Applying for a Job Online – Pay Attention to Your Keywords

Applying for a job online and submitting your resume online in anticipation of being “found” by a recruiter is often very frustrating. First of all, it often seems like forever before you get any news; and then when you do get news, it is often invitation for jobs that you might not even want. Why does the job offer you are interested in not come your way? What are you doing wrong?

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You are Not Paying Attention to Keywords

When you are posting your CV online you need to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. They are searching for the right candidate; what do you think they would type in the search bar when they want say, 'Manager - Sales and Marketing'. What would you type if you were the recruiter? The recruiter will not type in 'Manager Sales Marketing'. Instead, they will type in the search bar the characteristics they want in a candidate.




How Do Use the Right Keywords?

Make a list of the qualities and qualifications that you think are key in your line of work. Now put those keywords throughout your resume in the most natural manner. You need to make the main keywords come up once or twice every 100 words if you want your resume to come up during the right job search.

If you want a job in marketing and sales you need to use keywords such as 'channel management' , 'sales management', 'contract negotiations', 'market research analysis', 'consultative selling', 'customer retention', 'relationship management', 'sales strategizing', 'product development' and so on.

Recruiters will look for people who have these qualities/qualifications/experience on their CV. Now go back to your CV. Make a list of the keywords that describe your job responsibilities best and ensure that you put in these keywords in your CV.

The best way to use these keywords is to incorporate them as naturally as possible within the CV. Remember, it is as important for your CV to pop up in the search as it is to impress the recruiter in the first 10-20 seconds of reading it.

Here are the tips that will make this task easier:

• Make a list of keywords before you start writing your CV for online submission. Use those keywords while you write the CV.
  
  
• Use bullet points as much as possible; you can say more with less words and you can easily use all the keywords you want in this style.
  
  
• Keep the online CV as brief as you can. If it is too long it might take longer to upload, and the recruiter will move along to another person.

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