The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported there were 12.8 million unemployed, but 3.7 million unfilled positions. Despite the fact that there are approximately 40,000 job posting sites online, job seekers are challenged to find the best opportunities for them, and employers struggle to identify the best candidates.
Job seekers who want to increase the relevancy of their search results and increase the chances of being found can take advantage of a relatively new high precision job search technology on the job search scene, known as “semantic search.” Monster.com launched semantic search three years ago with the introduction of its 6Sense semantic search technology. Monster’s 6Sense semantic search technology is at the heart of the company’s SeeMore product, which won the Top Product of the Year Award at the 15th annual HR Technology Conference & Expo. Earl Rennison, vice president of architecture with Monster.com, explains the benefits of using this type of search, and suggests tips for writing a resume that would help employers using this technology to find you.
How Semantic Search Helps Job Seekers Find Opportunities
1. Job seekers benefit from complex results without needing long search strings. Instead of needing to hone in on an exact keyword to find the perfect job description, seekers can use standard, conversational language in their searches and include sentences and phrases.
Additionally, Monster uses a knowledge base to expand a search query semantically. For example, if a seeker searches for a “sales” position, the query expands to find “Account Managers” and “Account Representatives” in addition to “Sales Rep” and “Sales Manager” positions.
2. The tool ranks results meaningfully. It uses a knowledge base to represent concepts and weeds out words with multiple meanings that don’t relate to the intent of the search.
3. Precision and recall. 6Sense Semantic Search judges and remembers your searches. It actually “learns” from you and delivers the right set of job postings so you don’t miss anything or become overwhelmed with too many useless posts.
4. Relationship hierarchies. Since the system sorts via a hierarchy of relationships, subtle changes in a query can have a significant impact on results.
5. Analyze top job skills. Monster’s 6Sense semantic search also powers a jobs skills analysis tool that lets job seekers see the top skills that employers are searching for in candidates, based on the skills employers have included in their job listings.
How Can Job Seekers Ensure Their Resumes Are Well-Suited for Semantic Search?
While semantic search makes it easier for job seekers to find opportunities, it also affects how participating hiring managers will screen resumes. Rennison explains: “A semantic search engine requires articulate, detailed descriptions in your resume, including skills job seekers use. The engine analyzes each employment section and interprets what it means. It will extract relevant skills from each position, and it capably analyzes how each position adds depth and breadth.”
Tips to Write a Resume for Semantic Search
1. Keywords. While keywords are still important in resumes, be sure to use them in context, and explain what accomplishments resulted from using the skills needed for the job.
2. Resume structure. It’s always a good idea to have a simple resume format. Rennison says columns could confuse the search engine. He suggests grouping topics logically and avoiding fancy formatting.
3. Articulate how you used your skills over time. The system looks at each position to add depth to your experience. Make sure to articulate your value and reinforce your skills over time.
Read the entire post on U.S. News & World Report
