[Test0129]

The problem is it's already given by the extensive job history. Typing that is just a dance we have to do to get past automated filters that look for keywords. By my estimation we are now in the "black hat SEO" phase of resume design. Soon, not even that will work.

Back in OP's Dad's day actual humans who actually cared looked at every resume and more often than not treated the interviewee like a human. For us, we just get fed into a machine and if we make it out of it maybe a human will glance at it.

[vidarh]

I started doing my MSc in large part to get past automated filters in the aftermath of the dot-com bust. The irony is that I could have left it at that: Just adding "Studying towards an MSc in ..." got me a marked uptick in responses, and recruiters asking about it.

[insightcheck]

This may not be an accurate worldview of mine, but I've actually completely given up trying to apply to jobs that have application portals/likely keyword filters (though I may be willing to if I search for public sector work in the future).

I try to find work through past coworkers and often by reaching out directly to the hiring manager if I think I could have skills that they are looking for. My friend of mine who took the standard volume approach got over a hundred rejections before receiving one offer, often with radio silence. The human approach is nice because it bypasses the filters, and you're far more likely to at least get responses along the way during the job search.