Ultimate Resume: Why Keywords Matter

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Did you know that most companies today send resumes through an application tracking system or ATS? It is a resume screening software tool that searches resumes for keywords. Using these keywords in your resume is the first step to securing an in-person interview.

According to Rebecca Mumford, Regional Northeast Recruiter for the USA Today Network, “Our software(s) will weed through resumes and tell me that someone is disqualified because they didn’t put these words on a resume. I may have a database of 1,000 resumes but only five come through as meeting our requirements based on these key word searches.”

How to find keywords

Scan through the job description and look for the keywords. For example, if a job description says that you need to have a “working knowledge of Microsoft Excel”, you would want to make sure to include a bullet point about your knowledge of Microsoft Excel. Besides including these keywords within your bullet points, you can even add a skills section at the top of your resume that lists these keywords in bullet format. For example:

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe In-Design
  • Dreamweaver
  • SEO

Ms. Mumford goes on to say, “Flood your resume with keywords.” This means that you have to do your research. Really spend time working on your bullet points to make them a succinct and concrete as possible filled with these keywords! It also means that you have cater each resume to the specific job you are applying for. It may take a little more time and effort but the end result will be worth it!

Get help creating a resume

St. Petersburg College offers an online tool called “Optimal Resume” which will walk you through how to create a resume. This tool is available to students and alumni of St. Petersburg College. Once you’ve created your resume in Optimal Resume, you can submit it for review right in the tool. Just choose an SPC career professional listed there. Look for  the link to Optimal Resume in the bottom right hand side of your “MyCourses” homepage under Additional  Resources or by clicking here.

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