How Resume Key Words Can Help You Get A Job

Resume key words are words that are relevant to a particular company or job that you are seeking and can improve your chances of getting an interview.

Using the usual resume words such as skills, goals, responsibilities, assisted, solved, supervised, initiated, instrumental, expanded, maintained, originated, trained, established, lead and such are great to use for general description, but you should also include some wording that is particular to what the hiring manager really wants. Resume key words are important not only for the hiring manager to read, but also for future use. Most resumes are stored in a database and when future openings come up a search is done to find candidates that fit the skills required.

If your resume does not contain the words searched it will never be found and you may miss out on a great opportunity!

You should include resume key words at the beginning of the resume (some systems only search the first few paragraphs!). Usually you see these in a skills assessment that is at the top underneath your contact information and career goals. This can be a simple listing of all resume words that you find applicable separated by a comma.

There are a couple of ways to find resume key words. First of all, you probably know the buzz words used in your line of work – words that refer to a technology or skill used on the job. All of these should be used in your skills assessment as well as sprinkled throughout your resume as they apply. Of course, you should only list skills that you really do possess!

Another way to find resume key words that are relevant to the particular job you are applying for is to read the job description. Usually they will list the skills and technologies required - simply make sure you include all those that match your skill set on the resume. Don't forget to read the company information and pay attention to their section on company culture - you may be able to pick up a few more resume words in relation to what they expect from an employee In general that you can put on the resume. Of course, this would require small tweaks to the resume for each job you submit to, but it makes your resume that much more relevant and could be the thing that gets you selected over someone else!