Pesky Resume Screening Software
Kent R.
Q: I have a really modern/cool resume that uses a 3-column format. My friend said that automated screeners won’t be able to read it. Please explain.
A: Give your friend a hug because he or she may have just kept your resume out of the automated-resume-screener-black-hole.
As advanced as technology is, automated resume screeners still have difficulty parsing out information contained within complex formatting, columns included. This could result in:
- Your resume not making it through the screening process because the system couldn’t effectively “read” your resume.
- Your resume making it through the screening process but delivering a jumbled mess of information to human readers after the system removes the formatting (as they are often set to do).
All of that aside, a multi-columned approach is not likely to make it easy for human readers to quickly scan your document. With just seconds to establish your qualifications and engage a reader, formatting complexity can mean the difference between an interview and an archived resume.