeks through these terms. Look into the repeated words throughout the advertisement and evaluate the keywords to find out the experience and skills a company needs.

In some cases, keywords are action words or nouns seen on the job title. You may need to write it down to ensure you got the right terms. After identifying the words, compare it against numerous other jobs for the similar position at various firms and take note of likely words. Differentiate all keywords to narrow the list down to the words that are most likely to show up in the software.

Include all the relevant keywords in your cover letter and résumé to score high in the applicant tracking software. Use the terms that appear beforehand in the job description. As much as possible, integrate most of the keywords from the job ad in your cover letter and CV, but use the words wisely. Remember, recruiters or companies ditch unruly or confusing résumés.

It is also ideal to view job posts for more experienced job seekers in your field and include some of these terms in your résumé. Chances are you may be overqualified for a particular job but ideal for another post.

Be precise when writing your cover letter and résumé. Include both full titles and acronyms. If you indicate both the full title and the abbreviation, it bolsters your chances of your résumé being read by the application and reaching the hiring manager’s table.

And forget not the social media. Because of technology, HR personnel use job boards and social media to find suitable candidates. They use the keywords to look for potential employees, too. Use more generic terms for your social media profiles. The language should be something employers or recruiters heard or spoken in their industry.