Loading…

Pro tip: Don't just copy-paste your resume into the City of Edmonton job portal | Edmonton Services - nhfree.com

Pro tip: Don't just copy-paste your resume into the City of Edmonton job portal

I submitted 12 applications to the city over 8 months and got zero callbacks. A friend who works there told me the system scans for keywords from the job posting (like 'project management' or 'budget analysis') and if they're not in your application, it filters you out automatically. I went back and rewrote my resume to match the exact phrases from each posting, and got an interview on my next try. Has anyone else had luck tweaking their applications for city jobs here?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby3083mo ago

And heres something people dont think about - the system also penalizes you for having TOO MANY random keywords that dont match the specific job posting. I talked to a recruiter at a career fair who said they see resumes where someone just threw in 'budget analysis' and 'stakeholder engagement' on every single application, but then the rest of the resume doesnt actually back those words up with specific accomplishments. So your resume gets flagged as keyword stuffing and tossed out anyway. Its like you have to walk this perfect line between matching the posting but still sounding like a real human with actual experience in those exact areas, not just someone playing buzzword bingo.

terryb113mo ago

Wait, didn't that recruiter say the exact opposite happens though? From what I've heard, most ATS systems don't actually "flag" keyword stuffing the way a person would. They just count matches and if the keywords are there, they score higher regardless of context. The real problem is when a human recruiter finally reads it and sees the buzzwords don't match the job history. So it's not the robot that catches you, it's the person who has to figure out why you claim to be a budget analyst but your last job was selling t-shirts. That might be what they meant, but the way it comes across makes it sound like the software is smart enough to catch fakes. In my experience, ATS software is pretty dumb and just tallies up whatever words you feed it.