As you might know from some of my previous blogs, many HR departments use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to, well, keep track of applicants.

When you apply for a job, these systems scan and parse your resume, and then record an objective overview based on the keywords and layout you use. (Often, this objective overview is all a hiring manager will ever see!)

As you might imagine, millions of dollars have been spent carefully calibrating these application tracking systems using hundreds of thousands of resumes.

They now do a pretty good job of summarizing what a resume is about.

(That's why hiring managers and HR departments use these systems.)

Anyway, here's why I'm telling you all this:

I know of a free online tool where you can upload your resume and have it scanned and parsed by the very same software algorithm these systems use.

It's a great way to get some objective and actionable feedback.

For example:

When you put together your resume, you probably had in mind a specific impression that you wanted to make when managers/recruiters read it.

Well, if the objective summary you get back from this tool is different to what you had in mind, chances are you need to make some upgrades.

It's better you find out now, rather than later by means of a rejection letter.

Like I said, you might want to take a look at this free tool.

It's called Top Resume.

You can get a free analysis done for you here.