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

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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.

Proofread That Resume – Your Next Job Could Depend On It!

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Nobody likes writing cover letters or resumes. Nobody likes creating a LinkedIn profile or posting on job boards. Most of us suffer through it until there is a job offer, then relegate the tools of the job search out of sight and out of mind. It should come as no surprise that many job seekers barely review the documents that are their passports to employment.

The recruiter or hiring manager, tackling a stack of cover letters and resumes, is looking for a diamond in the rough. And yes, many sloppy applicants pay little attention to the small, but vitally important, details that help them choose which applications to disregard and which to review next.

Don’t underestimate the value of proofreading. You’d be surprised how many people make errors in their contact information, such as phone number or email address. If you apply for a job and a potential employer can’t reach you, there is a 100% chance you are not getting the job and you’ll never even know you were a contender.

Any mistake on your resume can spell doom. If a recruiter or hiring manager can’t reach you on the first try, it’s into the circular file.

Take the following steps:

1.     Double-check your phone number. Yes, you know your phone number. Well done. But did you double-check it? It’s easy to transpose numbers. Also, our brains play tricks on us. You can proofread something ten times and still not “see” a typo. You know your phone number so well that you see it no matter what. Check it again on everything – cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile, and job board profiles.

2.     Imagine you are a recruiter or hiring manager. You have a resume that pops and you believe the candidate has the chops you’re looking for. Eager to speak to the person, you call the number on their resume. Nobody picks up. Voice mail isn’t set up, or the voice mail is active but the mailbox is full so there is no way to leave a message.

3.     Double-check your email address (everywhere). Same drill as above. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! If a recruiter or hiring manager emails you and it bounces back then it’s game over.

4.     After you verify your email address is correct (everywhere), ask yourself, “Is this my primary email address? Is this the mailbox I check every ten minutes every day?” Seems obvious, doesn’t it? You may want to sit down. People, professionals, mind you, routinely use neglected secondary email addresses and are shocked when they find a series of job-related emails six months after they were sent.

5.     Remember that your primary email mailbox is not the only mailbox you need to check. LinkedIn has a direct messaging network, especially for Premium members who can see who has viewed their profile, and allows for direct messages to be sent to recruiters or hiring authorities. Every job board has a profile and mailbox. Make sure you check them all every day, or, if possible, have messages forwarded to your primary email address. If a potential employer successfully contacts you but does not receive a prompt response, they may have already moved on to other candidates.

6.     Do you have websites or online portfolios relevant to your job search? Make sure the URLs are correct in print and online. If you provide hyperlinks on your LinkedIn profile or job boards, make sure they are active. Click every link and make sure they go where you want.

7.     Is your LinkedIn profile properly connected to your primary email address? Surprising as it may be, this is a common mistake because nobody thinks to test it. Recruiters use LinkedIn as a primary search tool – make sure the link between your profile and your email works.

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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.

Corporate Culture – And Why It Matters

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Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires. (Investopedia, 2021)

Corporate culture can be a dry subject. You can research a company all you want; you’ll never know what a company’s culture is like unless you are part of it. However, you should still use your best efforts to know as much about a company’s culture if you are interested in working for it. A company’s culture, and if you fit in it, impacts your overall success.

To go beyond vague phrases like “beliefs and behaviors” and “not expressly defined”, let’s talk about corporate cultures in terms of winning and losing. Nothing speaks to winning and losing like sports. Your job is to win, but you lose – a lot. It’s an interesting dynamic, but, just like any other company, a sports team is in business to make money and college football is a money-making machine. For example, top college football programs earn their schools up to $100 million a year – a winning team makes a lot of money. A losing team does not.

This college football season, an early surprise is the breakout success of the University of Southern California Trojans (USC). USC football has a storied history that began in 1888. The Trojans have won 37 conference championships, and 11 national championships, and boast eight Heisman trophy winners. In 2009, ESPN ranked USC football as the 2nd best program in college football history. To say that USC football has historically had a winning culture is an understatement.  However, in recent years, a series of short-term coaches produced inconsistent results.

In 2021, the Trojans had a record of 4-8 overall, and went 3-6 in their conference. Dismal. As of this writing, the Trojans are 4-0 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-12, and ranked 7th in the nation – their first ranking in the Top 10 since 2017. The season is still young, but the company’s shareholders – the NCAA, the university, the television networks, the boosters, and the fans – are cautiously optimistic. That’s an amazing turnaround in one off-season. What changed? The corporate culture of course.

Just like a company losing money, USC changed management. There is a new coach, Lincoln Riley, who won 85% of his games over five years at Oklahoma (his first job as a head coach), and a new coaching staff. The vast majority of the staff is new to USC and many followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma or had worked with him at some point. Three of USC’s starting players, including quarterback Caleb Williams, also followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, which was not without controversy.

Now the vagueness of “behaviors and beliefs” starts to take shape. The company, USC football, has a 134-year history and a culture of winning but is underperforming. New blood is brought in that personifies USC’s history and culture (its behaviors and beliefs) and the match exceeds expectations. With the new coach, staff, and players, USC football’s culture already reflects the cumulative traits of the people the company hires.

Regardless of the sport, there are many stories of the “average” player languishing in mediocrity who switches teams and becomes a superstar. The opposite is also true. Star players join a new team and their shine fades. The corporate culture is the difference. Who leads the team matters. Co-workers matter. Mission matters (especially if you’re at a start-up). Every person is part of the cumulative traits that develop organically over time into a company’s overall culture.

That’s not to say that some successful companies have terrible cultures where people suffer for money or prestige or for who knows what reason. Take the time to think about what type of corporate culture in which you believe you would thrive. Research companies and find out as much about their history and reputation as you can. The more you know, the more you can visualize whether it’s the right place for you. You’ll never know until you take the field and play the game.

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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.