Keywords are the secret to getting a computer to notice your job application

Among the comments here are several complaints from people who say they don’t get responses from the letters of application that they send out.

Here is a suggestion from Dice.com, a technical recruitment firm, for making sure your resume doesn’t get lost in the slush pile.

Make sure your keywords match. If you are applying online for a job at something larger than a mom-and-pop firm, the computer will initially sort and rank your resume. Only those resumes with the right keywords will be reviewed by a person with some input into the hiring process. The rest are just swept from the system.

To avoid having your resume meet this fate, add a keyword section at the very bottom of your online resume. Include words that are in the job description for which you’re applying. Also, list skills that are related but not in your resume and any other words that you think might be relevant.

Make absolutely sure that these keywords are spelled correctly. If they aren’t, the computer will overlook them.

It’s sad to think you have to outsmart a computer to get hired, but in a lot of cases, it’s true.

Article source: http://www.mlive.com/jobs/index.ssf/2011/07/keywords_are_the_secret_to_getting_a_com.html

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