Automated systems often take the first whack at the pile of resumes that flood in for every job opening, and it helps if job-seekers know how to think like the machine. For tips on getting past the software, we turned to Josh Bersin, chief executive of the human resources consulting firm Bersin & Associates in Oakland, Calif.; Vinda Rao, marketing manager for Bullhorn, an applicant tracking system software company in Boston; and Doug Schade, a recruiter for Winter, Wyman Cos. based in Waltham.

Replicate the language of the job posting. “If the job is for ‘software programmer’ and your resume says ‘engineer,’ it may not match very well,” Bersin said.