The Truth About Key Words
by Jewel Bracy DeMaio

Keywords are certainly critical in making an employer stand up and take notice of your resume. But using keywords properly is even more critical.

First, let's discuss what key words actually are. They are words in your resume meant to communicate that you are knowledgeable about your field. Key words are industry-specific. They are lingo. They are jargon. They are buzz words.

To make your resume competitive in today's job market, key words have to be placed correctly. Several years ago that meant using a key word section on your resume. The heading would be "Key Words" and it would contain a paragraph of terms all separated by commas. Employers, or better yet, resume scanners, would read these keywords and determine that you knew what you were talking about. But that was the old system.

Today, a better way to show that you know what you're talking about is to weave key words through the entire text of your resume. So, don't just show that you know key words. Rather, demonstrate to potential employers that you've succeeded at tasks involving industry-specific concepts.

About the author: Jewel Bracy DeMaio