What's The Buzz On Resume Buzzwords?

It wasn't too long ago that a great resume just included your employment history and various accomplishments. These days it's a little more complicated.  If you send a resume to an employer today, you're going to find yourself in the rejected pile pretty quickly.

Today's modern resume must hit a number points, referred to as "buzzwords," to be considered successful. The first one is quantifying your accomplishments. Drop words like "streamlined," "enhanced" in favor of more specific examples that give a better indication of your impact (i.e., "Increased revenue by X amount in my first year"). This will back up your claims and give the hiring manager a better idea of how you could help the organization.

The next buzzword employers look for is some variation of "outside-the-box thinker." This one is a little tricky because it can lose all meaning if you don't explain what makes your thinking so unique. Anyone can say they are creative, so you have to put some weight behind your words. For example, explain how you define "outside-the-box," and how it has impacted your work.

Including any references to volunteering or community service will greatly help your cause with nonprofits. You should explain what you learned during these activities, and how these experiences will help you in the future. Don't worry if it was some time ago; every little bit of information counts.

Are there any other buzzwords you think are important? Let us know what they are, and why you think they make a difference for resumes.

NPT Jobs Recommends: 10/03/2011

Here are some great job search articles to help get you through the rest of the day:

• 'Utilizing Keywords to Strengthen Your Executive Resume'-If you want to write a successful resume, you have to use keywords.  This article shows you the ways to make the most effective use of them.
• '5 Remedies to Fix Bad Career Advice'-We all get bad career advice from time to time.  Don't let those bumps in the road hinder your job search!  Mark Dyson gives some great tips on how to recover from these situations.
• 'Keep Your E-Mail (and Resume) Out of the Spam Filters'-Many organizations install spam filters in their e-mails so they aren't overwhelmed with junk mail.  Unfortunately, these programs can filter out innocent e-mails, like your job application, if they aren't worded correctly.  No need to worry, Job-Hunt.org posted this great piece on how to make sure your resume doesn't fall victim to spam filters.

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.