Ever had to apply for a job through an online employer database? It can be hard work. But if you put the right keywords in the right places, you stand a good chance of securing an interview.

Not so many years ago, applying for a job was a long process. You’d scour newspaper classifieds, hammer out a resume on a typewriter, then print it on quality paper before rushing to mail it in a crisp envelope. And then you’d sit by the phone or mailbox with your fingers crossed and wait for a response. It took forever, but at least you felt you had a greater chance of making a good first impression with your beautifully presented resume.

But when employers started using technology to recruit, everything changed. Yes, the process got quicker, but now job hunters have to find other ways to make a good first impression. And in most cases, you’re making a good first impression with a computer rather than a real, flesh-and blood recruiter.

“Since the late 1990s there may not have been a human being who looks at the resume first time around because the data is usually fed into a computer,” says Marian Bernard, principal of the Regency Group – and Ontario’s first certified professional resume writer.

About 50 percent of medium-sized and almost all large companies use online databases. Marcelo Ferrero, a recruiter at Wells Fargo Financial Corporation Canada, says entry-level roles tend to be especially dependent on technology. The greater the applicant response and number of positions required to be filled; the more companies rely on resume databases because they help recruiters to find candidates most likely to meet the position’s base requirements.

Job hunters put a lot of time into writing resumes, with special formatting, fancy bullets – the full works – to make the CV visually appealing. Sure, it will look great on paper, but if it is going to end up in a computer database - which it usually does – all that work will be for nothing. Kristen Fife, a senior recruiter at BSQUARE Corporation, says a common mistake many people make is to focus too much on how a resume looks, neglecting to think about including the most important facts.

“Students will put in some nice fonts in an effort to try and catch the recruiter or hiring manager’s attention,” she says. “Almost every single resume database is going to take all the fancy fonts and all of their nice additions that they have and translate it.”

Fife, who recruits for companies in Canada, the US, and Taiwan, says focusing too much on design works against candidates because computer databases translate resumes into XML files – full of code and tags that have little to do with pretty word-processed documents. She suggests making sure you use only the symbols that are on the keyboard and that you ensure the design of your resume is as clean as possible.

“The more work you put into formatting your resume, the less your chances are that it’s going to look clear, crisp and clean for a recruiter or anyone looking at the database,” she says.

And that’s not the only thing to consider. When a recruiter glances at a resume that pops out of the database, he or she typically looks only at the top part. That’s why it’s important to put the keywords that match the job description right at the start. “Job descriptions are different from character attributes like ‘team player who works well independently, good time management, interpersonal communication skills’,” says Bernard.

Busy recruiters, who sometimes spend less than 15 seconds glancing at a resume, say that if they can’t connect the dots, that resume will not make the cut, even if you are well qualified. One way to discover skills and experience sought in a particular industry is to browse online job postings to find out which keywords are being used. According to Bernard, a lot of new graduates do not specify what kind of opportunities they are looking for and fail to list actual job titles. That puts them at a disadvantage.

“I see applicants state in resumes that they are looking to obtain summer employment in a professional environment, so I don’t know what kind of work this person is looking for,” she says.

Find ways to work keywords in a number of times and even try to match the number of times you use them to the number of times they are in the job posting, Fife says. Also, avoid putting your address twice in online job applications. Most times, your address is entered when making your profile. Instead of putting your address on the resume again, get right to the point. Keywords don’t just need to appear at the start of the resume.

Add relevant industry keywords under your summary of qualifications and education sections. If you have any related work experience, make sure you have those keywords under work history as well. “If I am looking for someone for a software position, I am going to be looking for very specific things such as someone with a computer science degree as well as coding languages like C++, java and other computer terms,” says Fife.

In desperation to land a job soon after school, you may be tempted to apply to scores of companies with a generic resume and cover letter. Don’t to do it, advise recruiters. Try not to give the company the impression that you are not serious about the position, which is exactly what may happen if time is not spent tailoring your application to an advertised position.

“Spend the time to target the resume to the job by investing in a solid but concise cover letter utilizing matching keywords and language from the posting,” says Ferrero.

Along with listing your main educational achievements, new grads without a lot of work experience should also highlight other important points such as leadership roles or any other important position held. If you have a high GPA, it is a good idea to mention such accomplishments, Bernard advises.

Recruiters still want to know about you as a person. So once you’ve nailed down matching job descriptions, find creative ways to convey your transferable skills. After all, employers are still looking for adaptable, detail oriented, enthusiastic, ambitious, resourceful, dynamic, goal-driven applicants. Over the last few years, you have seen what a great researching device the online world is for your studies, now use it wisely in your online job hunt. jp