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What Is a Keyword?
Keywords are those descriptive words, usually nouns, that are associated
with specific disciplines or industries. Keywords are important
because they are considered standardized for specific industries. For
example, if you were an accountant, keywords would include: cost
accounting, budget analysis, auditing, tax, etc. Keywords can be critical
in the world of software management and job searching. Employers and
recruiters may take your resume and cover letter (especially if sent
electronically) and do a computerized search for keywords or descriptors
that match the profile they are seeking. Think of it as a prescreening
process. For example, a finance director for Microsoft hiring a staff
accountant might have a scan or search of resumes and cover letters
completed for the words listed above, and if they aren’t on your materials,
you could miss the first cut.
Keywords play an integral role in two areas of the resume screening
process. One is the human element, when hiring and nonhiring
managers are screening resumes for words and phrases that match the
criteria they are seeking. The second is the computer search, where
computers search the data on many different resumes to select those
that match the words and phrases. That is how posted resumes on Web
sites like Monster.com work.
Prescreening by Personnel
Keywords can be very important outside the computer search arena. In
many cases, the initial scan of resumes is completed by either a human
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resources person or an assistant to the hiring manager. Even the most
competent people doing this function can only do a high-level job of
resume scanning if they are not intimately aware of the position or are
not hiring for themselves. That is why it is important to keep a certain
amount of “boilerplate” in your resume.
A client of ours named David Robinson comes to mind. He worked
for Verizon Wireless and was curious about an advertisement he saw
for a position with Ericcson. We updated his resume in the style that
looks like that on pages 56–57 from our first book, 101 Best Resumes.
The key to that resume style was the use of the left column for a listing
of accounts—that really becomes the core of the resume if you work
in an account-driven environment like sales. The hiring manager called
David for an interview and told him: “We’ve had so many resumes that
I told my assistant not to bring me any more unless they look like a perfect
fit. The way that you listed your accounts on the first page of the
resume was a great way to show us who your contacts are.” So, the
initial screening was conducted by his assistant, who was only scanning
resumes for key items (words, even things like industry-specific
terms, product names, etc.), and his resume effectively illustrated his
sales accounts.
Don’t make the readers work to learn what you’re all about. Even
in a four percent unemployment environment, the competition for good
jobs is too stiff.
The Online Environment
Today, the Internet environment brings a new way of distributing your
resume. As part of the “boilerplate” activities that people do when beginning
to market themselves to potential employers, using the Internet
is now a standard resource tool. One of the first things many people
do is post their resumes on Web sites like Monster.com or
Headhunter.net. Corporate recruiters and independent recruiters do
review resumes posted on these sites. It works best when the search
field is very narrow. If you were to do a keyword search of all the resumes
posted on Monster.com for telecommunications, for example, the
return would be in the thousands. However, if you narrowed the search
to MMDS narrowband spectrum management, the return would be significantly
lower. So, you need to whittle your skills down as much as
possible to help the right people find you through these keyword
searches. Keywords make your traditional resume electronically
retrievable in resume databases like Monster.com or Headhunter.net.
After your resume is entered electronically into a resume database
like that on Monster.com, it is ready to be searched and ranked. A hiring
manager or recruiter then decides which keywords best identify the
skills needed in a candidate, and based upon those keywords, has the
system search the resume database. Typically, the reviewer will have
several keywords that are required and others that are optional.
When the search engine recognizes a keyword in your resume, it is
called a “hit.” Your resume is ranked according to the number of keyword
hits. Only resumes that have the required keywords are found. Of
4 What Is a Keyword?
those, resumes that have more of the desired keywords rank higher,
and will be selected first to be read by a human reviewer. Other factors
that can affect search rankings include proximity to other keywords
and how close to the top of the page keyword hits occur. Therefore, in
addition to placing keywords relevant to your field throughout your resume
and cover letter, an extra “keyword summary” should be created
near the top of your resume specifically for a resume search engine. Our
resume guides provide many examples of how to do this in constructing
the opening part of your resume.
A good “Summary of Qualifications” provides an opportunity to include
listings of keywords that may not fit in the rest of the written
part of the resume. The more keywords you have, the greater the likelihood
of ranking high in the search.
Keywords
Below is a plain-formatted resume that is representative of something
that might be pasted in the application area on Monster.com. Highlighted
in gray are the keywords. Granted, this resume is an exaggerated
version of the use of keywords. Still, it will give you a good perspective.
Also, it’s no secret that the more specialized a position is, the
greater the role that keywords will play. However, even if you’re in sales
or general management, key industry terms can be very helpful.
What Is a Keyword? 5
Dan Schmitz
1234 Hereford Highway
Kansas City, MO 12345
H: (913) 555-1111 W: (913) 555-1111; E-mail: danschmitz@technology.net
Keyword Summary
Systems Engineer. Client Server System Architect. Systems Analysis. Systems Integration. Network
Administration. Database Administration. Systems Administration. Software Engineering.
Troubleshooting Computing Systems. C++. Visual Basic. SQL. UNIX Shell Script. Windows. MS
DOS. Windows NT. TCP/IP. OSI. Microsoft LAN Manager. Novell Netware. Project Management.
Trade Studies. Consulting. BETA Tester. Technical Presentations. Sales Presentations. Instructor.
BS Degree. Mathematics and Computer Science. UCLA. Air Force Institute of Technology.
Computer Engineering.
Summary of Qualifications
Seven years of experience in designing, installing, and troubleshooting computing systems.
Programming: C, C++, Visual BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, SQL, OSF/Motif, UNIX Shell Script
(sh, ksh, csh), BASIC, Clipper, Algol 68, and 80X86 Assembler.
Operating Systems: UNIX (bsd & SVr3/r4), MS Windows, MS DOS, MS Windows NT, Solaris,
HP-UX, Ultrix, AIX, VAX/VMS, and Macintosh System 7.
Networking: TCP/IP, OSI, Microsoft LAN Manager, Novell Netware, DDN, Internet, Ethernet,
Token Ring, SNA, X.25, LAN-WAN interconnection.
Applications: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Project,
Microsoft Publisher, Lotus 123, Lotus Freelance, System Architect, and others.
Professional Experience
Network Engineer
Netcom, Dallas, Texas 1996–Present
* Provide systems engineering, software engineering, technical consulting, and marketing
services as a member of the Systems Integration Division of a software engineering consulting
company.
* Designed and managed the development of an enterprise-level client/server automated
auditing application for a major financial management company migrating from mainframe
computers, db2, and FOCUS to a workgroup-oriented, client/server architecture involving
Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT Advanced Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle7, and
UNIX.
* Designed an enterprise-level, high-performance, mission-critical, client/server database system
incorporating symmetric multiprocessing computers (SMP), Oracle7’s Parallel Server,
Tuxedo’s on-line transaction processing (OLTP) monitor, and redundant array of inexpensive
disks (RAID) technology.
* Conducted extensive trade studies of a large number of vendors that offer leading-edge technologies;
these studies identified proven (low-risk) implementations of SMP and RDBMS systems
that met stringent performance and availability criteria.
Education
University of Kansas, B.S. Software Engineering and Computer Communications
GPA: 3.43
Specialized Training
Database Administration, Performance Tuning, and Benchmarking with Oracle7; Oracle Corporation.
Interactive UNIX System V r4 (POSIX) System Administration; ETC, Inc.
Effective Briefing Techniques and Technical Presentations; William French and Associates, Inc.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP); Technology Systems Institute.
LAN Interconnection Using Bridges, Routers, and Gateways; Information Systems Institute.
OSI X.400/X.500 Messaging and Directory Service Protocols; Communication Technologies,
Inc.
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Skills Lead to Keywords
Have you ever known a highly successful sales professional who didn’t
have a firm grasp and knowledge of his or her product? An awardwinning
professor that did not know his or her material? Ask experienced
salespeople what the secret to success is, and they’ll say that it’s
knowing the product, knowing the customer, and matching the benefits
of the product to the needs of the customer. This is a powerful success
formula.
The job search is a sales and marketing endeavor. There is simply
no way around this: You are the product, you are the salesperson, and
you must define your customers and promote yourself to them. So, like
the highly successful salesperson, the key to your success is to know
your product (you) inside and out, and match the benefits of the product
to the needs of your potential customers (prospective employers). In
sales, we call this selling features and benefits. You must know the features
of the product, known as “marketable skills,” and determine what
specific benefits result from those features that would interest a
prospective employer. In other words, the only reason for someone to
hire you is for the benefit that you offer that person or company. If
interviewers were to ask you what your strengths are, what skills you
bring to the table, or what contributions you feel you could make to the
company, they are actually asking you to identify your features and the
benefit that the company would realize by hiring you.
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In order to communicate effectively the features and benefits of
the product, namely you, you must first take an inventory of your skills.
In the simplest of terms, there are three categories of skills:
_ Job-related (or academic) skills
_ Transferable skills
_ Self-management skills
JOB-RELATED/TECHNICAL SKILLS
There are four categories of job-related skills: 1) working with people,
2) working with data and information, 3) working with things, and 4)
working with ideas. Though most of us work with all four categories at
one time or another, we tend to be attracted to one or two areas in particular.
Successful teachers, customer service representatives, and
salespeople must be particularly skilled at working with people. Financial
controllers, weathermen, and statistical forecasters possess
outstanding skills in working with data and information. Engineers,
mechanics, and computer technicians enjoy using their skills to work
with things, and inventors, writers, and advertising professionals must
have solid creativity and idea skills.
For the keyword exercise, place most emphasis on working with
data and information; uncover skills that are objective and as specific
as possible.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Transferable skills are just that—transferable from one environment
to another. If you enjoy working with people, your specific transferable
skills might include leadership, training, entertainment, mentoring,
mediation, persuasion, public speaking, conflict resolution, or problemsolving
skills. If you enjoy working with data and information, your
specific transferable skills might include research, analysis, proofreading,
editing, arranging, budgeting, assessing, measuring, evaluating,
surveying, or pricing. If you enjoy working with things, your specific
transferable skills might include knowledge of equipment, repair, maintenance,
installation, setup, troubleshooting, or building. And finally, if
you enjoy working with ideas, your specific transferable skills might
include creating, developing, reengineering, restructuring, painting,
writing, problem solving, planning, or brainstorming.
So take 15 minutes, sit down with a pen, and paper and write
down all the skills and abilities you possess that have value to a company.
Transferable skills are marketable and tangible qualifications
that will have value to many organizations. An accountant, human
resources manager, or logistics manager at General Motors has tangible
transferable skills that are of value to many companies both in and
out of the automotive industry.
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SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Self-management skills are skills that are personality and value oriented.
Self-management skills are those that describe your attitude
and work ethic. They include creativity, energy, enthusiasm, logic,
resourcefulness, productive competence, persistence, adaptability, and
self-confidence. One cautionary note, however: Try not to be too general
in describing your self-management skills. When you identify a specific
skill, always be prepared to explain how that skill will benefit a
prospective employer. For example, if you’re analytical, how does that
make you better prepared for a position you have designed for yourself?
When you identify and recognize your skills, you begin to know
your product. If you know your product inside and out, you will never
be caught off guard in an interview. In fact, you will be able to reinforce
your value by emphasizing specific accomplishments you’ve achieved in
the past, using those specific skills.
In summary, writing a resume with good keyword descriptors
requires that you identify your marketable skills because they represent
the heart of the resume. Your ability to sell yourself confidently in
an interview despite stiff competition depends on knowing your skills
and communicating the benefits of those skills to the interviewer.
Strategic resume preparation begins with identifying what you have to
offer based on where you plan to market yourself. It is the foundation
for developing a powerful resume, and will be the foundation of successful
interviewing as well.
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