Does Your CV Have The Powerful Keywords ?

A recruiter spends not more than 6.25 seconds on a CV to shortlist a candidate for a job interview. Not to mention that the CV should be written in a way to get the desired attention of the hiring manager!

To optimize the possibility that your CV entices the employer’s attention and does not go into the trash box, you should be aware of what needs to be included in your CV to pass through the CV scanning tool used by recruiters.

It is the time to include the “Magic Keywords” in your CV.

If you are thinking, what should be a CV keyword and what difference does it make in your CV screening, read on.

Keywords are specific phrases or words used to define a job role, experience and skill sets. These keywords can be anything related to the job description, industry or a specific job role. For instance, if the employer has mentioned the desired skill set as excellence in building customer database, mentioning the same phrase in your resume increases chances of your resume picked up.

In Internet’s dependence on job search, where technology is the master, recruiters rely on ATS to screen candidates from a sea of job applications. In order to pick the right CV and save time, mentioning job specific keywords in the CV helps the employer to identify your document.

Incorporating the right keyword at the right place is critical, as you cannot just randomly choose any job specific keyword that is not even related to the job opening you applied for.

Study the job description and take some relevant keywords from it. Some useful sources that can get you the appropriate keywords for your CV include the job description, company website, similar job advertisements, and industry specific terms. However, there are also certain keywords that go well with several industries and job roles. Add the keywords that best fit with your work experience.

Take a look at some of the important keywords:

Like the selection of a right keyword, its placement is equally important. The addition of these words should be done correctly, as keyword stuffing can do the harm. It is ideal to use the keywords near the opening lines of your professional summary or at other relevant sections where it makes more sense. For instance, if the employer has mentioned a specific skill such as excellent communication skill, then mention the keyword at the time of listing your skills and not just random place anywhere.

Without cluttering your CV with industry buzzwords, you can mention keywords only at the places where it is more appropriate, such as the career summary and job headline.

Apart from these keywords that employers usually look for, there are some terms that you should completely banish from your CV include terms of praise and too generic words, such as self-motivated, team player, hard worker, result-driven, and dynamic.

Instead of mentioning your achievements in a generic way, it is always recommended to support whatever you have written. For example, stating that you increased the monthly sales target of your team by 35 percent in the last 3 months makes more sense than simply mentioning that you added value to the targets of your company.

The bottom line:

With time, everything changes and so should your job search strategy. Your purpose is to create a CV for the employer and get the interview call. Not being able to walk with the current requirements will make you stay behind in the competitive job market.