How to Find the Right Keywords for Your Resume Get More Interviews CareerMetis.com

How to Find the Right Keywords for Your Resume Get More Interviews Keywords are descriptive words, mostly nouns, that best capture an idea, an object, an experience or even a concept. You use them everyday in your Google searches or hashtags on social media!In human resources, keywords are hard skills that you may have acquired through either education and experience. They are usually associated to specific industries.evalAnd while some keywords can apply to skills within a variety of industries â€" like Project Management or Customer Service â€" others are more sector-specific, like Electrical Engineering, Lean Manufacturing or Product Design.Why should you care?evalKeywords have become a key tool in candidate selection. Recruiters and employers select resumes based on the keywords they contain â€" for them, it’s the most efficient way of checking if your skill-set and experience are a close enough match to their requirements.And in fact, checking for keywords is now fully automated by Linkedin and Applicant Tracking System So make sure you use p owerful keywords that:will enable recruiters to find you,your recruiters can understand, andmake you sound like an insider.And here’s our process for finding thekeywords to include on your resume:1. Study the job postingStudy the job posting very carefully and make a list of the keywords in it. Employers spend a lot of time writing these postings, telling you exactly what they need.Your job is to show them that you are the closest match to their ideal applicant â€" and the best way of doing that is by using the same words they’re using. So feed their keywords back to them!For example:eval2. Scan through similar job descriptionsScan through job descriptions for a similar open role at other companies to pick out additional keywords.3. Find your peersFind professionals on LinkedIn who are working in the role you are targeting and check for keywords included in their ‘Skills and Expertise’ and ‘Experience’ sections.Like this person who occupies the role listed above:Can you spot the keywords this person listed in his experience previous to getting hired by Google?4. Use the Company’s Corporate LanguageCompanies often develop their own internal language. What one may call ‘User Experience’, another might name ‘Customer Service’, or ‘Product Launch’ or ‘Product Introduction’.The differences are subtle, but using the company’s exact vocabulary will ensure you’re using the correct keywords throughout your application. Something you want, right?5. Do your researchevalDo your research! Do an in-depth search for industry jargon:Check Google results,read websites of leading companies and professional associations,use the Company’s ‘Insight’ Page on LinkedIn,go through forums, andfind a few popular industry-specific blogs.6. Use our list of 1000 keywordsCheck out our list of 1000 industry-specific keywords For example, many startups list roles in Business Development that sound the same. But when looking closely at the listings, you may notice that some of them include sales responsibilities and client relations, while others focus on KPI management.Even if it may seem like the same role, there may be some key differences in responsibilities. So can you submit the exact same CV to these different employers?The answer is no. Review your resume content against the keywords used in each job description to update it as required.Include up to 12 Keywords in your Summary QualificationsAs we mentioned above, some recruiters only look at your summary of qualifications…well, when you have one because 95% of applicants don’t include one! â€" so make sure to use the right jargon.Then, the rest of your resume should focus on proving each and EVERY one of these bullet points from your summary.How should you NOT use keywords?evalHere’s a word of caution. Only include keywords you can support through verifiable work experience. For example, don’t list Project Management in your skillset if you cannot provide a concise example of how you organised a project and brought it to the finish line.If this means you may not be eligible for the job you are targeting, maybe it’s not the right job for you at this time. But you could become eligible very fast!Enroll in an online course about project management, and explain in your cover letter that you are taking steps to improve your skills for this role. Think to include one or two relevant successes in your explanation ??And while we’re imparting cautionary advice, here’s some more. Make sure you understand what the keywords mean! An employer can tell right away when you are ‘posing’ and misusing company jargon.The employer might then think you don’t know what you are doing, which could severely cripple your application.You can easily prevent this if you:conduct careful research as we advise above,if you can, get someone with experience in the industry to review your resume!