Tom Sorensen | NPAworldwide

Find the right keywords for your Resume and LinkedIn profile

Are you among the many who don’t listen, who think they know better, and couldn't care less about best practices for presenting yourself?

Are you still using clichés or buzzwords like energetic, focused, passionate, motivated, and team player in your profiles?

I’m here to tell you. Don’t. 

You will likely and forever remain in the big black hole of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Never to be seen again. 

Did you know that most resumes/CVs never make it past the initial screening? 

The culprit? Missing or incorrect keywords. 

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) serve as gatekeepers, filtering candidates based on specific terms and phrases that match job requirements.

Ever wondered why you never get invited to a job interview? 

If you are sure that you have relevant experience from a particular industry and functional area but still don’t get a call, I bet it’s all about your Resume or LinkedIn that has failed to impress. 

You're not alone. 

But what are keywords, actually?

You may be the next Einstein but without the keywords in your profiles that recruiters are looking for, oh well, the world will never know of your existence and brilliance.

Keywords are typically hard skills and not soft skills. See example.

Why do I need to fear the ATS?

The ATS is not necessarily your friend if you don’t understand the Artificial Intelligence algorithms working behind the scenes. 

An ATS is an application that manages the recruiting and hiring process. 

Research into current buzzwords

Research of buzzwords from the last five years shows a major change from highlighting personal strengths to highlighting experience and skills instead. 

A 2023 LinkedIn report said this; read more… 

Example of wrong and correct use of hard skills

Recruiters are not searching for these words anyway. Here are two examples, one wrong and one correct way of writing. Read more…

• Wrong: Hardworking and highly motivated executive with strong management skills and extensive experience leading cross-department teams.
• Correct: Managed a 7-member cross-functional team of product, engineering, supply chain and sales; coordinated with four other business partners to launch an e-commerce platform within only six months.

How do you find keywords?

A good start is to know what hiring companies and recruiters are looking for.

Do this. Read more…

Remember: Your professional profiles are marketing tools. They need to clearly communicate your value proposition while incorporating the keywords that matter in your industry.