How to Use Keywords in a Resume

If you are submitting your resume online, you want to make sure that a potential employer can find it. Employers will use job databases by inputting keywords to bring up resumes that include these keywords. Even if you are creating a traditional paper resume, a potential employer will likely scan the document for these same keywords. Follow these steps to find out how to use keywords in your resume.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify what keywords a potential employer is most likely to use when searching for resumes. You can do this by reading employment ads and looking for words that are used repeatedly. Find employment ads from newspapers, job boards and trade publications. The words you see used over and over are keywords.

2. Add your keywords to the "Keyword Summary" section of your online resume. Load up this area with lots of keywords, but make sure they are relevant. Make sure that these are keywords that apply to your experience and skills.

3. Use your keywords throughout your resume to describe your actions, accomplishments, experience and skills. This will help online resumes get more hits. It will also readers words that get their attention.

4. Make sure that you have some "dense" keywords in your resume. The more specific your keywords are the more effective they will be. Create a good mix of general and dense keywords so you can get as many hits as possible.

5. Check to see if you have included 25-35 keywords within your resume. If you don't have that many, go back and try to add some keywords to your resume sections.

6. Keep updating your resume on a regular basis with new keywords. Looking at employment ads will help you get new ideas on what keywords you can add to get your resume even more attention.

7. Incorporate keywords into your cover letter, as well. Some employers will scan cover letters and include them in resume databases. Be sure that your cover letter has lots of great keywords, too.