Once you finally admit to yourself that you DO in fact still need a resume for your job search, your next step will be to include the right content so that your resume is “found” by employers and recruiters looking for candidates in your field. So, how do you get “found”? I have one word for you “Keywords”. With the continued competitiveness in today’s job market, and knowing that many recruiters and hiring managers take less than a minute or two to scan your resume, it is essential that you include the right keywords on your resume, and other professional marketing tools to ensure that your resume is picked from the hundreds submitted.
Resume keywords are words/phrases that hiring managers use to search their database of resumes. If the company you’re applying to has an automated scanning system, then you are going to want to ensure that your resume contains the keywords that have been programmed into their system. A simple way to accomplish this task is to look directly at qualifications listed on the job posting for the position you’re seeking. The keywords you use on your resume should be specific to the job/industry you’re looking for work in. They should also represent your skills, computer/technology proficiencies, and leadership abilities. If you’re in the search for an executive-level job, then you aren’t going to want to put “Staff Management”. Instead, you would put “Executive Leadership” in your keyword list. Or rather than the bland “improved operations” you could say “optimized performance”.
Don’t stop with your resume – your cover letter and professional social media profiles should also include strategic keywords that are in line with the ones on your resume. If you’re on LinkedIn, include a brief keyword list in your summary section, in addition to the keywords you add to your “Skills/Endorsements” list. Hint: LinkedIn has a great database of keywords already in their system for this section, and (bonus hint), you can search other profiles/jobs in your profession to find even more examples of keywords you can be using on your resume. Be creative and remember to think outside of the box when determining which keywords will work best for your resume.
Using industry-specific keywords on your resume and other job search marketing tools will help to not only increase chance of getting your documents selected from the pile, but will also increase the chance of helping YOU to get called for the interview.
