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Keyword searchability is critical to resume submission success in
today’s computer-driven workplace. It is the degree to which
your information lends itself to electronic combing for certain
"key" words and phrases that could single you out for an
interested recruiter or employer. Virtually the entire working
world now utilizes keyword searchable (KWS) databases for managing
the mounds of information required in the employment/hiring
process. This means that, for the most part, the likelihood of
your resume being found among the masses depends less on an
eye-and-hand movement as a chip-driven scan movement. So how do
you prepare your materials to get noticed under such hi-tech
scrutiny? By "loading"…often, and well.
To "load" your resume and cover letter means to chock
them full of all key words and phrases necessary to stand out in a
database search for someone with your experience, skills,
certifications, background, accomplishments, location, and even
desires. You would be amazed to learn how many resumes of people
working for ABC Company never mention exactly what field,
products, or services ABC company engages in. Likewise, every day
job-seeking sales people, for example, describe phenomenal results
and figures in their paperwork but forget to include such words as
"sold," "sell," "sales," etc. These
resumes, held completely intact and searched word-for-word by
today’s resume management systems, WILL NOT show up in a
search unless they contain the exact words or phrases that the
recruiter/company is searching for.
What areas should you focus on for "loading?" Consider
these:
1. FUNCTION/SKILLS/RESPONSIBILITIES
It is important to express your job function clearly. In addition
to titles (preferably not abbreviated), include the main
responsibilities carried out in that function. For example, in the
world of sales, an oft-used hiring criteria for certain positions
is the ability to "cold-call," "canvass" or
"prospect" for new accounts. So, a sales representative
with these skills seeking to utilize them in his next position,
would most certainly include them: they are KWS. Another example:
you are a financial analyst and your past experience does not
include work in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or 10K
reporting, but you do want to move into this area. In the
"Objective" on your resume and in your cover
letter, be sure to state these skills as areas of interest:
OBJECTIVE: To
secure a growth-oriented position as a Senior Financial
Analyst with a focus on SEC and 10K reporting
The point is to
leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all words key
to your primary functions and duties, or desired functions and
duties, are included in the body of your resume and cover letter.
2.
JOB-SPECIFIC TERMS OR PHRASES
Often there are words and
phrases specific to a particular field. To the depth that a
headhunter’s client requires her to go in search of the
"perfect candidate," these words and phrases can become
KWS targets. For instance, one of my clients seeking to fill 3
Human Resource Manager positions around the country required that
a candidate have hands-on experience dealing with "cultural
change" and "change management." Therefore, these
phrases became search criteria and, to my amazement when
conducting a keyword search, many candidates had those specific
phrases in the body of their resume. Another example would be a
salesperson with "business-to-business" and/or
"one-call close" sales experience. These phrases could
also be targets for a keyword search.
In technical fields, it is vitally important that every
technical term, process, certification, or knowledge be stated
specifically. Interestingly, technical candidates, be they
engineering-, programming-, or systems-related, are often the best
at spelling out these KWS targets. One caution, however, when
abbreviating technical terms or phrases: a good rule of thumb is
to both spell out and abbreviate those that you have seen
spelled out before. If you have never seen an acronym or
abbreviation spelled out, then just include the acronym or
abbreviation without spelling it out. For example, for
professionals in manufacturing, JIT is a process for
"just-in-time" delivery of raw materials. This phrase is
seen both abbreviated and spelled out, so do both in your resume.
However, the acronym OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration) is hardly ever spelled out, so neither would you.
3. SPECIFIC PRODUCTS/SERVICES
As mentioned above, often I see resumes from seemingly strong
candidates with stable work histories but without indication of
the products or services with which they have been involved. Most
recruiters’ clients want candidates who already have experience
with similar products or services. Therefore, this is an important
KWS criteria in conducting a database search. Often, especially in
a "functional" resume, specific areas of responsibility
or duties are outlined for 90% of a person’s resume, leaving
only a few lines to state dates and places of employment. Beware: most
company names say nothing about their particular line of work.
"XYZ Company" does not tell me whether they
produce or sell widgets or wigs. So, it is vitally important to
spell out the types of products or services your employers and
you, specifically, have dealt with. Be careful not to assume that
the reader understands anything not stated: though "Gerber
Foods" conjures up an immediate association of baby food
on my child’s face, the floor, and my shirt, my childless
computer can’t assume anything. State "baby food"
clearly on your resume.
4.
INDUSTRY OR WORK ENVIRONMENT
The computer also can’t
distinguish which field you are in by the name of your
employer. "Sony Pictures" does not say you are in
the "entertainment" industry, and a specific industry is
always a KWS target. Also, if your past employers have been
"manufacturing" companies or you have been involved in
"industrial" or "international" sales, then
you want those KWS words to be in the body of your resume.
These are only a few
main areas to be specific about. Other KWS targets would be
degrees, certifications, geographic locations, and even awards.
Remember, though your resume and cover letter will be seen initially
by recruiters to determine whether or not you should go into the
database, the only way they will see it again is if it’s fully
loaded with all the words and phrases that point the way to the
perfect position for you.
"Keep your
resume locked, loaded, and ready to fire at all times…"
—Harvey Mackay, Sharkproof
Darrell
W. Gurney, Certified
Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Job & Transition Coach (JCTC),
and Licensed Spiritual Counselor (RScP), is Principal of A Permanent
Success National Career/Search Partners (www.APSCareerSearch.com)
and author of Headhunters
Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional
Recruiters ($14.95, Softcover), available online at http://www.HeadhuntersRevealed.com
or by calling 1-877-4-HEADHUNT.
Headhunters Revealed! received the Clarion Award for Best Book from
the Association for Women in Communications, has been reviewed in Publishers
Weekly and the American Library Association's Booklist,
and has been featured in nationally syndicated career columnist
Joyce Lain Kennedy's "Careers Now." Sign up for a FREE
monthly subscription to The
Career Secrets™ Newsletter at http://www.CareerSecrets.com
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