How to Place Search Words in Your Resume
If you are applying for a job, chances are your resume will go through screening by a computer before it reaches a human being. In fact, if it does not include the terms the employer is looking for, it probably never will reach a person, instead being consigned to the electronic dustbin. So selecting effective keywords should be as much a part of your resume writing as choosing an attractive design and checking for spelling errors.
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Instructions
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Compile a list of keywords you think potential employers will be looking for. Start with job ads for positions of the type you want, culling the terms that show up again and again. Read trade journals or industry websites to identify buzzwords. Check the websites of companies you admire to find out what concepts they value. A typical resume will contain 40 or fewer keywords, primarily nouns. Include the names of software or hardware you know, job titles you have held and certifications or degrees you hold.
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Avoid overreaching. Don't be tempted to stretch your keyword list to include competencies you do not have or job titles you have never held. This approach is likely to waste your time and the employer's, because in an interview the manager will quickly discover the extent of your true skills---or lack of them.
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Place the keywords for maximum impact. Group all of the terms in a section called "keywords" anywhere on the resume, as screening software does not care about its location. But do not stop there. Include some of the keywords---it is OK to repeat them---in other sections of your resume, so human screeners can see how you used your skills to the benefit of previous employers. Perhaps, for example, in your last position you used a piece of industry software to increase your department's revenues by 10 percent. Such a tidbit will be more enticing to an employer than the mere name of the software in a keyword list.
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Convert your resume into several formats: a Microsoft Word version, a PDF version, a plain text version that can be pasted into the body of an e-mail and a printed version for mailing or faxing. Employers request various formats depending on how their human resources departments work. If you cannot provide the right format, your document may never make it into the company's electronic resume bank---much less to the desk of a person who can hire you.
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Keep the basics in mind. Though electronic screening plays an increasingly important role in the hiring process, computers do not ultimately make hiring decisions. A poorly organized or mistake-ridden resume is still a turnoff to hiring managers. Proofread carefully.
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Tips & Warnings
For the most critical keywords, add variations to be sure they are not missed in electronic screening; for example, if you have been a sales manager, include both "sales manager" and "sales management" somewhere in the resume.
Go easy on soft skills such as interpersonal communications; managers know anyone can claim to have these.
