Q: I’d love to know what happens when I send a resume or an application to an organization for a posted position. Can you shed some light on what recruiters or hiring managers are looking for? I don’t want my application to end up in the reject pile.

A: There are a lot of factors at play. For instance, does the organization use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to sort resumes for possible fit, or does the recruiter read every resume that comes in from any source?

If the organization uses an ATS, they input their requirements into the system and sort them based on how well they match the requirements. The recruiter then receives the ones that most closely fit the position requirements. If the recruiter reviews each resume, you need to know that they do not spend a great deal of time on each one.

No matter what, you need to be sure to make it easy for them to see your qualifications and how you meet the requirements of the position.

The top third of the first page of your resume is the key to getting noticed. Using the job posting, look at the keywords that are shown as position requirements. Make it easy for the recruiter to see that you have the skills they are looking for by using bullet points at the top of your resume that list those same keywords. There is no magic number of bullet points for your skills summary, but I’d aim for something close to two columns of five.

Remember that your resume should not be a job description—you want to focus on your accomplishments and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.

Then, you can share accomplishments and other information that tells the recruiter where and when you gained the skills that you have listed in your bullet points. Remember that your resume should not be a job description—you want to focus on your accomplishments and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Numbers get people’s attention.

Recruiters are looking for what skills you bring to their organization. They are looking for how your skills and your experiences will make a difference. Keep in mind they don’t care if this is your “dream job”. I know that sounds harsh, but I am amazed at how difficult that concept seems to be to many job seekers.

Recruiters are busy people, so if you want to make it to the interview stage, be sure your resume makes it as easy as possible for them to put you in the “interview” pile and not the “no, thanks” pile.

There is no such thing as a perfect resume—your resume is only for one purpose, and that is to get you an interview. That means you’ll need to tweak your resume for each job you apply to so that your skills summary is specific to that job posting.