Resume Tips: How to Choose the Right Resume Keywords

You’ve already heard about the importance of keywords, and you know your resume will need to include a set of prominent words and phrases in order to appear in keyword searches conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. If your document is transferred into a database upon submission, reviewers will use these resume keywords to pull promising resumes out of the database and narrow the applicant pool. Here’s a quick guide that will help you make sure you include the most searchable words and terms in your resume.

Table Of Contents

Read the Job Post Very Carefully

First, consider the title the employers apply to this job. Are they looking for a senior accounts manager, a manager of accounts, senior level, or a senior manager of accounts ? Make sure the title appears in your resume at least once using the exact same language.

Determine What Matters Most

What credentials seem the most important to these particular employers? Do they lay a special emphasis on the education requirements for the position or the required years of experience a candidate needs to have? Anything that appears in italics or all caps, anything that’s mentioned more than once, and anything that falls near the top of a list of requirements should appear in your resume in similar terms.

Adjust Your Skills Descriptions

Are you CPR certified or certified in CPR and first aid ? Are you a native Spanish speaker, or do you possess Spanish fluency? Make sure the phrases you use to describe your skills are the same as the ones used by the employers in the job post or on the company website.

Include a List With Resume Keywords

On the very last line of your resume, include a short list of keywords that apply to your candidacy but didn’t make it into the text of your subsections. Finding yourself with more problems with your resume? The pros of our resume builder have got your back with an easy-to-use resume builder.