How Do I Know What Keywords To Use In My Résumé?

The frustrating experiences of job seekers…

Keywords have been around for a long time. My clients often ask me about keywords as if there is some clandestine group of human resource managers who maliciously plot to trick job seekers by eliminating candidates who, although qualified, are missing the magic words. It really is not that hard to figure out keywords. There are several ways to do it.

The best way to determine what keywords you should have in your résumé is to look at the job announcement itself. This is especially true of federal job announcements. You should pay particular attention to the section that describes the duties. As you read, highlight all of the technical terms used. For example, here is an excerpt of a federal job announcement with the keywords underlined:

“…Monitors progress toward organizational goals, evaluates and makes adjustments to improve the program. Identifies problems, determines accuracy and relevance of information and uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives and to make recommendations to improve programming….”

If this is the job you want to apply for, you need to make sure you have mentioned these skills somewhere in your résumé.

The next best way to locate the keywords that are most common for your profession is to look at one of the following websites here or here. Both sites are very user-friendly and will walk you through the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform any career. There is so much information on these two sites to use for your résumé, you should never again be at a loss for words.

Another place to look for keywords is on the website of the organization you are applying to. You may find details about the organization that would inspire you to add more to your résumé or cover letter. Be especially attentive to the Mission Statement for the organization. This is great information to use not only to determine if the agencies mission statement is in line with your own interests, but to prepare for an interview, should you be selected for one. It looks great to the employer if you are knowledgeable about the organization during the interview.

No matter where you find keywords, it is best to work them naturally into your résumé without copying directly from the source. And it is NEVER good to lie about your experience or exaggerate in order to make use of the keywords you found. You will feel very silly if you are asked to describe your experience as stated on the résumé and you cannot.

Wishing you the best in all your resume endeavors!

Tina

Résumé Advice From A Professional Résumé Writer

How Long Should My Résumé Be?

This is a very common question. I get asked this question everyday by senior executive’s to office assistants. Most people will tell me they had it drilled into their heads in high school that a résumé should not be more than one page. Some people will say they heard it from a résumé writing expert at their career center in college. In fact if I’m writing a resume for someone and it’s longer than a page, you can see them shifting in their seats because they are hearing those old teachers’ voices preaching the one page resume gospel. The only time I absolutely agree with a one-page resume is if you are attending a job fair.
This misunderstanding comes mainly from the fact that many hiring managers threaten to throw away long résumés because they don’t have time to read a “life story.” While it is true hiring managers, recruiters and human resources personnel do not have time to spare to read lengthy diatribes, in many cases, a one page résumé is very limiting. In fact, I was giving résumé critiques at a recent job fair and the recruiter at the table next to me told me he likes to see a page for every five years of experience. This may sound excessive, nevertheless it’s something to take into consideration when composing your résumé. Keep in mind that HR managers and recruiters read resumes in a different fashion than you may think- top to bottom, scanning for keywords, bottom to top, scanning for keywords.
A résumé is a very subjective thing. You can talk to two résumé writers and they’ll both say something different. In the end, you must base it on a few crucial things. First you must consider how much legitimate experience you have. By legitimate, I mean, is it relevant to the job you are seeking. For example, if you worked at Wendy’s part-time while you were in college 10 years ago, and now you’re seeking a promotion to a management position with the non-profit agency you’ve worked with for five years, you probably don’t need to include your Wendy’s experience.
A résumé should not tell a life story, but you should include all relevant experiences. You can figure out if your experience is legitimate if you compare your duties to the duties of the job you are applying for. On the other hand, if you are just starting out in your career and have very little experience or none at all, you may want to list those part-time jobs you had through college simply to show your level of commitment or dedication. Those managers can also be great references.

Think of writing a resume as a form of art. If you don’t draw and paint over a period of time, you might not be creating ‘masterpieces’. No one likes to continually update, rewrite, and reedit their resume so most people lose the “feel” for the art of resume writing. I’ve been professionally writing, editing, and reviewing resumes for two years and hold certifications in the field. I’m involved and actively participate in industry seminars and conferences…I know what works…

Something else you want to ask yourself is how many years of experience do you actually have. A good rule of thumb is to go back no further than 10 years. If you take that advice and mix it with the advice from the recruiter, a two page resume should be pretty typical. If it’s a double-sided resume, you’re still within your “safe” area for a “one page” resume… Now, if you are trying to change your career and you had legitimate experience 15 years ago, you could use a functional resume format and highlight the skills you gained from that position 15 years ago, without writing a life history. Check out the functional resume format for more information.
At a conference I went to recently, there was a panel of HR managers. All five agreed that they get a scowl on their faces after the second page. So, how long should a resume be? The majority of resume writers will agree that it’s based on the individual case, however two pages is an agreed standard. Of course, if you’re talking about federal resumes, all bets are off, but that’s another story…

Tina