Online application systems are supposed to function like spaghetti strainers. The watery, sub-standard applicants should get drained from a basket of solids. But it doesn't always work out like that. The inflexible eye of a computer program can have a hard time distinguishing the desirable resumes from the lousy ones. Seems dicey, I know. But relax - you aren't in virtual Vegas. Learning how these systems work and what you can do to outfox them will give your next "Send Resume" click a lot more gusto!

OH, THOSE LAZY HR DEPARTMENTS...?!

Take it from me: I used to work in HR. My company was only a mid-sized organization ($300 million annual revenues), yet we received between 100 and 500 resumes every day. Though budget cuts shrunk my department from 14 people to only 4 , we were still expected to fill the same number of positions.

I grew increasingly frenetic. Having to manage employee relations, training, management coaching, benefits, payroll and general administration, I had to choose between going insane and springing for an online recruitment system. So I did it - I put our entire recruitment process online. And boy, was it fantastic! On good days, I even ate lunch! But what's good for HR isn't always good for the job seeker. Learning how these systems work will improve your chances of nabbing the jobs you want.

Online application systems have two main methods:

Question-based screening:
These systems allow the recruiter to ask a series of preliminary screening questions. The recruiter will program a question like: "Are you a CPA?" Anyone who answers "No" will be automatically eliminated.

Keyword-based screening:
These systems search your resume for specific keywords. If your resume contains enough of the right words, it may make it through and MAY be reviewed by a human.

The problem for you is that both of these systems only do what they're told. If the CFO says his new Controller must be a CPA, the computer can't look at your resume and say, "Well, he's not a CPA, but he did work for our major competitor, has 2 master's degrees, and great experience" No, it just looks for the letters "CPA". Or asks a yes/no question.

And even resumes that meet the pre-determined criteria and graduate to the "yes" section of the system aren't guaranteed human contact. If the recruiter finds 10 great candidates in the first 100, she may start the interview process without reviewing the other 400. Yup, that means no one read your witty cover letter.

These systems only work if A) You're a perfect match for the vacancy AND B) You applied early enough in the process. OR C) You cast a magic spell. Otherwise, your chances of landing an interview are pretty slim.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1) Pack your resume with keywords from the job postings you target. If the system searches for keywords, this will help.

2) The headline of your resume should be the same as the job title. If they are advertising for a VP of Sales and Marketing, that's what your headline should say.

3) Convert your resume to text-only format before you upload it - the formatting in your Word document will interfere with these systems' search capabilities.

4) NEVER lie when answering screening questions --- don't say you're a CPA when you're not. When the stressed-out recruiter opens your resume and sees that you lied, your resume will get booted anyway! Trust me.

Breaking through the system is tough. So take a detour and try getting personal, too. But don't waste time trying to reach the HR folks because they don't want to see your resume (that's why they invested all that money in a computer system!) Target the decision-makers, the ones who have the authority to make exceptions for resumes they like. I can't tell you how many times a hiring manager has hired someone who didn't meet the criteria he/she had initially given me! This has always irritated me, but it's great for you. :)

So talk to your network for company contacts - get a referral! Search through online networks like LinkedIn! (LinkedIn lets you see who works at what company.)

Scour the company website to find titles and names of decision makers. No luck? Try calling the receptionist and ask for Bob Brine in marketing. When the receptionist says there's no-one by that name, just ask, "Oh, sorry... who's the head of the consulting practice now?" Got the name? Great. Now push for the email address. If they won't give it, look at other email addresses displayed on their website and try figuring out the protocol. Worst case, you can always use snail mail.

Bottom line is: always follow the instructions and apply online (you never know, it just might work!); but you really position yourself for success by going the extra mile to reach as many decision-makers as possible.