If you take the time to fill in a job application, you might think someone would at least have the courtesy to actually look at it.

But as more and more job applications are made online, companies are increasingly turning to computer programs to help manage the load.

This means it’s as likely as not it won’t be someone vetting you – but something.

These programs, called applicant tracking systems, scan your CV to decide whether you move on in the process or fall at the first hurdle.

Tips for online CVs

Clear layout: The more complicated it is, the harder it is for the technology to process

Key words: Find out the key words used for your role in the industry, and place those words near the top of your CV

Skills, skills, skills: When you list each piece of experience on your CV, mention the skills you obtained

The right heading: Don’t just put your name, also put the description of the role you wish to perform

A BBC survey of 20 of the world’s biggest organisations, which between them employ almost four million people, found no fewer than 18 used some form of electronic selection.

Tim Payne, a partner at KPMG Management Consulting, says most if not all large organisations use systems like this.

However, smaller firms have been slower to take it up, he adds.

“For organisations with very high numbers of applications, some electronic form of screening is the only cost effective way to manage the process,” Mr Payne says.

This is true at KPMG, which uses programs to sift through the thousands of applications the company receives globally for every job it offers.

But if being judged by a cold, unfeeling machine seems a bit Orwellian, Mr Payne argues it is a positive development for applicants.

“Research shows if you put the same CV in front of the same people but then change some aspects, like name or ethnicity, the way they evaluate it often changes,” he says.

“Online application forms, which ask standard questions that can be scored objectively, is a much fairer way than a recruiter reading it.”

“It feels like a very transient job market, where you have to be inventive and creative and you have to be prepared to work for nothing if you want to get anywhere,” she says.

At the company’s London headquarters, James Brian, Monster’s director of product management, pits Sarah’s CV against the computer.

He then tells her: “You obeyed a lot of the golden rules. You kept it to two pages and you didn’t do anything crazy like putting boxes and diagrams in there – they are the kind of things that don’t work well when you upload your CV to an applicant tracking system.”

“What I’ve done is search for the kind of jobs you are after and then looked for the key words that are in the descriptions of those jobs.

“Where we can get those key words into your CV, I’ve made sure there are plenty of them,” he says.

“You might have said, for example, you have experience as a marketing assistant, where most jobs are ‘marketing executive’, so I’ve changed that.”

With applicant tracking systems key words are everything, making a generic CV of little use.

Wilma Tucker, from Right Management, says job hunters should consider including a section upfront actually called Keywords.

“Putting the most important words first increases the computer’s chances of a ‘hit’,” she says.

Ms Tucker also recommends including nouns that describe your experience in addition to “action” words.

“For example, mention ‘management’ in addition to ‘managed’ and use specific nouns. Instead of ‘word processing software’, use ‘Microsoft Word’,” she says.

However, in the digital age, some jobs won’t give you the chance to fill in a form or send in a CV.

Increasing numbers of firms are using online games and quizzes, which put the player into different scenarios and judge their suitability based on how they respond, usually to multiple choice questions.

These games are, once again, about managing numbers.

For example, since the recruiter Hays launched their interactive game, the Hays Challenge, more than 20,000 people from 190 countries as far afield as Afghanistan and Colombia have played it.

But Hays says another benefit is a pick-up in the preparedness and calibre of applicants after they take part.

This means successful applicants have a much better understanding of what will be asked of them, while others deselect themselves at an earlier stage, saving time and money.

Gareth Jones, from the Chemistry Group, which developed one such game for telecoms firm O2, says that is very difficult to do.

“We take some very detailed psychometric testing work of people who are currently successful in the roles and we combine that with some on-the-job observations by a psychologist,” he says.

“We make sure there are no right or wrong answers, so the candidate picks the response that most closely represents how they would respond in real life.”

Again, rather than being a handicap for job seekers, Mr Jones says the programs can help unearth candidates whose CVs might not stand up to traditional scrutiny.

“They are able to unearth applicants who might be a great fit for the role, but who have no direct industry or functional experience, which can, generally speaking, be easily taught or picked up,” he says.

Recycling service

If you don’t make it past the e-bodyguard and onto the next round, the applicant tracking systems offer a possible silver lining.

To save time and money, firms will use the programs to look back at previous applications to find suitable candidates for any new jobs that come up, says John Ingham, a human resources consultant.

“These organisations are recycling candidates, so you might get a second bite of the cherry and be considered for a broader range of vacancies,” he says.

The lesson here is make sure you include a comprehensive profile of yourself that goes beyond the particular job for which you are applying.

Then you might find a post opens up for you that you never even applied for.

Don’t look in the mirror

A lot of people think that if you look in a mirror, you’ll become more aware of your speech and will do better in the phone interview, but this is not true.

When you look in the mirror, you become too focused on your own reflection and not on the interview. Doing this also typically makes people smile more than they normally would — which is unnatural when you’re speaking.

“It will affect your voice, making your speech sound unnatural.”

 

Look at a photograph of your interviewer while you’re on the phone

Bailo advises to find a photograph of the person interviewing you and have it out in front of you during the interview.

This will help you connect to the person and, in turn, make you calmer. If you can’t find a photo of them, substitute for a photo of someone you take seriously like a well-known authority figure.

 

Don’t talk too much

Some people think that if they talk more during interviews, it’ll help them. But this is incorrect.

“The less you talk, the more you listen and the better you’ll do,” Bailo told us.

The best method to use is to wait three seconds before answering questions. This will give you time to think and to cut out unnecessary “ums” and “ahhs”in your conversation.

Keep in mind that the phone interview is much like a dance. Take time to listen to the music. The hiring manager determines the dance, so if they want to follow, then you lead. If they want to lead, you follow.

“Be sure to listen to what the interviewer has to say, and think before responding. Take a few seconds to understand the question, and then prepare a quality answer before simply blurting out something less intelligent.”

 

Exercise your voice before the interview

You should practice your voice before an interview so that it sounds clear, confident and rejuvenated. An hour before, talk to a friend or relative to warm-up your voice. Or even better, sing aloud:

“Practice different tones and pitches before your phone interview. Professional speakers exercise their voices before speaking, and so can you. Singing will stretch out your voice muscles and also give you the energy you need to ace your phone interview. Singing also lowers your stress level, leaving you excited and ready for your interview.”

“How many times did you record your voicemail messages before you were content with the results? I doubt it came out perfect on the first try. Most people record their voicemails multiple times before settling on a message they feel comfortable presenting to the world.”

 

An hour before the interview, soothe your throat

Before the interview, take a spoon of honey or take a cough drop to keep your throat clear and concise.

Both of these options are a lot better than gulping down water during the interview or being too hyper from countless cups of coffee.

 

Don’t get too comfortable in the room

Make sure your space feels professional like it would in a face-to-face interview room. Beforehand, have all of the papers that you’ll need during the conversation — cover letter, resume, set of questions you have — spread out in front of you so you don’t have to rummage through papers during the interview.

“This will help you produce quality responses.”

 

Dress up in your professional clothes

“Wearing business attire will pump you up for your phone interview — giving you confidence that you can conquer the world! You will feel more confident in your responses and it will come through during your interview.”

 

Listen to talk radio during your free time

Bailo told us that listening to talk radio is the best practice to perfecting a professional conversation.

During the talk radio, the announcers task it to tell you a story without you being able to actually see what they’re telling you. Instead, you have to imagine it. For example, if you’re listening to a sporting event, the announcers are illustrating to you what’s going on in the game because you’re not currently there or watching it.

This is a valuable skill to have during a phone interview.

“You must be able to pay attention to a speaker who isn’t right in front of you. This means being able to maintain focus while avoiding distractions.”

 

Schedule the interview for a time of day when you’re most at your A-game

“Don’t sign up for you phone interview at times when you’re normally sleeping, eating, or running errands. Some people are most focused during the morning hours; others need more time to wake up and are more motivated in the evening. Pick a time when you know you’ll do your best work.”

 

Prepare 3 days in advance

 

Day 1: Google the company and research their financial information and corporate culture.

Day 2: Take all of the information you have about the company and comprise it in a way that you can use in your interview, especially set questions you’ll set aside to ask the interviewer. Bailo gives an example question:

[Interviewer's name], what are you most proud of about [name of company]? What corporate issues cause you to lose sleep at night?

Day 3: This is the day to prepare and practice. Set up your environment and decide what you want to discuss.

 

Convince the interviewer that they need you

Companies are looking for people to solve problems so show them that you are capable of doing this.

With your research on the company, frame your answers during the interview to revolve around these two themes:

1. You can make the company money.

2. You can save the company money.

 

There are three important steps to take after the interview

At the end of the interview, let your interviewer know that you’re serious about the position and ask them to inform you of the next step.

Then, Bailo says you should:

24-48 hours after the interview: Send an email thanking and articulating why you’re perfect for the job.

24-48 hours after the email: Send a handwritten card on a simple layout and simple stamp. No flower stamps.

24-48 hours after the thank you card: If you discussed any current events during the interview and you happen to come across something in the news, send them the article with a summary of why you think it’s relevant. This will show you’re smart, articulate and sharing.

 

The study used a scientific technique called “eye tracking” on 30 professional recruiters and examined their eye movements during a 10-week period to “record and analyze where and how long someone focuses when digesting a piece of information or completing a task.”

In the short time that they spend with your resume, the study showed recruiters will look at your name, current title and company, current position start and end dates, previous title and company, previous position start and end dates, and education.

The two resumes below include a heat map of recruiters’ eye movements. The one on the right was looked at more thoroughly than the one of the left because of its clear and concise format:

TheLadders

With such critical time constraints, you should make it easier for recruiters to find pertinent information by creating a resume with a clear visual hierarchy and don’t include distracting visuals since “such visual elements reduced recruiters’ analytical capability and hampered decision-making” and kept them from “locating the most relevant information, like skills and experience.”

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-recruiters-look-at-during-the-6-seconds-they-spend-on-your-resume-2012-4?utm_source=twbutton&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=careers#ixzz1uGqL2jDt

In order to prove that you’ll be an asset to the company, you need to ask the right questions, says Andrew Sobel, a strategy advisor.

Without these questions, you’re “missing a key part of your preparation — the part that may win you the job.”

“You can tell people all day long how qualified you are, how talented you are, and what a tremendous asset to the company you would be. But no statement is ever as impactful as a well-timed, well-executed question. In all situations, power questions help us connect and engage with others in meaningful ways.”

In his book Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others, Sobel recommends these 10 types of questions:

1. Credibility-building questions. “As I think back to my experience in managing large sales forces, I’ve found there are typically three barriers to breakthrough sales performance: coordination of the sales function with marketing and manufacturing, customer selection, and product quality. In your case, do you think any of these factors are holding back your sales growth? What do you believe are your own greatest opportunities for increasing sales effectiveness?”

2. “Why?” questions. “Why did you close down your parts business rather than try to find a buyer for it?” or “Why did you decide to move from a functional to a product-based organization structure?”

3. Personal understanding questions.  “I understand you joined the organization five years ago. With all the growth you’ve had, how do you find the experience of working here now compared to when you started?”

4. Passion questions. “What do you love most about working here?”

5. Value-added advice questions. “Have you considered creating an online platform for your top account executives, so that they can share success stories and collaborate better around key client opportunities? We implemented such a concept a year ago, and it’s been very successful.”

6. Future-oriented questions. “You’ve achieved large increases in productivity over the last three years. Where do you believe future operational improvements will come from?”

7. Aspiration questions. “As you look ahead to the next couple of years, what are the potential growth areas that people are most excited about in the company?”

8. Organizational culture questions. “What are the most common reasons why new hires don’t work out here?” or “What kinds of people really thrive in your organization?”

9. Decision-making questions. “If you were to arrive at two final candidates with equal experience and skills, how would you choose one over the other?”

10. Company strengths-and-weaknesses questions. “Why do people come to work for you rather than a competitor? And why do you think they stay?”

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-types-of-questions-you-need-to-ask-the-interviewer-to-get-the-job-2012-3#ixzz1uGq10HfQ

You can forgive anyone for trying to put a gloss on a boring job.