Tips to Strengthen Your Resume

Utilize Keywords

Keywords are nouns, phrases, industry “buzz words,” or acronyms used within a particular field, job description, or list of employer requirements. The keywords in a resume give important information about the job seeker. These include things like: technical expertise, management knowledge, education and training, and/or work history. Employers use resume screening software to identify qualified candidates. If your resume includes job-specific keywords, then it is more likely to be selected.

What Are the Right Keywords?

No set list of keywords works for all jobs. The list varies from one job opening to the next, depending on the job requirements. Job postings are great for identifying important keywords and will tell you exactly what employers want. You can even print out a posting, highlight keywords, and use it as a checklist of keywords for your resume.

Placement of Keywords in your Resume

Weave keywords into the statements/descriptions in your resume. For example, you could talk about your management skills in one of your summary statements (“skilled at project management, conflict resolution, and internal communications”). Also, look for ways to make lists of your keywords under logical headings. For example, you could put all of your computer applications under a “Computer Skills” heading.