In the hunt for a new job? You’re certainly not alone. With more than seven and a half million people looking for work, it’s tougher than ever to stand out in the crowd. But ABC7 Eyewitness News found out the words you use in your resume can mean the difference between a new job and unemployment.
Monster, Hot Jobs, Careerbuilder are just three of the biggest online job sites. And, they list tens of thousands of openings every day. If you’re looking for work, you’ll probably be asked to submit your resume online. A few choice words may help you land your dream job.
The job search: It’s something everyone does but almost everyone dreads.
Will Cope is trying to land a job in television sports. He’s hoping his resume and cover letter will make it to the top of the pile. That’s a good thing…because these days- many firms now use scanning systems to weed through the hundreds of resumes they receive for each posting. Online job sites also flag resumes the high tech way.
Rick Castellini from Careerbuilder says that means you need to make sure your resume contains important buzzwords. You can find them right in the job posting- most are loaded with keywords like: job title, general business terms, degrees and certifications: even words associated with the skills the company is looking for. That may mean tweaking your resume each time you apply for a job.
A word of caution, don’t overdo it. Make sure you can back up your keyword claims. And while getting there these days is not a piece of cake, experts say these buzzwords will help land a job more quickly.
Another important note: when posting your resume online, be sure to keep it scanner-friendly. That means: toss out the fancy fonts and decorative headers. The resume must be easy to read on a computer.
