Career Resource Center : The final guide


 e-Resume: Scannable Resume & Key Words   
Scannable Resumes
Due to large number of applications and shift to eCruit, companies are using computers to sort resumes by scanning resumes for keywords that indicate skills, education, and knowledge areas desired by the employer. Companies search resume databases maintained by career web sites by entering specific keywords and the computers scan the resumes in the database for matches. Therefore, it is important that scannable resume should be readable by the computer and that you should use specific keywords that are relevant to the position you are looking for.

Using Keywords
The computer database is searched for candidate credentials by using keywords, which describe his education, experience, skills, knowledge areas, and professional affiliations. Every occupation and career field has its own jargon, acronyms, and buzzwords. There are also general keywords that apply to transferable skills important in many jobs, such as teamwork, writing, planning, coordinating, designing, etc.
So while applying online for a specific job, use those words in your resume, which have appeared in the recruitment advertisement.

Use Nouns Instead of Verbs
While applying online, try to use nouns to describe qualifications, not verbs because companies search resume databank by keywords, and those keywords tend to be nouns. For instance, "SQL Database Programmer" is generally easier to find in a database than "Designed and implemented departmental database programmer." So ensure that your resume contains nouns that are usually used to describe your industry. While applying, always think of the words that are generally used in the industry for describing your experience, and job area.

Traditional vs. Keyword Resumes! / Tips for a Better e-Resume
The keyword resume must contain an adequate description of the job seeker's characteristics and industry specific experience presented in keyword terms in order to accommodate the electronic/computer search process. These are the words and phrases that employers and recruiters use to search the databases for "hits."

The following guidelines enhance the processing of keyword resumes through the electronic system:

  • Avoid hard returns whenever possible.
  • Avoid italic text, script, underlining, graphics, bold and shading.
  • Avoid parentheses and brackets.

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