Why you shouldn't be afraid of ATS and other AI recruiting tools when applying for Hollywood jobs

It sounds like a bad pitch for a sci-fi movie -- the only way the hero gets her dream job is to win the battle against a resume-reading robot, only to fight a war with an AI-interviewer, before finally meeting a human being (or many!) who will judge her on her skills, personality, and viability.

Yes, recruiting is getting more tech-advanced. But in Hollywood, personal relationships are still critical. So no matter what the internet tells you about hiring practices, in our industry, leveraging your network is more important than finding ways to get around applicant tracking systems (ATS) and AI-powered video interviews. The only reason companies rely on those tools in the first place is to streamline the hiring process and find candidates who won’t be wasting their time, and nothing does that better than a strong referral from someone they trust. 

However, that’s not to say that no one in Hollywood uses these tools. They do, and as the line between tech company and entertainment company gets blurred, automated tools may increase in prevalence. But it’s important not to get too worried about how they’ll impact you -- quite often, the best practices for resumes and interviews that you are familiar with already will still apply. But to ease your mind even more, here are a few simple guidelines that can help you get past ATS/AI systems:

1. Use keywords from the job posting in your resume. At its core, ATS are there to sort out relevant candidates from irrelevant candidates. You might think only qualified candidates apply for jobs, but that’s not the case at all! In our own hiring, we’ve fielded resumes from people in other states who just want to get on our radar in case we expand to their geographic region, people who've submitted resumes with objective statements clearly indicating their desire to work in another unrelated industry, people with decades more experience than the entry-level roles called for, and the list goes on. ATS screen all of that for the hiring team, so they are left only with resumes that match a significant number of the keywords in the posting -- which is why you should make sure the verbiage from the posting makes its way into your resume! Lucky for you, if you are applying for jobs you are qualified for, these words are already likely in your resume. But it's still smart to double check -- when dealing with both humans and robots, it's always good practice to tailor your resume to the posting as much as possible.
2. Keep it simple. Graphic resumes are pretty and may get you hired for a design job. If you’re applying for a job through TikTok’s new job platform, then sure, submit a video with all the TikTok flair you want! But for most jobs, keep it bare bones. Format in Word, not Pages or InDesign. Use linear text. Avoid logos, skills charts, and images. The easier it is for the ATS to scan your document and break it down (think: how easy would it be to convert my resume into an Excel spreadsheet?), the more likely you are to “match.” This advice also applies when you know a human will be reading your resume -- if you can give a recruiter a document that is familiar and allows them to find the information they are looking for quickly, you'll be in better shape than most candidates.
3. Prepare for video screenings. If your initial screening is with a video bot, it’s understandable that you'd be nervous. You may not have done one of these screenings in the past, and there are a lot of reasons to be skeptical and uncomfortable with the process of being judged by a bot. But as with all things that can make us humans uneasy, preparation is key. First, take time to write down your answers to the questions you expect to be asked. The bot will be looking for the same key phrases you’ll find in the job postings, so try to weave that language into your answers. Save any unusual anecdotes (even if they’re awesome highlights of your skills) for the human round -- this video screening is designed to see how well you fit with their initial qualifiers. Before the interview, practice saying your answers out loud to your computer. You can even record a video of yourself to see what you look like. Make sure your eye line is strong, you’re speaking loudly and clearly, smiling, and gesturing/nodding -- the robots want to see that you’re human, as silly as that sounds! Some systems will let you pause and recenter between questions or have a rehearsal platform you can practice in -- take advantage of all of these features to get comfortable. Keep in mind that a lot of this advice goes for regular interviews as well, so don't let it scare you too much -- just remember that practice makes perfect! But we also know that the AI interview screening can feel exceptionally odd, so just keep in mind that you have a say in this process as well -- if you’re turned off by the next level AI because of its biases, you can keep that in mind when evaluating the company culture. 

​Most importantly, remember that your real dream job is the one where you’ll get to work on projects you care about, with people you enjoy being around, for an employer who will value you as a human being. That job will come in due time, even if you have to battle some bots along the way.

---

-- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan