Mastering Applicant Tracking Systems, the Gatekeepers to Landing a Job Interview

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Kathy Lavinder
Owner and Executive Director of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants

Technology has upended the job application process. If you are looking for a new fraud-related role, you will likely need to submit a résumé online. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are the new gatekeepers and will have first crack at your information. 

An ATS is a parsing software that reads résumés, ranking them on specific criteria. Human Resources (HR) no longer weeds through hundreds, if not thousands, of applications. Unlike a human who seeks reasons to eliminate a résumé, an ATS seeks specific keywords to rank résumés. The higher ranking a résumé receives, the better chance it will have of being viewed by a decision maker. Simply put, if your résumé includes the keywords an employer wants, your résumé is ranked higher. This means any fraud fighter looking for a new role must tailor a résumé to rank higher and improve the odds of advancing through the application process.

Here are some tips to improve your odds:

• Read the description carefully. Consider the company’s lingo for titles, roles and responsibilities.
• Research employees at the company to compare your profile. Once you have a feel for what makes a good candidate and résumé, tailor your résumé to demonstrate that you are a good candidate.
• Use keywords from the job description throughout your work history and skills.
• It’s also acceptable when applying online to use longer résumés. Length doesn’t matter to an ATS, and it allows for more keywords in the right places. Have an abbreviated résumé ready if you land an interview. 

Websites like Jobscan.co. and Worldle.com will compare your résumeé with a job description to help increase your ranking in the keyword search game. It’s important not to use too many keywords as an ATS will eliminate an overly keyword packed résumé. Use two or three throughout your Work Experience and Skills sections.

An ATS searches for similar job titles as a criterion in the ranking process. That said, it is never a good idea to give yourself a misleading title or promotion. Use both acronyms and the full spelling of titles and credentials to ensure your terms match those the ATS is seeking. 

Here are a few dos and don’ts to ensure your résumé isn’t eliminated:

• Don’t use headers and footers, special characters, fancy bullets, fields or tables. These jam an ATS.
• Don’t put contact information in the header; include it in the body.
• Do use basic sections: Work Experience, Skills, Education, etc. Too much formatting and the résumé will be ranked lower.
• Don’t put dates of work experience first. An ATS searches for the company name first. The format should be company name, title and date.  
• Don’t PDF the résumé as most systems don’t have the ability to convert the PDF to accurately parse the data.
• Do answer all questions fully in complete sentences. Empty boxes lower rankings.

There are great fraud jobs out there once you get past an ATS. Good luck!

From Good to Great Communication Skills

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Kathy Lavinder, CFE
Owner and Executive Director of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants

One of U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s nicknames was, “The Great Communicator.” People across the political spectrum acknowledged his ability to command attention and effectively communicate his message. Unless you’ve also been nicknamed, “the great communicator,” it’s probably worthwhile to think about how you can improve this critical skill that will definitely come in handy during an interview. As an anti-fraud professional, communication is a key skill. You must talk with people to gather critical information and then communicate key findings to higher-ups, or communicate your skills and experience during an interview. 

I’m convinced great communicators are made, not necessarily born, and I know that many great communicators work at the skill. If you’ve never had any training in public speaking, find some in your community and sign up. The fundamentals of strong public speaking are just as applicable in one-on-one communication as they are in speaking to a group. These include good eye contact, an awareness of how you are being received, and acute listening when the communication becomes a dialogue.

Preparation is a vital key to a successful interview or presentation. Run through the communication in your head in advance, taking into consideration potential questions, reactions, different responses, and various ways to present complex or sensitive information, or information that is simply unwelcome news. Prepare notes because they will help you synthesize and organize the information you need to share. 

Here are five of my top tips for communicating during an interview:

• Let the interviewer control the interviewer. They get to ask the questions and decide which topics will be addressed until they indicate they are open to questions.
• Have smart questions in your back pocket. Demonstrate that you’ve paid close attention and have understood what they’ve said. Ask for more detail about a particular point the interviewer made. Drilling down to obtain a more substantive or nuanced understanding will be productive for both parties. Don’t ask questions that are obvious or inappropriate; an interview is not the time to ask how many weeks vacation come with the role.
• Be concise. No one has time for “the complete life story” or the verbal equivalent of a long-form essay. I always advise candidates to answer a question, pause for a second, take a breath and allow the questioner to jump in. Either the person will ask for more detail or move along to another question.
• Give concrete examples. Details and substance are essential to making the case that you have the necessary skills and knowledge.
• Be polite and professional. I’ve heard about job seekers who have made disparaging remarks about former supervisors or co-workers. Invariably, these comments are viewed unfavorably with hiring managers concluding the person is disgruntled or just plain negative. Remain professional in all communications, and don’t get too comfortable with the interviewer. Don’t start to talk as if the interviewer is your friend or as if you think you already have the job. 

If you haven’t interviewed or presented your experience in some time, it may be useful to do some role-playing with a family member, friend, co-worker or a professional coach. Most jobs are won – or lost – in the interview phase.