• Jaylyn Jones landed over 12 interviews without tailoring her résumé for ATS scanners.
• Jones, a recruiter, emphasizes showcasing job competence over keyword stuffing in résumés.
• She shared which advice she found least helpful when she submitted her résumé through the scanner.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jaylyn Jones, a 32-year-old recruiter based in Pittsburgh. It's been edited for length and clarity.

One of the biggest job-seeking myths I've heard is that aggressive Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scanners will filter out applicants whose applications are formatted a specific way. That's just not the case.

I've been a recruiter for three years, and about a year ago, I started hunting for a new role. When I was applying for new recruiting jobs in 2024, I took my personal experience using ATS systems into account and proved that I didn't need to tailor my résumé for ATS scanners to land a position.

Here's how I formatted my résumé to stand out among the rest.

I've used ATS scanners to recruit people for jobs

My first recruiting job was at JP Morgan from 2021 to 2024, in which I used Greenhouse, a popular ATS system, to help streamline the recruiting process.

Greenhouse rejected or flagged candidates based on straightforward questions like "Are you over the age of 18?" and "Are you authorized to work in the US?" However, no applicants were filtered out by keywords or formatting. If 1,000 people applied, I saw 1,000 applications.

I could manually search for keywords if I wanted to look for someone with specific experience, but that didn't get rid of applications that lacked that keyword.

On my résumé, I focused less on keywords and more on showing my ability to do the job

I went bullet-by-bullet on every job description and made sure there was something on my résumé that showed my competence in that area.

When reviewing my résumé, I'd simply ask myself, "Would a reasonable person look at what I have on my résumé and say, "Yes, they can do this job?" My strategy worked; I got interviewed by over 12 companies, and I got hired to recruit at a tech company in less than three months.

In my current role, I receive a lot of résumés that are filled with a page worth of keyword fodder before getting to actual experience. Once it reaches the experience section, that part is just as filled with buzzwords. When I see a résumé like this, it's not a red flag. I see it as somebody who has not been given the information and tools to be successful.

Jobscan gave my résumé a failing score

Recently, I plugged the résumé that landed me my most recent job into Jobscan, an online résumé scanner that ranks how strong a résumé is, just to see what the platform would say.

The biggest critique I received was that I was missing keywords. For example, the scanner said something like "the job description says the word "recruiting" 13 times, but your résumé only says it twice." Then it prompted me to add the keyword more times.

It was also very particular about language, such as bumping my score down for saying I was a "campus recruiter" at JP Morgan instead of a "university recruiter." It gave my résumé a 16% score.

As a recruiter, I honestly didn't see any tips from the résumé scanner that would be useful for a job seeker. If anything, it can be harmful to an applicant's success if they're more caught up in using the word "evaluate" than actually citing their experience evaluating.

My biggest tip is to focus on providing evidence over keywords

So many job seekers are having such a difficult time in this market, and they're doing everything they can possibly think of to be more successful, but if you're going to use AI, don't be sloppy.

A common ChatGPT prompt that job seekers might use is "Tailor my résumé to this job." AI often responds to this by shoehorning keywords from the job description into haphazard bullet points. Using keywords isn't helpful without proper context.

I prefer uploading the job description and using the prompt "analyze my résumé for any gaps in skills or qualifications based on this job description, and make suggestions about what to change." This might cue you to add any missing skills that the job post is looking for.

The right prompt allows job seekers to own their experience, not just blindly trust ChatGPT. This helped me during my job search.

Editor's note — A representative from Jobscan sent the following comment to BI : "A Jobscan Match Rate isn't a grade on your career; it's a risk assessment against a frustrating system. A low score doesn't mean you're unqualified; it means you're at high risk of being invisible to the automated or manual filters that 88% of employers admit will vet out good candidates. Based on third-party research and our own surveys and conversations with job seekers and recruiters, Jaylyn's job search experience is certainly an exception to the rule."

If you are professional with helpful résumé tips you'd like to share, please email the editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected].

• As a former Hermès employee, I saw customers make some common mistakes when shopping in-store.
• It's important to understand that most shoppers can't just walk in and buy a Birkin bag.
• Customers should have a good relationship with their sales associate, but they shouldn't bug them.

I spent two years working in retail marketing and visual merchandising at Hermés.

The French fashion house has been around for nearly two centuries and specializes in leather goods, though it might be best known for its coveted Birkin bags.

These high-ticket items, which can cost thousands and are often carried by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, are offered to only a select number of the retailer's customers.

When I worked at Hermès, I learned a lot about the brand and how to score its most-coveted products. I've since transitioned to a career in sourcing luxury goods — and I'm no stranger to locating the brand's famous designer bags for my own clients.

Here are a few mistakes I saw customers make while shopping at Hermès.

Many shoppers think they can walk in and score a high-ticket item

Similar to other luxury brands like Porsche, Hermès uses scarcity marketing — a concept in which consumers value a product when there's a limited supply or availability.

This means most customers cannot simply walk into a boutique and purchase the brand's highest-ticket items, like a Kelly or Birkin bag.

Birkin bags are so sought after that even its Walmart lookalikes are selling out.

If shoppers want to increase their chances of being able to buy the real thing, they should "build a profile" or establish a consistent buying history with the store.

This can be done by making entry-level purchases and working with a single, designated sales associate over time. After all, sales associates can play a major role in deciding who gets one of these coveted bags.

I recommend buying items in a diverse mix of categories. In my experience, the highest-commission categories for sales associates include homeware, fine jewelry, elaborate textiles, and exotic, ready-to-wear pieces.

Purchasing these items can enhance your profile and help you stand out to a sales associate.

Refrain from acting rude or indifferent, and remember to maintain a professional demeanor

At Hermès, entitlement and rude behavior are the biggest no-gos. I've even seen negative attitudes prohibit clients from future boutique visits.

I recommend keeping a positive attitude, cultivating curiosity when in a boutique, and engaging with a sales associate as you would with anyone in a professional setting.

I'd also be mindful that sales associates are there to make a living and provide an exclusive, luxury experience. After all, this is supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Don't put too much pressure on your sales associate

Navigating the Hermès shopping experience is a lot like managing a business relationship. In many boutiques, sales associates share their contact details with customers.

However, many people tend to take this as a sign to inundate them with questions. Instead, I recommend customers visit a boutique at their convenience and ask about the potential timeline for a high-ticket item as they shop for other goods.

If texting or calling are your only ways to engage with a sales associate, use these methods to inquire about lower-ticket items you're interested in seeing when you visit.

I've found a lot of customers have unrealistic expectations

Some customers come in focused solely on coveting the one high-ticket item they saw all over social media.

However, I think two key points are crucial in navigating the Hermès shopping experience. First, keep in mind that sales associates value clients who engage with the brand and show genuine interest in the Hermès heritage.

Secondly, in my experience, sales associates don't earn a commission on bags like the Kelly and Birkin. Therefore, it may be wise to explore lesser-known areas within the brand, such as home goods, fragrances, or equestrian items your sales associate recommends.

This way, you'll be putting commission money in your sales associate's pocket, and they may feel more inclined to help you work your way to a coveted bag.

Don't switch between different sales associates or locations

Working your way toward a coveted bag at Hermès can feel like a high-stakes mental game. Customers often have to visit a boutique multiple times, so the path to owning these items can be lengthy.

Unfortunately, I've seen customers try to game the system by visiting multiple boutiques or switching between sales associates in one location.

However, I recommend staying loyal to one associate and boutique, as some stores may prioritize their most devoted clients.

This story was originally published on January 3, 2025 and most recently updated on June 20, 2025.

• Visitors make avoidable mistakes when visiting national parks, a former ranger told Business Insider.
• Tom Haraden spent 37 years protecting visitors and wildlife in nine national parks across the US. 
• From packing water to staying clear of animals, he shares how to avoid the worst mistakes he's seen.

For 37 years, Tom Haraden worked in nine national parks across the US. 

Haraden's self-described "magical" career in the National Park Service started in 1972 as a volunteer in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Since then, he's worked in eight other US national parks.

"I loved every minute," Haraden told Business Insider.

During this time, he spoke to thousands of visitors and saw plenty of mistakes.

During his four-decade career, Haraden said some mistakes were common. Nearly all of them were avoidable.

Haraden's general advice is simple: "Be smart." 

While park rangers are there to support visitors, Haraden said safety is up to the individual. 

"The park service's philosophy on safety is that your safety is your responsibility," he said.

Haraden said the first common mistake is visitors who try to squeeze too much into a single trip. Instead, travel slow.

Haraden said throughout his career, he talked to visitors with overly ambitious itineraries.

They might enter a park with the goal of visiting every viewpoint in a single day. While this is one way to explore, Haraden believes traveling slower gives visitors a chance to soak in the park's natural beauty. 

"I think the biggest mistake I see people make is trying to be too fast," he said. "They go out to a viewpoint at the Grand Canyon and go, 'Been there, done that.'''

He urges visitors to experience a national park instead of checking things off a list. That might mean watching the sunrise, reading a book by a river, or slowing your hiking pace.

"Don't try to do everything," he said. "Enjoy some things to the full depth you can."

Don't expect solitude. If that's the goal, be willing to research and hike farther out.

Haraden said there are plenty of national parks without hordes of people, but it can take time and research to figure out which parks and areas are less crowded.

"Do your homework and stay flexible," he said. "Nowadays, doing your park homework involves knowing what's going to be crowded. If you go to a park like Arches in the middle of summer, it's going to be packed. So go to a place that's less visited, like Canyonlands."

Even then, you're still likely to run into people if you stick to the main viewpoints, Haraden said. The farther you get into the national park, the higher your chance of finding solitude. 

Don't arrive without an itinerary. No matter where you go, research the park and understand what you want to do once you're there.

Beyond looking at how crowded parks are, Haraden suggests researching every park you plan to visit beforehand. This will help you craft an itinerary that meets your wants and needs. 

"Know what you want," he said. "Do you like to hike? If you like the hike, what kind of hikes do you like to do? Do you like flat ones? Do you like vigorous ones?" 

Haraden's best advice for researching national parks is to use the National Park Service's websites. Every national park has a detailed website, which tells visitors about the park, its crowds, and what to expect when visiting. 

While Haraden encourages visitors to have a plan, he also urges them to be flexible.

While Haraden said it's helpful to research and have an itinerary before arriving at a national park, he also advises visitors to be adaptable. 

"Don't get locked into the mindset that 'I must do something,' because you might get there and it's too crowded to do it, or the parking lot is full," he said. 

Variables like weather and crowds can impact how you experience a park, so Haraden recommends coming up with an open plan with backup options in case an activity doesn't work out. 

Don't forget to pack enough water, and don't assume bottled water will be readily available.

"Running out of water is probably one of the worst mistakes you can make," Haraden said. 

The National Park Service warns visitors that there's a higher risk of heat-related illness, especially during the summer months. Part of being prepared is ensuring you pack enough water or a water-filtration system.

The National Park Service encourages visitors to bring their own reusable water bottles to reduce waste. While there are water fountains available across national parks, visitors won't find many places to purchase a bottle of water. 

Make sure you have the proper supplies for the hikes and activities you're embarking on, like a windbreaker or bear mace.

Haraden said that if you do your research, you'll likely know what to expect and what you'll need for a national park trip.

That might mean packing a windbreaker or extra jacket for trails with high elevation or making sure you have bear spray if you're exploring a park like Yellowstone or Grand Teton, which are populated by bears.

"Even if you don't use it, you're ready in case you do need it," Haraden said. 

Never get too close to wildlife. Haraden says visitors could get seriously hurt and get the animal euthanized, too.

"Wildlife, big and little, are not tame," Haraden said. "Squirrels can bite, and bison can toss people in the air. There's not a single animal that can't hurt you if you pester them or threaten them enough. Any time you change an animal's behavior, you're too close."

He said he'd heard stories of people trying to feed bears or placing their children on the backs of bison. 

Those stories often make headlines, and every year, national park visitors are injured or die due to getting too close to wild animals. 

Haraden added that it's a lose-lose scenario since the animals involved sometimes must be euthanized. 

Don't assume that staying in the national park will be more expensive than staying in hotels or cabins outside the park. However, you will likely need to book accommodations far in advance.

Whether it's a campsite, cabin, or hotel, national parks across the country offer a wide range of accommodations for visitors. 

Haraden said many of the accommodations are reasonably priced. For instance, a room at the Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympic National Park in Washington starts at $50 during the offseason.

"Everyone thinks they're more expensive than lodging outside of the park, but that's not necessarily true," he said. "The park service wants to make them available to everybody, but you do have to reserve them way in advance."

Haraden urges visitors to keep elevation in mind when planning their trip.

"Many western parks are high in elevation. Some are obvious, like Rocky Mountain or Glacier, but others are not obvious, like Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon," Haraden said. "Elevation can really affect people who aren't used to it or have medical conditions."

If you're traveling from lower altitudes like Florida, for instance, taking the time to acclimate can help ensure that you'll enjoy your trip and not end up with altitude sickness.

On a similar note, Haraden encourages visitors to consider the heat as summertime approaches.

"It's getting hotter and staying hot longer, and that includes in national parks," Haraden said. "Take all the precautions, but especially don't exert yourself during the hottest part of the day."

That might mean getting to a national park earlier or later in the day to enjoy cooler hours or planning trips during the shoulder seasons when the summer temperatures are gone. 

Don't rely on your phone or GPS for directions. Pack a map and be prepared to lose cell service.

Haraden said guests shouldn't rely on their phones to navigate the national parks since many areas lack full cell coverage.

"GPS will commonly not work in remote areas like national parks. Carry maps and know how to read them," he said.

He also encourages visitors not to blindly follow their GPS if they decide to use it.

"If GPS says to use a road but it looks too rough, use your common sense and don't go there. If GPS says to follow a trail that is not there, don't do it," he said.

Haraden said visitors shouldn't make the mistake of not asking for help or advice from park rangers.

Across any national park, you'll find park rangers who are there to answer questions and help create a positive experience inside each national park.

"The park rangers have all the information you need to make decisions," he said.

They can help point visitors to good hikes, and they know the weather and other important information that might be handy. Haraden said visitors should never hesitate to approach a park ranger with questions. 

Haraden's most important advice is to consider the people who will explore and discover the parks after you.

Haraden isn't referring to the people entering the parks tomorrow or next year. He's referencing the future generations of visitors exploring the otherworldly Arches National Park and the geyser-filled wonderland of Yellowstone. 

He said he hopes national park visitors are doing their part to be stewards of the land, which means modeling behavior like picking up trash, giving animals space, and not packing disposable plastic water bottles. 

• I'm a professional wedding planner, and I've seen a lot of bad guest behavior at events. 
• It's your responsibility to RSVP, show up on time, and keep track of your belongings at a wedding. 
• Don't be rude to the event vendors or ask the couple questions they already answered on their site.

In my many years as a professional wedding planner, I've learned a thing or two about the people who attend my events.

Here are the most common mistakes I see wedding guests make, and how to avoid them.

Waiting until the last minute to RSVP or not doing so at all

A wedding isn't like a normal party where you can see how you feel in the morning and decide then if you'll attend or not.

Whether it's a backyard potluck or a formal dinner, the event often involves catering, and whoever's providing the food must know how many people to plan for. 

When you refuse to RSVP, you force the couple to track down the information when they're already busy trying to plan their wedding. 

Acting like you know the couple better than they know themselves

Believe people getting married when they tell you what they do or don't want, especially when it comes to registries and gifts.

If the couple asks for cash, donations to nonprofits, or non-physical presents like gift cards or experiences, please don't tell them they're wrong and buy them a vase.

The best gift you can give as a guest is respecting their wishes.

Leaving favors behind at the venue

I know none of us need more monogrammed knickknacks, but just grab the darn coozie, OK?

You can toss it or, ideally, recycle it as soon as you get home, but if you leave it at the wedding, you're just giving the couple more to clean up.

And a tip for couples: If you give favors, try to make them something that won't end up in a landfill.

Not speaking up about something that's making you nervous to attend the wedding

In some situations, wedding guests need certain things to feel safe while celebrating.

They may need information about a venue's accessibility, confirmation that the food won't cause an allergic reaction and/or violate a religious belief, or space to breastfeed, to name a few. 

In an ideal world, the couple will proactively provide this information, but some things fall through the cracks.

If you need something from the couple, please tell them with kindness, empathy, and notice. They want you to enjoy yourself as much as possible — that's why they invited you in the first place.

Asking the couple questions before reading the materials they've sent you

As a guest, you've likely received at least some correspondence from the couple. Often it's a save-the-date or an invite, but sometimes it's a wedding website, Facebook group, or long text thread.

Whatever the medium, please do the reading. 

Those messages contain vital information about the wedding — most critically, they should detail when the ceremony starts. Don't be the guest who asks the couple for this information the night before the wedding.

Not keeping track of your personal belongings

It never fails to amaze me what a wedding guest will leave out for anyone to grab — purses, phones, credit cards. I've seen it all sprawled out on tables as the guests dance the night away.

This advice isn't to scare you into thinking someone will steal your stuff — just try to remember where you put it. Ideally, keep your belongings at your seat.

It's much easier to locate these items (or, as often happens, have a sober vendor help you find them) if we can narrow down where you've been.

Being unprepared to get a little hungry

The biggest complaint I hear from guests is that they're hungry.

Although I agree that the best parties have plenty of good food, sometimes a couple literally can't afford to give you the five-course meal of your dreams. Or, you might have to wait longer than expected to chow down.

So, pack a few backup snacks in your bag or glove compartment in case you need them to avoid being hangry all day.

Acting rude toward vendors

Wedding vendors build their businesses on serving others, but that doesn't mean you should take advantage of them.

Guests can forget this, particularly after a few trips to the bar, but don't make a fool of yourself by snapping your fingers at the caterer or telling the florist how to do their job.

Treat the vendors like you would want to be treated.

Bringing a big or heavy gift to the wedding

I love the statement you're trying to make with that giant, 50-pound present. However, what's the couple supposed to do with it at the end of the night?

In nearly all situations, anything brought to a wedding must be removed the same day. That means your love token just became the problem of whichever VIP guest was tasked with clean-up.

Please make it easy for everyone and have big gifts mailed to the couple directly. If you feel odd arriving empty-handed to a wedding, bring a card and use it to tell the couple what you sent them. 

Arriving late to the ceremony because you didn't factor in travel and parking time

Please show up to the ceremony on time.

As a guest, factor in your travel time, possible traffic, and how long it could take to park so you don't arrive late.

A lot of this information may be readily accessible on the invitation. If it's not, you have Google. Use it.

Forgetting that, as a guest, the wedding isn't about you

The purpose of a wedding isn't to spend the most money, wear the nicest clothes, or eat the best food. 

The goal of a wedding is to celebrate the start of a marriage, so challenge yourself to center the couple in your thoughts throughout the big day and planning process.

Ask yourself if your complaint helps the couple accomplish their goal. If not, try to keep it to yourself. 

This story was originally published on February 2, 2022, and most recently updated on April 28, 2025.