What happens if my resume matches the job description word for word?
Fine for the algorithm. Bad for the recruiter. Copying the language used in the job posting is correct and necessary, but copying sentence structures is another matter altogether.
The algorithmic way this works
Parsing technology does not scan for text matches; it analyses and rates your resume according to its content. Strings will be compared to recruiter search strings and evaluated. Matching vocabulary is a sure way to score high in this process. Remember that recruiters use exactly the same vocabulary in their postings as in searches - this is not gaming anything.
Sentence-by-sentence copying may cause a problem, however. Many applicant tracking systems check your resume text against the job posting's content and, if it receives a near-perfect match in the algorithmic comparison, flags your resume for manual checking. Again, this does not disqualify you from the process, only requires an extra step for your resume to move forward.
When it comes to human screening
There have been cases of many candidates passing the algorithmic test with flying colors and failing the human review stage because all they had done was copy job responsibilities verbatim.
Sending a resume that uses the same sentence structure as the job description will mean that a recruiter will make a couple of assumptions: the first being that you did not tailor your resume for the application but simply copied the text and replaced some words. The second one will be that there is no information to analyze here, as every phrase will only contain job responsibilities rather than accomplishments.
Where the line actually is
Use the vocabulary from the job description. Never use the same sentence structure. Locate seven to nine common terms or phrases in the requirements list and tie every one of them to a real accomplishment of yours.
These examples match the language used by the employer. One of them contains general statements from the job posting. The other is describing something concrete and evaluable.
For more on matching keywords without overstuffing, refer to our guide on passing screening without keyword stuffing. For details on how keywords influence screening on different platforms, see the main ATS keywords guide.
You can now check your resume's compatibility with the posting using both parsing algorithms and recruiter perception analysis - free of charge, no sign-up needed.
