Why resume keywords? If you want your resume to surface in database searches, they're critical. Also known as buzzwords and industry jargon, here's help finding the right keywords for use on your resume.
_____

Resume keywords are critical elements in modern resumes - if job seekers want those resumes to be found in databases consisting of thousands of candidates. Keywords are the jargon of a particular industry, and keywords on your resume speak to who you are within that industry. They are the words employers are searching for to establish that a candidate has a professional or academic background suitable for a particular job opening.

No Resume Keywords? You're Invisible

In just the last few years, corporations have grown dependant on resume databases; relying on keywords and search software to match candidates with job qualifications. If your resume has been slipped into a database of resumes (a more likely occurrence than not, in today's world), it needs relevant keywords in order to surface and land on the desk of a hiring manager. Without the right keywords on your resume, you're not a match to the qualifications of an available position, and you're effectively invisible.

So, where do you find relevant keywords to put on your resume?

Look For Resume Keywords Here, First

Start with the company you would like to work for. If that company is running a classified ad or an online posting for a position opening, the ad itself is likely a wealth of information. Odds are it will list not only the duties and responsibilities of the position, but it will identify a candidate's necessary qualifications and desired characteristics. You've now got your hands on a wealth of keywords already optimized for the position.

Resume Keywords Can Be Found Here, Too

Here are some other places to look for keywords relevant to your industry, to your profession.

-- Corporate websites. Most large companies today have a web presence. Google the companies in your field of work, find their website, and look for job descriptions that fit you. You can usually find them as job opportunities on a 'careers' or 'jobs' page.

-- Read a company's quarterly and annual reports, and look over news releases for technical jargon (i.e., keywords).

-- Read trade magazines and newsletters. You'll find that news articles and human interest stories frequently abound with technical jargon that you can put to use as keywords.

-- Talk with a recruiter. Recruiters know what companies are looking for, and how that's expressed in keywords. Besides, getting to know a couple of recruiters is never a bad thing during a job search, irrespective of your keyword quest.

-- Spend some time with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, available at libraries and online.

-- Consult informational sites on the Web relating to your industry. Use a search engine to pull up specialty dictionaries and glossary indexes specific to your industry or profession.

-- Visit online forums and discussion groups that cater to your profession or industry.

One Cautionary Note: Make Sure You Own The Keywords On Your Resume

Once you've identified a number of relevant keywords, make sure each one matches your skills and attributes. The last thing you want to do is to appropriate a keyword with the intent to impress readers, when you haven't a grasp of the terminology - or worse, when it's not applicable to your situation. Expect to have to back up your familiarity with - and competency in - a keyword, most likely in an interview setting.

Once you're confident that your list of keywords accurately reflects you, incorporate them into your resume - most notably in the summary or profile section, but also throughout your work history as appropriate.