Resume Keywords - You Are Invisible Without Resume Keywords

© David Alan Carter
 All Rights Reserved

Resume keywords... how important are they? Well, you're invisible to computer databases without resume keywords. Here's help, and real world examples.
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Resume keywords are critical components of today's job searches. They enable a resume to be identified by scanning software and rise to the surface of a computer database. Without keywords in your resume, the scanning software that looks for potential matches to job qualifications will pass you over. You are essentially invisible to such scans, and your job search dead in the water.

And how prevalent is this scanning software? Very. Prior to 2005, companies largely relied on human eyes to scan resumes and serve as screeners. You probably remember those good ol' days, when job applicants could wow those humans eyes with action verbs alone, like "Spearheaded blah blah blah...," and "Designed this and that...," and "Conducted yada yada...".

Well, the internet has changed everything. Companies are now awash in resumes – especially in the aftermath of the deepest recession in 50 years. To cut through the clutter and lend some sense of order to the candidate selection process, corporations today have to digitize the resumes of job seekers, warehouse those resumes in databases, and employ specialized software to search those databases to identify prospective candidates for position vacancies. What do those programs search for? Primarily what was spearheaded and what was designed and what was conducted. While action verbs are still important, the focus has shifted to the nouns. Welcome to the age of keywords - nouns (largely) that relate to the action performed.

Resume Keywords - Some Real World Examples

In the following examples pulled from various professions, the action verbs should be fairly obvious. Their associated keyword nouns are underlined for example purposes.

- Expertise in turnaround management.
- Designed JIT inventory control system reducing warehousing operations costs by 45%.
- Achieved customer satisfaction rating of 95%, 10% higher than company average.
- Implemented successful product launch generating first-year sales of $4.2 million.
- Developed procedures to ensure compliance of Manufacturing Execution System.
- Raised on-time delivery from 80% to 95%.
- Designed interactive voice response system tailoring customer service to clients' unique needs.
- Developed diversity training modules for use by instructors company-wide.
- Increased ROI (return on investment) from 6% to 9.5%.
- Designed and conducted customer needs assessment, increasing account retention rate by 20%.
- Established and maintained profitable vendor partnerships.

Keywords, Buzzwords and Jargon - All the same?

Cautionary note: Don't be caught using keywords you have no business using. Own your keywords; make sure they're applicable to your background and qualifications before mentioning them. And while a keyword can tease when used in the Profile or Summary section of your resume, you'll need to back up your use of that keyword in the Experience or Work History section of your resume - with details. If you don't, expect to be questioned about those elusive details in the interview. Assuming your resume gets you that far.

Resume Keywords - Don't Be The Invisible Candidate

The takeaway: keywords are a necessity on today's resumes. Without relevant keywords planted strategically throughout your resume, your resume won't get picked up by the automated database scanners, and you become the invisible candidate. Learn the relevant keywords for your particular industry and make sure they fit you well.

Get visible. Get hired.
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A Final Thought...

You've got optimized keywords, format selection, design and layout, prose that promotes your qualifications without making you come across as vain or arrogant. Writing an effective resume has never been a walk in the park, but in this tough economy, resume writing is even more challenging. If your resume is going to be fighting for attention in an extremely competitive field, the services of a professional resume writer might make sense.

If you opt for some help, seek out a certified professional resume writer. A writer with a good reputation in the industry. A writer who will communicate with you by phone, and stand behind his work with a guarantee. Yes, they're out there.

In fact, I can help you identify that "pro," that special writer who is qualified to deliver a polished document that puts your best foot forward in a tough job market. Our home page Top Resume Services identifies 10 or more of the more popular companies out there, and I rank these writers on values like...

• Quality of workmanship
• Credentials
• Pricing
• Guarantees

You’ll find star rankings, mini-reviews, and in-depth reviews on each of these 10 companies. Whether you go it alone or trust the services of a pro writer, I wish you the best of luck in your job search!

– David

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