-: With so many resumes to review,
a lot of companies use keyword searches
to trim down the pile.
If your resume doesn't have those matching keywords,
it may never even get seen.
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Number one: what is a keyword?
Keywords are the key to being
found and considered for a job.
Keywords are common buzzwords related to a specific job.
They can be found in the job title
or in the body of a job description or posting.
They could be a skill you possess
or a software that you've mastered.
For example, job requirements such as fundraising or sales,
job titles such as website developer or graphic designer,
or certifications such as PMP or industry jargon
such as medical devices.
-: If you have experience with something basic,
even Microsoft Excel, make sure that you put that on there,
because recruiters will be filtering through for keywords.
-: Number two: why are keywords important
and where to put them?
A.T.S., that stands for Applicant Tracking System,
and it's a tool that many employers use.
It's a database searchable by keyword.
If a recruiter is looking for someone with a specific skill
like Microsoft Project or fundraising
and you have the experience
but don't put the matching keywords on your resume,
you will not come up in their database search.
You should also consider putting keywords
in your cover letter or in your social media profiles.
Recruiters these days are searching
in many different places.
-: You have to get past a computer
before a person actually looks at it.
So those keywords are huge.
If they're not there, the computer's not gonna
pull your resume out for a potential job.
-: Number three: how to come up with keywords.
Go to your school's job board or a big job site
like Monster.com or Indeed.com,
and search for jobs that you're considering
or you're interested in.
Read a handful of job profiles,
and pull out common job-specific keywords
that are appearing across all the job profiles.
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Acronyms are good, but also write the full meaning out
such as Project Management Professional, PMP,
since one recruiter might search PMP
while another searches Project Management Professional.
You want to be found either way.
Once you have your list of keywords
that you're going to use,
go back to the job board or website
that you first did your research on,
and search for those keyboards.
You might find that using a job title like Project Manager
gets you more results than Project Lead.
You can also mix it up and use both terms
in different places when appropriate
to increase your chances.
-: You're trying to mirror that job description
and tailor it as best you can to your resume.
They want to see that you're a great fit
for their job posting.
-: Keywords are the key.
Do a little work and find and match
some of the important keywords or buzzwords
to help you make the cut.
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