Keywords Help a Resume
How to Stand Out When Recruiters Conduct a Database Search
Keywords drive business when used in advertising. Job seekers can drive recruiters to their resume in the same fashion.
Inernet users understand that when they search the worldwide web all the ads they encounter are strategically placed in order to entice readers to click through. Keywords repeated within articles are done to enhance the chance the article will get noticed. So why not use this same concept with a resume?
As organizations find the need to fill open positions at a faster pace and lower cost, resume databases have grown in popularity. By logging resumes into the system when they are received, recruiters have at their fingertips the ability to search through the background detail of candidates using key information such as job titles or skill sets.
Adding keywords to a resume, therefore, improves the chances that a job seeker’s resume will be identified and selected by the recruiter as a potential candidate for a job. And that’s why building the best list of keywords to place on a resume is important.
Word Selection
When deciding what keywords to select, job seekers should begin by reviewing advertisements for jobs they are interested in. This will give them an idea of what skills, abilities and knowledge employers are looking for in candidates.
Another alternative is to review the company’s website. By checking the company history, mission statement or values along with the section on employment opportunities, candidates will find a lot of information.
Finally, selecting keywords comes down to logic. When developing a resume, job seekers should consider what words do not already appear in the body of their resume but which still describe them.
While it is recommended that candidates avoid repetition, don’t be afraid to stretch. For instance, if in the body of the resume the candidate has been a “coordinator,” she may want to consider adding terms such as "administrator", "supervisor" or even "manager" to the keyword list.
Word Clarity
It is important to not be ambiguous. This means to use terms that are common and easily recognizable. So while information technology searches may easily understand and recognize SQL, HTML, VB.NET and others, less common words and phrases specific to a particular industry such as medicine or insurance should be spelled out.
Word Placement
Many of the keywords job seekers will choose to incorporate will fit nicely within the body of the resume under areas such as experience and skills. However, that does not mean all possible keywords have been used.
Therefore, resume experts recommend creating a keyword list at the very end of the resume. This is where candidates can include any other descriptive words that have not already appeared somewhere else on the resume. The most important of these are job titles. Not those the job seeker has held, but those that she aspires to.
Think of keywords as a way to expand on skills, knowledge and abilities by incorporating additional information into a resume. This targeted list of keywords helps the recruiter find the best candidates just a little easier and helps the job seeker's chances of standing out.
