Rise of the machines!

Career Connection: Building your professional career

Not all résumés get an initial screening by hiring managers or recruiters. Many human resources (HR) departments at large organizations have been forced to devote increasing resources to employment law, Affordable Care Act implementation and employee benefit packages. Therefore, many HR departments are turning to résumé- and job application-screening software. It's a good idea to know how these Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) work so you can make your résumé more relevant to the job for which you're applying.

Most of these systems incorporate a "bot" (Internet-speak for robot): an automated application that performs simple and repetitive tasks that would be time-consuming, mundane or impossible for humans to perform. Organizations use bots for productive tasks, but, of course, cybercriminals use them for malicious purposes, such as identity theft or to launch denial-of-service attacks. (See Burgeoning bots! part 2.)