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How to make your resume stand out

I’m sure you’ll agree, that it’s tough to get an interview these days. Many people are shocked that they are not getting called for interviews.

Rushing to send out a “cookie cutter resume” after you see a job on indeed WON’T cut it anymore.

What’s the secret to getting an interview?

We’ll discuss the little know resume hack of resume scanning, a technique where you use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) algorithm for your personal benefit.  If you are confused, don’t be, it’s as simple as running a report and we’ll show you how.

Why am I not getting any interviews?

There are many reasons people don’t get interviews, and but here are some of the most common ones:

  1. You are under qualified
  2. You don’t have the specific skills required
  3. Your resume is weak (we’ll talk about this some more)
  4. You use a cookie cutter resume for every job you apply to

It may seem obvious, but I’ll state it here anyways: make sure you read the job description.  You will save yourself some heartache of getting rejected.  It’s a quick way to find out if your skill set actually matches.

Ask yourself this question: Would you hire someone with your skillset for the same job?

If your answer is NO, you shouldn’t apply for the job.

We’ll now discuss a resume hack known as “resume scanning” or some people call it gathering “resume buzzwords”.  Either way, you’re going to find out a few tricks that should help you excel.

Resume Keywords will make your Resume Stand out from the Crowd

Ever wonder what happens to your resume when you apply?

Companies sometimes get hundreds of applicants for a specific job.  They employ an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that basically slices and dices your resume into parts.

Your resume is a document that’s generally formatted with titles followed by information.  The ATS will extract your skills, experience, education and other facts.

Then what?

You are profiled against the job you have applied, and effectively ranked.  It’s really that simple.

In order to get an interview, your resume needs to rank well.

How do you rank well, and move ahead of others?

It’s not resume magic, ultimately, you have to have the skills the employer is looking for, but you may be selling yourself short, and it’s easy to tell.

Do you have the right resume keywords the job requires?

What are resume keywords?

Resume keywords are words directly related to the position you are applying for. You need to make sure that you seed the right competencies, skills and credential keywords into your resume as well as position that show your experience in the position applied for.

Someone applying for a customer service position better have “great customer service skills” somewhere in their resume.  But that’s an obvious one, what about other skills that are in the job description that you have overlooked?

The ATS will compare your resume skills (or resume buzzwords) against the job description skills.

This is very critical, and often unknown fact of job seekers.  You can’t avoid knowing the job description inside out.

How do you find out what resume keywords to use?

When you are applying for a specific position, look at similar positions and job postings on the internet.

Make sure you look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications required and you will notice that a few words will come up in most of the samples. It is also a good idea to have a look at the website of the company you are applying for. This will allow you to get a feel for what is important to the company or what they incorporate into their personal identity. You may pick up words such as quality, safety, creativity that you can include into your resume and cover letters in order to get your foot in to the door.

Our service, ResumeJobScan, is tailored towards getting you the keywords handed to you in a simple and easy to use list, if you are unsure or do not have the time to dig through every job description.

How to use resume keywords in your resume?

Remember, getting keywords into your resume is not simply about putting words into your resume.  The resume will be scanned by the ATS, but it will eventually be looked at by a hiring manager.

So, you have to be sure to spread your keywords into meaningful places such as experience at prior jobs.

Here are a few things to avoid when inserting keywords:

  • Using keywords as a list in your skills section
  • Placing a resume buzzword when you don’t have any experience with it
  • Entering resume keywords too many times in your resume

Use the keywords in your skills, responsibilities, work history, summaries, and accomplishments or anywhere else they may seem appropriate in order to ensure that you touch on as many resume keywords as you can. You can also look at including some of the commonly requested skills in your resume keywords list if they fit in with your skills list.

Make sure you use resume keywords when applying for positions, this will give you a better chance of making it through the first set of screenings and perhaps help you land that perfect job.


Remember, our goal is to turn your job search into a new job.  Use our resume scanner today to get the edge over other job seekers.  As a new user, you get a free trial, so sign up today.
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