Career Blog: What are key words and how should they be used when posting a resume online

Ms. Acosta what are Key words and how should I use them when posting my resume online?

Excellent question! When posting your resume online at nationwidejobfairs.com or other job boards you are entering your resume information into a database that is driven by key words.   This means that when recruiters use the database they can only find you if you use the correct key words.

Key words are like an address to your resume. You must type in the proper keywords to be found. There are hundreds of thousands of resumes in online job boards. The only way a recruiter will be able to find your resume is if the recruiter uses certain criteria in the form of key words to find you.   Most of the time recruiters will use the zipcode, the state, education, language abilities or title of profession to narrow their search.   The only way to find your resume is if you filled these sections.

Some common mistakes made by career seekers

1.       Nationwidejobfairs.com job board allows you to create a career seeker account, then gives you options to cut and paste resume, build your resume from scratch or attach a resume. The common mistake made by career seekers is NOT filling out the form completely. Some career seekers only attach a resume as a word doc or pdf. The mistake here is that if you did not manually completely fill out the form, you are decreasing the chances of being found. Each field is a key word!

2.       Career Seekers forget to add an email address : we find that this is very common. Career Seekers are hesitant to use their email addresses thinking that they will receive spam. I recommend that you create a free email address only for job opportunities. Use this on all your resumes and log in frequently to see what job opportunities you receive. But always include and email address. Recruiter will use the email first to contact you.

KEY WORD SAMPLES & TIPS

1.       Use your professional background as keywords. The more the better. For example: if a person has a clerical background he or she may use these key words: receptionist, bilingual, data entry, collections, customer service, call center

2.       Don’t waste your keywords: don’t use words like Experience, 10 years, Multi task, organized. Focus on words that describe your experience so that your resume is found.

 At Nationwidejobfairs.com we have three sections were you can enter Key words.

TARGET JOB TITLE- instead of typing “a position in which I can utilize my sales experience” use “ Sales Account Manager”

RESUME TITLE-instead of typing “Anita’s Resume” use “accountant, quickbooks, data entry, bookkeeping”

JOB DESCRIPTION –in this section we offer you the opportunity to cut and paste your entire resume. Use this opportunity. Sometimes the resume attachment function will not work and it is a good idea to cut and paste your resume.

Finally, don’t forget to update your resumes.