It's no secret that a CV needs to be worded quite carefully if it is to accomplish the job applicant's hoped-for results. While you're drafting the wording for your career highlights, job duties, and other essential information for your CV you should give some serious attention to keywords
It's often been said that saying the right words at the right time is the key to success in the business world. If you have a line in your presentation that really captures attention, or if you say something particularly clever in a job interview you may be able to achieve a career high you never dreamed possible.
How the High-Tech Revolution Changed CV Reading
There was a time when employers took a stack of CVs that had been handed to them by their secretaries and proceeded to read through them, carefully laying aside those CVs that featured applicants that appeared to be suitable to the companies' needs. Of course, this was a painstaking, time-intensive process, and a manager who was bored or tired might inadvertently put a CV in the wrong pile in the process of getting through the stack.
However, with the advent of sophisticated technology, the CV-reading process has changed dramatically. A number of human resource executives note that such changes were inevitable, given the large volume of CVs that are routinely delivered to a manager's inbox. If hundreds of CVs are submitted for a given job, a corporate headhunter must find some way to scale that paper mountain in order to find the right candidate. As a result, an increasing number of employers are digitising the CVs that pour into their offices. The documents can then be placed into keyword-searchable databases in order to isolate those CVs that contain "the magic words".
Getting Noticed
One CV-writing expert now estimates that more than 80 percent of all CVs are searched for job-related keywords. Therefore it only makes sense to make your CV as keyword-attractive as possible.
You will need to craft your CV so that it contains the keywords that a manager is searching for with regard to a particular position. While job titles often serve as keywords, you cannot change the titles you've held, so you should consider focusing instead on job skills. If you're applying for an IT job, for instance, you'll want to list specific technological skills in your CV. You'll also want to be sure to include the names of software and hardware that you've worked with (this is probably true even if you are not applying for a job that does not require a BA in computer science).
Key Things to Consider About Keyword Placement
It's highly important to recognise the fact that including critical keywords in your CV copy is not enough to secure an interview for the job you desire. You'll also need to place keywords appropriately within the text. At one time, CV-writing experts recommended placing a simple list of keywords at the beginning of your CV, but that conventional thinking doesn't seem to hold true anymore. While you should try to place keywords near the beginning of your CV rather than at the tail end, it's best if you incorporate keywords throughout the body of your document.
By crafting your CV in this way, you will achieve two important goals:
1.) keyword-searching software will pick up all relevant keywords within your text and
2.) you'll be able to attract and hold the attention of a company manager who might be bored by a long list of keywords headlining your CV.
Also, don't forget about the often-overlooked synonym. While you can make an educated guess about the types of keywords an employer is looking for, you're not a mind reader. Therefore, in addition to a generous use of one of your keyword favourites, be sure to include synonyms for the word as well. By following this advice, it's more likely that your CV will have the keywords the employer is actually searching for.
How Many Keywords Are Enough?
Once you begin the process of selecting keywords, it's imperative that you make sure that you include a sufficient number of keywords in your CV. One Internet CV expert recommends aiming for 25 to 35 keywords, and also suggests that you include as many variations as possible. In this way, you can work to make your CV as keyword-rich as possible – without making it a dull read.
Once you've devised a keyword-intensive CV, think of the document as being subject to change. After all, in your conversations with your colleagues, you may discover that new keywords have come to the fore in your field. It's also a wise idea to refresh your CV for each position you're applying to since different companies and different jobs may require a different list of keywords. A highly customised CV is often a successful CV.
Should You Avoid Certain Keywords?
The quick answer to this is an emphatic yes. When posting your CV on the internet, you'll want to steer clear of those keywords that might be associated with the type of job you don't want. For instance, if you don't want a position selling insurance, it might be wise for you to avoid the word "sales" in your CV if at all possible. Avoiding keywords is not deceptive, it's simply a good marketing concept.
By selecting the proper keywords, you should be able to create a CV that truly sets you apart from your competitors, garnering the types of job interviews you're looking for. A CV that has its fair share of winning keywords can usually pass the keyword-searching test, getting you one step closer to the position you deserve.
