Using the Right Keywords Makes All the Difference

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


During a job search, professional keywords are one of the most underrated tools a job seeker has. When used correctly, keywords create an automatic connection between you and the open position. Whether you're applying to a large company that uses keyword-recognition software or a small company with a human hiring manager, the right keywords can help your application stand out.

Choosing the Right Keywords

The right professional keywords for your job depend on the industry, the company and the open position. Start your search with the job description. Highlight words that are used multiple times, and look for words that describe the most important responsibilities. Look for phrases like "required" or "strongly prefer," and note the skills or experiences that follow; these phrases are likely to describe the employer's priorities. Continue your keyword search with other job descriptions from the same industry, looking for words and phrases that appear in multiple postings. If your target employer has an active social media presence, look out for words that describe the company's culture and values, and add them to your list of job search keywords.

Adding Keywords to Your Resume and Cover Letter

The way you add professional keywords to your resume, cover letter and job application varies by company. If you're applying to a large corporation, it's safe to assume that the company uses hiring software to narrow down the candidate pool. In that case, seed your application materials with the professional keywords you pulled from the job description. Pay special attention to the education, required experience and required skills; if you can make it work naturally, add keywords from the rest of the list. If you're applying to a small company, customize your resume and cover letter with a mix of job-specific, industry and social media keywords. No matter which method you use, ensure that the keywords fit into the text organically.

Optimizing Your Internet Presence

The further along you move in the hiring process, the more likely it is that an employer will run an Internet search for your name. Use your professional keywords to optimize your Internet presence and help the employer find you. Edit your LinkedIn profile to include the most important keywords, and upload your most recent resume. If you have a professional website or a blog, use the keywords in the meta content, headers and image names to improve search engine optimization. Do the same for public social media content, but aim for a more natural usage. There's no need to start posting professional Facebook statuses; instead, update your Twitter profile to include your industry or job title.

With a small amount of legwork, you can identify the professional keywords that are most important to your target employers. Using these keywords judiciously can help you position yourself as an ideal candidate and make an instant connection with an employer.


Image courtesy of patpitchaya at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for your comments. @Thomas it certainly is true that our world has changed. I, also, remember sending out resumes and cover letters to specific job postings. But now, with online apps and ATS being utilized by most companies, the keywords from the posting become even more important. @Patty reverse engineering is a good way to go. This way you can be sure that your resume and cover letter will get past the gatekeeper (ATS) and at least make the first cut. All the best in your job search.

  • Thomas F.
    Thomas F.

    Unfortunately, the information age has changed the rules of job searching. The days of simply calling a friend at a company that is hiring are long gone. No one circles the want ads in the Sunday Times with a red pen, and drops a stamped No 10 envelope containing a neatly typed resume, with a personally signed cover letter, on 25% cotton bond paper, into the corner mail box anymore. Internet based job postings allow hiring companies to make their job openings known to the whole world. The benefit to them is that they are potentially getting the word out to the best candidates. The other side of that same coin is that anyone with an Internet connection can then apply to every posting, whether they are qualified or not. So, the companies are then flooded with resumes for every job posting. They need some practical means of creating a manageable short list of candidates, so they rely on an automated pre-screening search for key words. The hope is that - at some point - a pair of human eyes, with a thinking brain attached to them, will get to see our resumes. The theory is that the right key words will get us there. It's frustrating. Good luck to all!

  • Thomas F.
    Thomas F.

    @BrianR: You do if they are the ones who are hiring.

  • Patty M.
    Patty M.

    I agree. As someone who writes custom resumes for people, when I am giving advice, I say to go to the job post and reverse engineer what the job requirements are back on to your resume if you have those skills.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for all of the comments. @Peter as unfair as it may sound, keywords are the clue to getting at least a phone interview. Without the keywords, no human will see your resume. Fair or not, it is the way things work today with the larger percentage of companies using the Applicant Tracking System. If your resume does not contain at least the basic keywords from the posting, it goes into the dead file. A few years ago the ATS wasn't used by very companies. After the financial fall, most companies came to realize that they needed something to weed through all of the resumes. For a simple cashier position, companies were receiving thousands of resumes. Even though the economy is going through a recovery period right now, companies are still being inundated with resumes for each position that needs filled. So keep this in mind when you are applying for a position. Keywords placed both in the resume and in the cover letter give you more of a chance of being contacted than not using any of the keywords. Best of luck all.

  • Henry S.
    Henry S.

    Key words are just key words, so many articles and thousands of people writing about "key words". Some resume writers exagerated on key words, just to be within the "in" key words that even the hiring manager asked who wrote these for you!! Not that happen to me but know of someone that it did. Know yourself and your industry with your experience and talent we all have its enough for me!!!

  • Christopher Taylor
    Christopher Taylor

    Here is a resume scanning hack. Find space within your resume at the end of descriptions or wherever it's most practical. Change the font to size eight and the color of the font to white. The scanners find the key words but when printed off they won't see the words. Additionally, because the font is so small it doesn't mess with formatting of your paragraphs. OR you can reword your resume every time to reflect keywords for every job description. Work smarter, not harder!

  • BRIAN R.
    BRIAN R.

    Would I really want to work for someone who relies on keywords and does jot care enough to look at my actual experience, education, etc?

  • CHARLES G.
    CHARLES G.

    The saddest part is that the newly developed HR role of "Talent Acquisition Team" has NO talent at all and has no REAL experience. Yet they are assessing the company future based on "KEY" words that a computer program looks for to make their decision on who to see! PATHETIC!!!!!!!!

  • poorvakalyani k.
    poorvakalyani k.

    Thank you for your useful information

  • Serge S.
    Serge S.

    Thanks for the above appreciated tips.

  • PETER STASI
    PETER STASI

    absolutely NO ONE with an ounce of common sense would say any of this is necessary...We have somehow bred a segment of society that holds the future of someone else's job security in their hands while they mostly stroke their own ego's telling us that a resume should look like this or that...PATHETIC that this may be construed as "progress"...

  • Cherise M.
    Cherise M.

    Great tips for resume builders! Thank you.

  • Ejaz G.
    Ejaz G.

    Thanks good tips

  • Gerome M.
    Gerome M.

    Thanks you very help full

  • Barry Boyce
    Barry Boyce

    Good advice. Keep a file of good job descriptions and you have the making of a good resume.

  • Sandra L.
    Sandra L.

    Great tips. Thanks.

  • Michael M.
    Michael M.

    Makes a lot of sense

  • Simone M.
    Simone M.

    Interesting - thank you

  • ANDREW M.
    ANDREW M.

    Good gouge! Thanks!!

  • JessiLouise M.
    JessiLouise M.

    Tks!

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