Custom Resumes, Cover Letter, LinkedInProfiles. Job Search Tips, Career Advice
Resume / Cover Letter Document Type:
Unless you are a designer and only networking to find a new role, do no use a design tool (i.e. Canva) to draft your resume. The ATS will reject your resume and the chances of the resume being read by a set of "eyeballs" is very very low. Submit your resume in a .docx file (or .pdf if sending to a person or if the interface says "Upload your .PDF here".
Reverse Recruiting
**Please note that I am not an advocate of this method but it is part of the marketplace so I want to make job seekers away of the model, which is the opposite of the traditional model of retained / contingency recruiting**
Through good economic times and bad, recruiters have usually operated the other way around: Companies pay them to find talent for tough-to-fill positions. Now, though, job seekers are hiring a new crop of what are called reverse recruiters to help them crack a competitive market.
Jane Doe, 36 years old, signed up for reverse-recruiting service Refer last year after receiving an email pitch from the company. Refer’s AI agent connected her with an executive at Golden, a volunteer-management company, which was looking for a platform engineer and data scientist. Doe got the offer after several interviews. She then paid Refer 20% of his first month’s pay once it landed in his bank account.
It was “refreshing,” she said, not to be lost in a sea of candidates sorted by an applicant-tracking system (ATS).
The reverse-recruiting model is another sign of the mounting challenges for white-collar job seekers. For the first time since the pandemic, there were more unemployed people than open roles as of late 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average job search is now approaching about six months, according to December federal data.
Reverse-recruiter models vary, but many require job seekers to pay them part of their salary once they accept a job. Others charge a set rate to submit applications on a candidate’s behalf. Such services typically go beyond career coaching or résumé reviews, and sometimes involve the recruiter applying on behalf of the candidate.
Source: WSJ.com
ATS Format - Stay Away from Graphics!
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-way-candidates-apply-jobs-allan-brown-ctidc/
Bad Advice: More ATS (Location)
ATS - Location
Your buddy told you that you do not need to include your city, state and zip code on your resume.
DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR BUDDY!
Employers want employees at their desks, in their offices and not remote. This is a debate for a different time. However, as related to ATS:
You must add your location by city, state, and zip code (not home address) with your contact information at the top of the first page (please, do not protect in a header - many ATS programs are blocked by the header (and footer).
Many ATS programs will scan zip codes (not the "city" or "state" to ensure candidates live close to the job they are applying.
It is universally accepted that NETWORKING is the best way to find new opportunities. With that stated, you still must have an ATS compliant resume. Many companies, as a matter of protocol, require that all candidate resumes are scanned by ATS systems.
Therefore, do not take the path of least resistance and create a resume with AI tools or not bother to take your time to make the resume compliant.
Job Market - Is your resume ATS Compliant?
It has been a tough year for many as related to the job market. But, indications lead to a robust 2026. If you have experienced a hard time finding work, things are looking up. With that said, please make sure your resume is ready to go, which means updated and ATS-compliant.
If you do not know what ATS-compliant means, send me your resume and I will let you know if you meet the standard.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Use of icons and separators / dividers
1. Never use icons on the resume; this will block ATS scanners.
2. Never use wingdings or another symbol. this will likely block the ATS. You can use a bullet that is within the context of the font - that is fine. You can also use the divider " | " is not considered a symbol and translates as text.
Bad Advice: More ATS (Location)
ATS - Location
Your buddy told you that you do not need to include your city, state and zip code on your resume.
DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR BUDDY!
Employers want employees at their desks, in their offices and not remote. This is a debate for a different time. However, as related to ATS:
You must add your location by city, state, and zip code (not home address) with your contact information at the top of the first page (please, do not protect in a header - many ATS programs are blocked by the header (and footer).
Many ATS programs will scan zip codes (not the "city" or "state" to ensure candidates live close to the job they are applying.
A Game Changer = This will Get Rid of ATS and AI Generated Resumes
Here is a way to help change the job search game. I would bet a ton of dough (and win) that those who pay to submit a resume, based on the parameters, would not use ChatGPT to write the resume.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-way-candidates-apply-jobs-allan-brown-ctidc/
Here is some really bad advice:
Listen to people who tell you to write your resume with ChatGPT.
Why do you write this Allan? Well, I was on an online forum and somebody offered this advice to a frustrated job seekers. Sad thing is, it was not done tongue-in-cheek.
1. Hiring managers can ID AI-generated resumes from 10 miles away. They do not like it.
2. Unless the candidate changes the resume to customize the document to the targeted job, the resume will get rejected by the ATS, let alone hiring managers
3. ChatGPT cannot customize resumes to the job description, no matter how how input is given.
While they may be trying to help, they are just hurting you. Need more information about why this is bad, message me.
Some of you have seen this before but here it is again. Time to re-evaluate how job seekers look for job and how companies evaluate resumes. Today method of ATS does not work. Today's protocols enable the opportunity for unfit candidates to pass the parameters for qualification, which is inefficient and a waste of time, energy and resources.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-way-applicants-apply-jobs-allan-brown-0rbec/?published=t
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Use of icons and separators / dividers
1. Never use icons on the resume; this will block ATS scanners.
2. Never use wingdings or another symbol. this will likely block the ATS. You can use a bullet that is within the context of the font - that is fine. You can also use the div
Instagram - Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - use of Zip Code
https://www.instagram.com/p/C30nfyOR1SX/
Up to 98% of online applications are rejected at the screening stage, with 70% never seen by a human recruiter.
Why is this:
1. Candidates submit resumes that are not ATS compliant because:
a) the candidate does not know how to write / change a resume so it is ATS compliant.
b) The resume is written with an AI tool and they think that will suffice upon submission. The candidate is wrong.
Resumes need to be target. General resumes do not work for online submissions. Therefore, I recommend that all candidates took time and figure out ATS. If they do not and then compound the fracture by not networking, it is an ineffective, inefficient and frankly, a waste of time.
Definition: Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Filtering
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are designed to filter / disqualify out resumes that don't meet specific criteria, such as keywords, experience, or education. The filter / qualifications are directly correlated to the job posting.
In 99% of the cases, the hiring manager will only see the resumes that passed the filter / scored high in the algorithm.
Therefore, it is imperative that a candidate reads the job description and substitutes the appropriate keywords and headline to score higher in the algorithm. If the candidate does not alter the resume, it is correct to assume that in most cases, He / she will get disqualified.
Hyperlinks - Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Hyperlinks - Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) may not be able to read a hyperlink, resulting in incomplete sentences. If you want to reference content on the Internet in your resume, make sure the corresponding hyperlinks are separate from sentences. For example, you might place a hyperlink within parentheses at the end of a sentence.
SPECIAL NOTE: I am now taking on speaking engagements to groups as well as accepting invitations to critique resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles at trade shows, workshops, seminars and various other events. Please contact me via InMail for more details.
#hyperlinks #allanbrown #followme
My LI Profile - https://lnkd.in/gshNVy5
MORE ATS
Optimizing resumes for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is crucial. Many ATS cannot read graphics, logos, charts, tables, icons, pictures, or multi-column formats. To improve your chances, include a headline, skills section, correct job titles, education, and 'City, ST and Zip.' Keywords from the job description are essential, but they don't guarantee success. Ensure your resume is ATS-friendly to increase your chances of getting noticed.
ATS and the "Black Hole"
The term “black hole” in recruitment refers to the frustrating experience candidates face when they submit their applications through an ATS but never hear back from employers, leaving them in a state of uncertainty about the status of their applications.
This problem is due to multiple factors:
System glitches
Ineffective screening algorithms
Systems bugs
Hacking
As a result, qualified candidates may slip through the cracks, leading to missed hiring opportunities and potential damage to employer branding.
