What Are Resume "Keywords"? And How Can I Use Them?

iStock | Eugene Zvonkov

One of the more difficult elements of resume writing is keywords. We all kind of know what keywords are and why they are important, but when the time comes to seed your resume with the right ones it’s a step that is often skipped and forgotten. Let’s review what keywords are, why they are important, and how you can use them to your advantage when searching for a job.

Keywords are the terminology employers use in job descriptions to specify the type of person and skill sets they want to fill an open position. Your goal is to include the right terminology in your resume so it matches what potential employers want. Loading your resume with keywords helps it slip past Applicant Tracking Systems employers use to filter online submissions and makes it easier for you to be “found” by recruiters and hiring managers. Your LinkedIn profile should also include keywords as it will undergo a thorough review if you’re in contention for a job.

Here are some examples of keywords:

Field: Accounting – Accounting, Finance, Financial Reporting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Payable.

Field: Information Technology – Network Administration, Help Desk, User Support, Database Administrator

Field: Project Management – Agile, Waterfall, Business Analysis, Project Management, PMP

Here are some general guidelines to help you choose and use keywords.

1.     Study job descriptions to determine your benchmarks. Let’s use the accounting example. If you notice the term “cash flow statements” in a majority of posts it’s a benchmark and you should include it on your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Please note: if you put something on your resume it should reflect your actual skills. You can’t include keywords for the sake of it.

2.     Seed your resume with keywords. Use them as appropriate. Avoid using so many keywords that it fundamentally alters the prose of your work experience and skills (also known as “keyword packing”) – it would be obvious, and likely dilute the effectiveness of the content.

3.     Some keywords have multiple variations. Include them all if you can. Here is a common example – Microsoft applications. They can be individually written (e.g., MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint) or grouped together (e.g., MS Office, MS Suite). It is better to use them all because you can’t know which ones are programmed into the Applicant Tracking System.

4.     Some keywords have sub-keywords. Continuing with the Microsoft example, many people have general MS Excel skills. However, if you are in a field that uses MS Excel as a primary tool, it’s advantageous to include advanced skills such as “pivot tables,” “power query,” or “advanced charting.” If you’re an accountant, there are many “industry” applications, such as JD Edwards. List all the applications you know. Even if it’s not the specific platform used by the company to which you are applying, it will demonstrate the breadth of your experience. Specialized skills that separate you from other candidates should be keywords on your resume.

5.     Use your allotted space. On your resume, every word counts and keywords count twice as much. If putting your best foot forward means a resume that’s two pages, then it should be two pages. LinkedIn gives you lots of space. Use it all. Include everything, but keep it as focused and succinct as possible.

6.     On your resume, stack keywords in a skill section, or box. A great way of showing off your skill set while maximizing keywords is a skill section. A skill box is also an easy way to add or subtract keywords based on the specific job to which you apply.

7.     Weave keywords into the text of your work experience. A skills/keywords section is great, but including keywords throughout your resume will strengthen its overall position. This is true, especially for “soft skills” like “critical thinking,” “creativity,” and “integrity.”

8.     Location, location, location. Words are spelled differently in different parts of the world. If you’re American and applying for a job in London, it matters that “color” and “colour” are the same word with different spellings. Know your audience and remember that Applicant Tracking Systems are customized. There are actually software applications, such as Go Transcript, that will identify such differences and allow you to change keyword spelling where appropriate.

9.     You will never be able to guess exactly what keywords and filters are used by Applicant Tracking Systems. Don’t go crazy guessing what keywords will help your resume slip through a company’s ATS. The algorithms are different for each one and are changed all the time. Only the people who create it truly know. Do your best.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

I Left My Last Job For This? How To Approach Going Back To A Prior Employer

In 2021, an estimated 48 million people resigned from their jobs, with the Great Resignation's wave of job hopping has reverberated throughout the labor market.

Let’s say you were one of those 48 million individuals who jumped jobs. And oh, boy, do you regret it. Maybe you walked into a poor workplace culture, a hideous commute, or simply a boss who makes your blood curdle.

You start saying to yourself, “I wonder if I can go back to my old job…”

It’s actually a somewhat common occurrence for people to return to past employers. There’s even a term for it, "boomeranging," and many companies have comprehensive staffing policies to address this specific circumstance.

So, what do you do if you switch jobs and realize you want to return? While some companies may frown upon bringing back employees who have shunned them once before, companies receive many benefits from boomerangers: they’re a known quantity, little or no training will be required, and they already know the ropes, the systems, and the culture. Many hiring managers find this a pretty attractive alternative.

That said, trying to go back to an old employer can require some tact and finesse. Before reaching out to your former company hat-in-hand, consider the following.

1. Be Smart About It. You left your job and ended up in a worse place – but be honest with yourself; are you really sure you want to go back? Or are you simply thinking of your old company as a safety net? Be certain that you want to your old job for the right reasons, and that if you do somehow finagle an offer, you’ll plan to take it. It’s not wise to play games or over-negotiate when "boomeranging," or you may damage your professional reputation and close that door forever.

2. Did You Leave On Good Terms? Downsized? Quit? Fired? Almost every company records in their employee database whether or not a former employee is eligible for rehire, and in order to be able return to a job after quitting, having left on good terms is invaluable (for example - offering two weeks’ notice as a courtesy). By the way, having been laid off or fired doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to come back – but be prepared for detailed conversations about what happened the first time around, and the skepticism that accompanies it.

3. Find a Sponsor. If you have an ally that still works for the company, reach out to him or her and express your remorse for leaving and the rationale behind your desire to return – they may be willing to “sponsor,” or advocate for your return. With a sponsor, your chances of making a return can increase substantially. In addition to providing a valuable reference, they can let you know the insider chatter about your candidacy, which can be an advantage when prepping for interviews.

4. Your Old Employer May View You As a Flight Risk. In other words, you’ve already left once, what’s stopping you from leaving again? A rehire may attract a heightened scrutiny beyond the regular confines of HR, and employees normally uninvolved in a hiring process may weigh in when word gets around that a former co-worker is under consideration. It is common for people to view rehires as a flight risk. The onus is on you to make it clear that you are serious about returning for the long term.

5. Prepare to be Interviewed – Extensively. The rehiring process might be a more rigorous ordeal than you may anticipate. Take it seriously and don’t assume you have the job, just because you made it this far. There are no shoo-ins. You have to demonstrate more than what they already know about you. And don’t take offense, they’re doing their job.

6. Don’t Make It About the Money. If you receive a "boomerang" offer, do yourself a favor and downgrade your expectations. Do not string everybody along and make a stink about wanting a salary increase. That's the job interview equivalent of the Titanic hitting that iceberg, since they may feel like they’re being played. While it’s hardly unheard of for people to get more money upon returning (yes, it does happen, especially when they are the ones initiating the recruitment of a former employee), this needs to be counterbalanced with the distinct possibility your former company will want increase your compensation as a reward for leaving. It's all fun and games until you get an offer. Be prepared, and be realistic.

7. Understand Bridging. Last insider tip. When you left your former company, you were vested at a level commiserate with how long you were an employee (this date can impact your calculated tenure for vacation time accrual, profit sharing, 401(k) matching, bonuses, and other compensation). If you successfully boomerang back into a former job, many companies approach your renewed employment with a simple formula called "bridging," which at its most basic refers to bridging and closing the gap between your departure and return. Some companies handle returners with no gap in service date. At others, there might be a period you must work before you are eligible for the benefits you had previously earned at the time you left the company. Either way, once the offer is extended, it’s important to bring up bridging at that time, so that you can understand and (possibly) negotiate this.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

iStock | Nuthawut Somsuk

Found Out Your Employer Was Sold? Be Prepared!

iStock | Feverpitched

If you just found that your company has been sold, your response should be action.

Companies are bought and sold every day. A change in a company’s ownership can happen in many ways, each with a direct impact on people’s livelihood. No matter the circumstances, when there is company ownership or investor changes there is a high probability that people from the executive suite to the mail room will lose their jobs. When companies are bought and sold large amounts of money are involved, and the sources of that money want their money back ASAP.

It’s best to be ready - here’s what you should do if you found out your company’s been bought:

 1.     Get your resume ready. Do not wait to find out your official fate. Heads may roll. Maybe your job isn’t on the chopping block, but that doesn’t mean you will choose to stay. You may not be fired, but your role and/or compensation may change in a way that makes you want to go.

2.     New owners mean new managers. The higher up the ladder you are, the more indispensable you believe you are. However, nobody is immune to the upheaval caused by an ownership change. Executives, directors, and managers are at the same risk, if not more than other employees.

3.     Cost cutting is on the way. One of the words you’ll hear when the ax is about to fall is “duplicative”. Once you hear that word, heads will roll. While the ultimate outcome may be beyond your control, you should still pile the sandbags before the storm surge. You want to be perceived as a revenue center, not a cost center.

4.     Be aligned with the new owners. Uncomfortable work is heading your way. You may have to train your replacement or report to a new boss, who was in a lesser role at the company that bought yours. You may have to fire your co-workers on the new company’s orders, or go around and scrub their computers the day they leave so there is no trace they had ever been there. Be helpful, no matter the task. Exit with grace, no matter the challenge. Do your best work until you roll out of the parking lot for the last time

5.     Prepare for the culture shift. Change is inevitable. Whether the change benefits you or handicaps you, there will be change and the free-floating anxiety that goes with life-altering uncertainty. Your daily duties, the way performance is measured, and to whom you report, are just a sample of the potentially impacted areas. The people who survive are people who adapt to a rapidly evolving situation.

6.     Don’t Rely on your traditional workplace relationships. After the ship hits the iceberg, people will scramble to save themselves. Pre-existing internal networks and relationships may not carry their former influence. In other words, it is possible few people have the ability to be your life preserver. Make things easy on yourself, and take direction from the new owners and leadership to understand what you are supposed to do.

7.     Understand your severance package (if applicable). When a company buys another company, they understand employees of the acquired company may not be aligned with their direction, culture, or mission. They may offer severance to people who decide to leave, and those are the lucky ones. While offers vary, think before you accept a separation package before you have another job lined up. It is better to start another job than accept a finite amount of money that may be depleted before you’re working somewhere else.

8.   It’ll be easy to explain in interviews. If you’re forced into the unemployment line or decide you need to move on, your company being bought is an easy scenario for people to understand. If you’re interviewing and your “reason for leaving” is a buyout by default recruiters and hiring authorities will understand your circumstances. Focus on what you’re looking for not what you’re leaving.

9.  Rattle your network. Work your professional and personal network. Get some leads. The sooner the better.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.