How to Make Your Resume Searchable

Looking for a job can be frustrating, especially in a bad economy. But even in good economic conditions a single job posting can yield several hundred responses. When faced with strong competition, you need to make that your resume stands out from the crowd. Use keywords to make your resume more "searchable" and get more reviews and interviews.

Instructions

1. Search several job postings to find keywords, which are specific words or phrases used to describe what a job recruiter is seeking in an applicant. The more keywords that your resume has, the better your chances of landing an interview. Look for words that are used repeatedly and use a highlighter or pencil to mark or underline them. Some are action words, such as organize or leads. Others are nouns that identify something that requires special training or knowledge, such as HTML or Excel. List the keywords on a separate sheet of paper so you can compare them to the words in your resume.

2. Add keywords to your resume. You may have to change a few sentences to accommodate them. If you're applying for a position as an office assistant, for example, and your resume states that you have five years of experience using Microsoft Office programs, revise your resume to state you have experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, or PowerPoint, depending on what programs you know.

3. Include keywords in your objective statement, which is a one or two sentence summary of what you want to accomplish in your career or in the job for which you're applying. You can also add a skills summary or key skills list to your resume. These are typically bullet point lists that highlight your special skills or knowledge.

4. Place in boldface type the keywords in the body of your resume. Pick only the words that are most important to the position for which you're applying. Having too many boldface words will make your resume look messy and might divert the reader's attention away from what you want him to see.

5. Review your resume to ensure that is it not a jumble of keywords. You may have to revise sentences (and sometimes paragraphs) to make words flow naturally and make sense. This task can be easier said than done, but landing a job makes it worth the effort.

Tips & Warnings

• Save each new version of your resume separately so that you can recycle it when applying for similar jobs.

• Don't exaggerate or lie about your skills. The truth will be discovered in the interview or on the job.

Resources

• Resume Writing Tips