What’s The Big Fuss About Keywords?

Posted by Lorraine on August 01, 2016 - Resumes - Job Hunting
The big buzz these days when it comes to job search advice is keywords. It seems like every expert out there is shouting YOU MUST HAVE THE RIGHT KEYWORDS OR YOU’LL NEVER GET A JOB. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but that’s what it seems like. The basic premise is that résumés are scanned through an applicant tracking system (ATS) and the applicants with the most keywords to match the job description will zoom to the top.

I’ve worked for numerous companies, large and small, in my career. I’ve worked for large, global firms that have sophisticated systems and I’ve worked for startups with no ATS at all and just MS Excel spreadsheets. This has given me broad exposure to several different ATS programs and here’s what you need to know:

  • They all work differently. Some systems will scan for keywords and rank you according to your “match” but some do not. It would be a big mistake to assume that they all work the same way. There is job search advice out there that will scare you into the thinking that keywords are the most important part of a résumé. Yes, they are important, but they tend to get overemphasized. The most important part of your résumé will always be describing your accomplishments and your ability to contribute the company’s bottom line. 

  • Keywords may get you the interview, but not the job. Ultimately, you will have to interview and actually communicate your value to the employer over the phone or in person. If your résumé is filled with keywords but you don’t actually have the experience, you won’t get very far. As a recruiter, I have seen this happen where candidates get called for an interview based on their résumé and then absolutely bomb the interview. They know the words to use but they can’t back it up.

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re going to get a job, and not just an interview, your résumé will eventually get read by a human. You need to write your résumé for a computer system AND a person. That means you need to include relevant keywords and relevant, tangible accomplishments.
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