A lot of companies will use databases to keep information on the resumes they get and to look for them when they need to hire someone. Both recruiters and employers will look in these databases by using keywords that are relevant to what they are looking for. These keywords will be placed in phrases that are technical and will describe achievements, job titles, jargon related to the industry, task forces and projects.
This is why your resume should have at least a few keywords placed inside, since people can’t find it if it doesn’t contain the keywords that they’re looking for. Something as simple as the words placed in a resume can make the difference between getting a job and losing the opportunity.
People that have a bit of experience looking for jobs will know that they need to include some keywords in the area where they specify their qualifications. That area is also known as Professional Summary. In other cases it’s known only as “Skills”. Even if you don’t have that area in your resume, you should still use the keywords where they’re appropriate.
If you want to use keywords in the resume, the tips below should help you:
If you don’t know what keywords to use, take a look at the job listing and you will have an idea of what the employer is looking for.
Use both noun phrases and keyword nouns wherever possible in the resume. If you already listed your qualifications before, try avoiding the use of those keywords in the exact same way.
Use commas to separate phrases and nouns when you are listing your skills, if you want to get a technical job.
There are some cases when just listing what skills you have isn’t enough to describe your background. When the situation asks for it, write the accomplishments as well, while using keywords.
If you don’t know what keywords to use for your resume based on your job and the industry that you’re in, below are some methods that you can use to determine which those are.
Search online for job ads and check out what keywords show up on a regular basis and seem relevant.
If you want to apply to a certain job listing, modify your resume so it has some of the main keywords that the listing has.
Discussing with people that are in the same fields of career as yourself might give you an idea on the type of keywords that you should be using. The BC Career Advisory Network is a good place to start if you want to network with other people from the same field as you.
Go online and look at web sites of professional associations, looking at the texts that you find there. These texts have a lot of jargon that is related to the industry that you’re in, so you can see the keywords that are relevant for your resume.
The US Department of Labor has a nice resource that you should take a look at, called Occupational Outlook Handbook.
A few other ideas that are important:
Consider getting an internship in your area of expertise if you are in college. Even with a one month internship, your resume would still get some extra keywords.
The absolute minimum number of keywords that you should use is 4. It would be best if you used 12 keywords or more in your resume.
Try using both specific and general keywords.
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