Optimization is the name of the game these days whether be it online businesses or electronic resumes. Websites today thrive due to their increased page ranking in search engines thanks to Search Engine Optimization (or SEO in short). A similar pinch is felt in online resume posting where the right optimization increases the chances of the candidate being selected or otherwise the resume will trip over its feet.
The Sophistication of Scanning Software
Today’s employers and recruiting agents use several techniques to assist them in the screening process of the prospective employees. The use of the software-aided scanning process is wide spread over a heterogeneous base of small, medium, and large enterprises.
Resume scanners have evolved into state-of-the-art technology from a primitive form. While the earlier scanners largely prohibited special formatting and restricted the keyword search to only one area of the resume, today’s scanners can trace any type of formatting like bold, italics, underline, user-defined fonts, numbering, and bullets. They support the keyword search in the whole document scrapping any restrictions.
The sophistication entails keyword optimization in your resume so that it will be picked up during the screening process and make you an instant success.
Secret Behind the Right Keywords in Your Resume
You will hate to know that you are risking your own chances of an interview call by not using the mandatory keywords for the advertised job. A vast majority (80%) of employers and recruiters today attach a narrow set of compulsory keywords to every job profile and screens the huge volume of resumes accordingly. For example, a job profile for accountants will carry General Ledger, Fixed Assets, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash and Bank, Payroll, or reconciliations as its unique set of mandatory keywords.
If your keywords are well-chosen, you will score big and rank high on this deciding criterion. The hiring manager will see you higher on the list and will call you for an interview in all likelihood. So how will you achieve this end?
Coming Up With Golden Keywords
Your choice of keyword largely depends on whether you are targeting a specific job or you are posting a general resume. The task might look daunting at the onset but it is fairly simple if done wisely.
For a particular job application, your best bet is to use the job advertisement itself for your selection of right keywords. This must be done intuitively. You must use the list as a guide only and not to resort to a crude copy paste because it will be caught instantly by the experienced hiring manager and you will be thrown out of the competition immediately. On the other hand, the clever use of keywords related to specific job opening will increase your chances many times as your will emerge as a serious job seeker.
In case you are using job portals for your resume, you should compare your target job and the related skills you have acquired through experience. Your potential employers should be able to determine what you want to accomplish and what is your existing portfolio?
Summary
Your resume speaks for you when you are not there to present your case. It is a document that must come alive when somebody looks at it, so be sure to have it professionally written. Today, everything is done electronically. You must make past the screening process or an online job portal. Your only chance is a well-optimized resume. Just follow our guidelines and you will stand head and shoulders above the competition.
- You should study current and similar job advertisement.
- Keep in mind the job profiles in your target industry.
- Keep yourself abreast of developing trends/keywords.