Job Keywords: Catching the Eyes of Hiring Managers

You might not know this, but a lot of times Hiring Managers at non profits won't even read your resume.  Now before you get all outraged, don't worry: your resume will eventually get read, but only if it makes its way through a keyword scanning application.  That's right, many organizations will scan resumes through this program for keywords the are looking for.  Don't believe me?  Check out this article from Reader's Digest that details some of the "secrets" of HR professionals.

If you are going to get your resume read by the non profit you applied to, you are going to have to load up your resume with job keywords.  What is a job keyword?  Well to put it simply, they are words that reflect the particular skills the organization is looking for.  If these key words don't show up in your resume, there is a good chance you won't even be considered for an interview.  So if you want to find the right key words for your resume, here are some things you need to do:

• First of all, you should go directly to the job description of the position you applied to.  Scan through it, and pick out some of the words they use to describe the position and find ways to insert them into your resume; the more the better.
• Obviously, you can't just put them in at random, you are going to have to make sure they fit in the context they are put in.
• You can also search for other non profit jobs similar to the one you applied to, and see if there is common language used between them.  If there is, you should try and fit those keywords into your resume.
• If possible, you should try and get help from recruitment experts to see if the key words used for your resume are appropriate.  It's always important to get input, so try and see if you can get some before you send out your resume.

It may seem slightly wrong that perfectly qualified candidates are turned down just because they don't include these job keywords, but it is a fact we have to deal with in today's society. And of course, not all nonprofit organizations use these keyword programs, but it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your job search.  So before you submit your resume, make sure to follow these tips.