Have you ever thought about how recruiters skim through the hundreds of resumes they receive? They certainly don’t go through each one of them! Well, they have a simple solution – they simply look for certain keywords (that match the job description) before they even read your resume. Sometimes, this task is done by software too. Either way, it makes it essential for applicants like you to optimize your resume with certain keywords. That is exactly where we intend to guide you about choosing the most impactful keywords for your resume!

First, let’s learn a little about the ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) – these software analyze the content of a resume to allow hiring managers to search for keywords. 

Optimizing the keywords on a resume is essential to creating a resume that doesn’t slip through the cracks. 

Some ATS even automatically rate a resume based on how well the content matches the job description.

Now, the importance of impactful keywords for your resume is not just in it being ATS friendly but also in making your point precise. 

Think about it, would you prefer a one page long resume that says the same things that a longer resume does?
Well, we don’t know about you but we are certain about employers preferring it!

Before we start, if you’re in a hurry and want to save time, just tap here.
You can select from a wide range of eye-catchy templates, fill a quick form and have our team of HR professionals make the perfect resume for you.

Never lie on your resume. However, you always have the
option to articulate well and present your skills in an effective way!

 

So, how do we find the most impactful keywords or phrases for resumes? 

Keep reading! We’ll get through this together and you’ll soon know what resume keywords to use to finally get that dream job.

 

WHAT ARE KEYWORDS?

• Resume keywords and phrases are specific abilities, skills, expertise and traits recruiters and hiring managers look for in a candidate. 
• Keywords consist of job-related nouns that describe your hard and soft skills and qualifications for a job. 
• Action verbs demonstrate what you’ve accomplished in your past experiences. 
• Combining keywords and action verbs create phrases that employers or systems scan for. Resumes that don’t have appropriate keywords do not appear in the search results, so they’re not read. 
• In recruiter lingo, these resumes are stuck in the ‘black hole of applications’.
• Not just this, the frequency or the number of times a keyword is used is also noted. 

 

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

Have you heard the phrase “First Impression Matters”? 

Here. Here, your resume is what creates that first impression.

 

To understand better, let’s look at statistics–

• On average, a corporate job position attracts 250 resumes. Out of these 5-10 people get called for an interview and only 1 person finally gets the job.
• A recruiter spends just 6 seconds on a single resume.
• 63% of recruiters want to receive resumes tailored to the open position.
• Job Application Success rate is 2-3.5%. People generally send out 30-40 applications before getting a call back.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Let’s be on the same page about resumes in general. Do you think a single resume works for all job openings or should you customise it for every opening? 

Let’s hope you find the answer for yourself in a few minutes.

• The most impactful keywords appropriate for a job application can be first found by perusing the job description or the ad that informs of the opening. 

For instance, if you want to apply for a Business Analyst’s position, your previous work experience and skills in the particular field must be highlighted effectively. 

How do we do that? 

Writing long paragraphs to elaborate it? 

Maybe not.

What if your resume mentions words that catch the ATS or the hiring team’s attention in a single look? Sure, sounds great!

 

• Along with step 1, we suggest you go through the company’s website and related pages, like who comprises the top management and how are their skills put forth. You can find what fits for you and use it too!
  So if the About Us page on the company’s website emphasizes on them being ‘Creative’ or ‘Providing Speedy Solutions’ your resume should ideally have related words mentioned on it.

• Step 1and 2 are crucial but do not forget to spread out the keywords in your resume such that it is not just concentrated in your title or skill section. If you do include a keyword in your skills section, make sure that skill shows up elsewhere. 
• Don’t go overboard with the usage of keywords. Use keywords in context with the particular job. The same title may require different qualities in different companies. This answers the question earlier, doesn’t it? 

 

You may ask what’s the big deal here?

You can just copy paste these skills but have you thought whether the designing job requirements would be the same at all places? Will a company prefer someone with Graphic Designing and Web Designing skills or either skill along with some experience in management?

So, in such cases you would require keywords from both domains. Not just that, select the most appropriate and impactful ones so that you don’t just hoard your resume with words making it look obnoxious. 

TYPES OF KEYWORDS

• Until now, we spoke of the most impactful Keywords that are job-related.
  However, there are other categories of keywords as well. Namely, action verbs and keywords related to soft skills!
• For example,
  If your job-related keyword is ‘Senior Management’
  The action verb for it can be ‘Managed’ or ‘Led’
  And the soft skill pertaining to it can be ‘Leadership’, ‘Decision Making’ or ‘Problem Solving’, ‘Empathy’.Let’s take the example of a ‘Data Analyst’
  The action verbs would be ‘Identified’, ‘Analysed’ and ‘Executed’
  Along with relevant hard skills, a Data Analyst should mention soft skills such as, ‘Responsible’, ‘Critical Thinking’, ‘Attention to detail’ or ‘Risk Assessment’.
• Hence, when a job-related skill or a hard skill speaks about your core qualifications, the action verbs say how you achieved it and the soft skills talk about what qualities helped you in the process. 

 

Most valuable Soft Skills to add in your resume

 

• Communication
• Leadership
• Time Management
• Problem Solving
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Multitasking
• Critical Thinking
• Organizational Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Emotional Intelligence
• Creativity
• Persuasion
• Collaboration
• Work Ethic
• Interpersonal Skills

 

Most Powerful Action Verbs mentioned-

 

• Trained
• Worked
• Maintained
• Handled
• Managed
• Addressed
• Corresponded
• Persuaded 
• Publicized
• Consolidated
• Appointed
• Delegated
• Established
• Assisted
• Planned
• Produced
• Implemented
• Assisted
• Generated
• Stimulated

 

How will the system detect impactful keywords if your template does not allow it? 

It will be a relief for you to know that all our templates are ATS-friendly!

To sum up, let’s say that-

A resume won’t get you a job directly, but a bad one will surely eliminate you.

Tap to check out some ATS Friendly Templates!

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Visit www.rapidezwriter.com for more advice. Also check our expert services.

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