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Keywords key to successful resume

Back in September I wrote a post about how job seekers can learn a few things from online marketeers by using SEO techniques in there resume.  It seems that I was not the only one thinking that way.  According to an article by Lisa Vaas of the fee-based job site The Ladders,   “The importance of keywords in a resume can’t be overstated. They not only help connect resumes with current openings, they also ensure that searches for future job openings will pull appropriate resumes out of the database and put them in front of hiring professionals.”  The article goes on to stress the importance of identifying the proper keywords for the position you are seeking and  including them in your resume. 

According to Christine Bolzan, CEO of Graduate Career Coaching here are some tips:

  • Include relevant professional groups or associations.
  • Embed keywords in cover letters in case they’re also being scanned.
  • Use keywords in social-media profiles as well as resumes. For example, LinkedIn provides a summary section for keywords and specialties. Bolzan said that anywhere from 50% to 80% of employers are searching for keywords on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social-networking sites.

With an ever increasing number of employers and recruiters using search engine based HR tools including keywords and treating your resume like a Google search has never been more important.

According to Vaas’ article here are the top ten keywords being searched by recruiters:

  1. Sales
  2. CPA
  3. Tax
  4. Business Development
  5. Marketing
  6. Controller
  7. Healthcare
  8. Human Resources
  9. Insurance
  10. Software
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 10:53 pm and is filed under Resumes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Keywords key to successful resume”

  1. Good post. They are very similar in their approaches. I would encourage all to think out of the box when coming up with keywords. Lets face it, many unemployed are looking to jump fields, wherever they can, and in order to compete with those who are in the current field, you have will have to stretch. If you did something just a little, and it matches the requirement, keyword it. Dig deep, its the only way you have a chance to get on that crystal ship.

  2. Excellent comment. The proper keywords are particularly important if you are looking to change careers. It is critical that you carefully read the job description to see what is emphasized. Incorporating the appropriate keywords based on the job description should get you into the hunt.

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