Write your résumé with 'keywords'

There are three important rules to follow when writing résumés, cover letters, thank-you letters, LinkedIn profiles, social media bios and other career communications. If you do, you’ll be certain to attract the right jobs and employers.

Write with words that create perception. Always remember that you’re writing to the job(s) you’re targeting. Focus on related skills, experience and/or education you have, bringing that information to the forefront so recruiters and hiring managers will see you as you wish to be perceived.

You may have served as an infantryman, but if your goal is a management position, focus on your skills in training and development, leadership, performance management and more. Search ads for positions that interest you, and try to parlay your experience to create the perception that you are a qualified candidate.

Write with keywords recruiters and hiring managers use. Keywords are central to how recruiters and hiring managers find candidates. Whether a scan of a résumé you posted in response to an ad or a recruiter’s search on LinkedIn, it is all about keywords.

Integrate as many keywords as possible that relate to your objectives. Those from what you’ve done in the past aren’t as important, unless they relate to your current goals.

Example: while in the Navy, you managed logistics 80 percent of the time and technology 20 percent. Your goal is a tech job. Writing with as many tech keywords as possible will give you a significant advantage.

Write with action verbs. Read the difference in these two sentences:

• Responsible for budgeting for Army personnel.
• Planned and managed millions of dollars in budgets for operations in 16 countries with 10,000+ personnel.

Can you see the difference when you start with action verbs and add numbers and other specifics to give your sentences depth? Writing with the right words will give you an edge and accelerate your search.

Wendy Enelow is co-author of “Expert Résumés for Military-to-Civilian Transitions” and “Expert Résumés for Career Changers.”