Use Keywords to Stand Out from the Crowd

Q: Where can I find industry “keywords” to include on my resume and LinkedIn profile?

A: If you’re on the job hunt, it is critical to be conscious of industry keywords. From application materials to resumes and social media sites, you want to be sure to remain on-brand with your target industry. Your goal is to make it easy for the employer or recruiter to see that you have exactly what they are looking for in a job candidate. It is your job to anticipate the keywords that employers and recruiters will search. Here are two ways to identify “keywords” to get an employer’s attention:

1.) Print out the job description for each position you are interested in. Highlight specific skills, technical experience, job responsibilities, and knowledge that match your qualifications for the position. Include the exact language and terminology used in the job description on your application materials. (Synonyms won’t cut it!) Many employers and recruiters do keyword searches. You may be the most qualified candidate for a certain position, but if you do not have the appropriate keywords on your resume and/or LinkedIn profile, you will not show up in the employer’s search. Tailor your resume for each individual position to help the employer recognize that you are a good fit for the position.

2.) Use Word Clouds! A word cloud is a grouping of keywords generated from a mass of text. A visual representation of word frequency in a given text is produced. For example, if you were to copy and paste a job description into a word cloud database, the word cloud system will identify the most significant terms from the text and group them into a word cloud. You can then implement keywords that were determined into your LinkedIn profile and resume. It is a good idea to create a word cloud of your resume, and compare it to the word cloud of a particular job description. Ideally, you will have the same keywords in both word clouds. If you don’t, perhaps you could rework your resume to reflect the job description.  Wordle is a great source. “Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.”wordle.net

The importance of keywords can’t be stressed enough. Many companies, large and small, use Applicant Tracking Systems to screen candidates before they ever make it through the application system to a hiring manager. This helps companies weed out unqualified candidates. Unfortunately, the computer system is not always the best judge. Click here to learn more about Applicant Tracking Systems on the CareerCat Blog. Use keywords to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. 

Posted by Kelly Allgeier

Alumni Job Search Success Story

A UK alumna updated me with the following information regarding her job search. With permission, I would like to share her story with you. 

“When I met with you, I knew there were jobs out there with titles I had never heard of that I would want. My position at X Company is just that. I came in for an interview as a selling supervisor just when someone gave notice about leaving their merchandising job. I snuck in without the position even being publicly posted. Talk about right-place-right-time! I count myself lucky that ALL those other jobs DIDN'T work out, so I could stumble upon this one. It only took 9 months, 115 applications, 4 placement agencies, and 12 interviews. Also networking parties, extra volunteering & public presence, custom Etsy business cards, and shamelessly promoting myself to anyone who would listen. Heck, my insurance agent got me an interview for a promising marketing position. It seems some of my acquaintances that I liked the least had the best connections -- I'm glad I'm not one to burn bridges!

It might have been high hopes, but my biggest criteria I judged positions against were something I was interested in (so design related), near home, flexible hours/"work-life balance," and/or at least $15/hr. I figured I would be flexible on one or two if the others panned out, and money was the one mark I missed. Oh well, I've set myself off on a new career path and you can't put a price on that! ;)

During my job hunt, I commiserated with acquaintances and former classmates in the same boat. I told them how helpful it was to meet with you. I harped on about immediate thank you cards, LinkedIn, and reference letters. My new employer actually thanked me for writing a thank you note. I said, "That's what you're supposed to do!" Meanwhile, other folks who interviewed me didn't even have enough decency to call me back and say I didn't get the position. I think the work atmosphere and the level of respect I can look forward to in the future were demonstrated by these initial employer contacts. There was even one interview where something felt off -- empty office, extra levels of security, and a boss that wanted to work from home. Instances such as these I knew were wrong for me at the gut level and luckily, since I was on unemployment, there were other factors so I could rightfully opt out. Oh, and the unemployment office/personnel, don't even get me started....

So, sorry for the over-sharing, but I figured my experiences are one of your "success stories" that you might relay to your downtrodden job seekers. Thanks again for all your help and sharing your expertise.”