A keyword rich resume can get you the job

Technology today circulates your resume directly to the hiring manager making the hiring process more effective in securing a job.

Looking to edge out your competition? A keyword rich resume can get you the job!

It wasn’t long ago that your resume was received by mail and landed on the Human Resources desk. It was read by the HR Manager and anything relevant was highlighted in yellow or circled with a read pen. Then it was walked down the hall and given to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager liked your resume you were contacted by phone and invited in for an interview.

Today technology advancements provide recruiters, human resources and hiring managers with Hiring Management Systems (HMS). These systems are ideal for large corporations or companies undergoing tremendous growth. HMSs are used in HR departments to make the applicant and hiring process more streamlined. These systems scan for keywords and make their match, scheduling and hiring decisions off of the words in your resume. Here are some of the features HMS systems offer companies:

Resumes are received via the internet (email or search engines) and transformed into applicant data. Applicants are considered for multiple openings throughout an organization and once. Not only is time saved but the system matches applicants and positions based on the required skills.

Additionally, recruiting management systems generate all types of correspondence and documents including resume received invitations for job interviews, job offers and terms of employment.

HMS systems can make the employment process more efficient, unfortunately qualified and talented applicants can easily be overlooked simply because of the way their resume is worded.

A keyword rich resume must satisfy two different audiences, the HMS system (scanner) and the hiring manager. If your resume isn’t filled with keywords then it will be overlooked by the scanner and discarded. If you pack your resume with key phrases without giving attention to content then the hiring manager will lose interest and pass you by.

Before you become discouraged, keywords can be added into a resume easily. Start with common sense words and key phrases. These can be found in the job posting.

Sample Job Posting: Energetic global company is seeking a meticulous Senior Accountant for local accounting, budget, general ledger, reporting and some auditing. 8-10 years experience required with public accounting required. CPA preferred. Collaborative leadership and team atmosphere!

Go through the job posting and underline the words that seem important or relevant for the position. In the aforementioned example all the relevant keywords are underlined.

Now it is time to sit down and write. If you are worried that a sentence will sound rigid with the keywords included, read it aloud.

Use derivations of words, related industry terms and behavioral concepts. In addition create key phrases, such as “detailed reporting” or “tax accountant”.

But what if one of the keywords doesn’t apply to my skill set? Simply add something like the following in your cover letter:

I know you mentioned that auditing was required and CPA was preferred but I would love to be considered for my exemplary track record and over 9 years of accounting experience. I am a team player and detailed senior accountant.

Notice the example used keywords mentioned in the job posting (auditing, CPA, accounting experience, team, and detailed).

Remember that keyword rich writing is very similar to conventional writing. Structure your sentences around your important concepts and let the ideas flow. With a little thought and organization your keyword rich resume can open the door to your new dream job.

Once you have a keyword rich resume, your next step is to get it out there so recruiters and their "systems" can see it! A great way to get your resume noticed by recruiters is to get it posted on the job sites. Using a service like ResumeDirector, you can get your resume posted on over 90 job sites at once. You enter your resume once and then it's available on Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, Dice, Jobwerx, etc. To find out more, visit this web link: http://www.jobwerx.com/resume_director.html

ResumeArrow is another powerful tool to increase your flow of job leads. Sign up with their site to have your resume sent by email to thousands of recruiters and employers in your industry and desired work locations. To find out more, visit this web address: http://www.resumearrow.com/def.php3?pc=13CS756

I hope your job search is going well. For information on other helpful job searching resources, please feel free to visit our web site:

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