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Word Count: 635 Please Hire Me - Writing a Resume that Gets Results
Those in the Web business know that optimizing a site page is essential to
getting it on the search-results lists of major search engines like Google.
Nowadays, with the combined impact of online resume-posting and the increasingly
prevalent use of scanning technology, even by small companies, the same
principle applies to your resume: optimization is essential!
Changing Standards
When resume-scanning software first hit the job market, it wasn't very
sophisticated. Keyword summaries were placed at the top of ascii or text resumes
to ensure that they were picked up by the somewhat rudimentary software.
Similarly, formatting was minimized for fear that it would interfere with the
scan.
Nowadays, these rules no longer apply.
Modern scanning software has come a long way and can recognize text in boldface,
italics, designer fonts, and bullets. Furthermore, it can scan for keywords
throughout your resume, not just in an assigned area. For that reason, a
well-crafted "normal" resume can in fact be an optimized keyword resume that's
poised to get noticed when electronic filters stand between you and a hiring
manager.
The Importance of the Right Resume Keywords
It may be daunting to realize that your success in scoring an interview could
hinge on a few carefully selected resume keywords, but with keyword-based
scanning, this is the case. Employers who use this technology (up to 80 percent
of them, by some counts) determine a set of mandatory keywords that reflect the
duties of a given job. For example, an accountant's resume keywords would be
'general ledger', 'AP/AR', payroll, 'reconciliations', etc.
Based on the number of "hits" your resume achieves when it is scanned, your
resume will be ranked and submitted to a hiring manager for further review…or
not. So how do you determine the appropriate keywords?
Finding Your Golden Keywords
Finding the right resume keywords takes a little work, but it's completely
achievable. If you're applying for a particular position, a great place to start
would be the job listing — but be careful. A hiring manager is savvy enough to
detect when their own listing is being regurgitated back to them. That said, the
clever use of words that speak to their requirements is always appropriate, as
long as it aligns with your professional experience.
If you're conducting a broader search by posting your resume on an online job
board like HotJobs.com, then your resume will be seen by multiple potential
employers. How do you then choose the right keywords? Consider how your goals
align with your experience. For any resume, the trick is to use what you've
accomplished to paint a picture of what you want to do next.
You can determine the keywords most likely to be on an employer's must-have list
by:
• Analyzing job postings that are in step with the type of position you want to
land.
• Taking a look at the career listings of employers in your target industry.
• Remaining up-to-date on the latest buzzwords in your field.
By optimizing your resume, your will be able to successfully emerge from the
resume-scanning process (or online job search), while also creating a document
that makes a compelling case for your candidacy.
Be sure to follow this guidance and realize that your resume is a living,
breathing document that will most likely be created, posted, and reviewed in an
electronic format. You want to 'optimize' your resume for all formats. Be sure
to follow our guidelines and let your resume stand out from the crowd!
ResumeEdge.com is one of the nations leading resume writing service
providers, offering professional resume writing, editing, and guidance. Visit
http://www.resumeedge.com
for access to free sample resumes and much more.
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