The method that career experts most commonly suggest for identifying the
keywords that an employer is likely to seek in any given job search involves
scrutinizing employment ads to see what keywords are prominently or
repeatedly mentioned in association with a given job title. The ads can
come from anywhere -- newspapers, Internet job boards, company
Web sites, trade publications, or internal company job postings.
Experts say to find anywhere from three to 20 ads for the same position
at various companies. Go through each one and highlight or underline the
words and phrases that seem as though they could be the keywords used
in the employer's search criteria. After you've analyzed several ads this
way, make a list of the keywords common to all ads. Those are the
keywords that have the best chance of being successfully sought out
by the employer's search software.
Look for the words that appear early in an ad or job
description; the first keywords mentioned are likely the
most important.
Just as workers are advised to dress to emulate
those in positions to which they want to be promoted,
look at ads and job descriptions for the job that is "one
level above" the job you are targeting at that firm, and
add some of those "next-level" keywords to the ones that
come from your current level. Recruiting guru Darrell
Gurney gives a good example of how to use next-level
keywords in your resume: If an ad mentions a keyword
for which you don't have the associated experience/expertise,
use the keyword in your objective statement to indicate that
you want to be using that experience in your next job. "You
are a financial analyst, and your past experience does
not include work in Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) or 10K reporting, but you do want to move into this
area," Gurney writes. "In the ‘Objective' on your resume
and in your cover letter, be sure to state these skills as
areas of interest. Example: Objective: To secure a
growth-oriented position as a Senior Financial Analyst
with a focus on SEC and 10K reporting."
Look at ads and job descriptions for competitor firms
that are "one step up" from your target firm. "Because
most firms try to emulate the practices of their 'superior'
competitors,' Sullivan writes, "showing that you have the
skills required by that competitor will generally give you
a competitive advantage."
Peruse the job descriptions and want ads of any jobs
in the same job "family" as the one you're targeting to
identify patterns of words that the employer uses repeatedly.
After scrutinizing ads, identifying keywords from them,
and loading them into your resume, test your resume by
comparing it to ads you want to target. If your resume
doesn't include more than 50 percent of the keywords
in an ad, Sullivan exhorts, don't expect an interview.
Here, we offer two examples from popular jobs, pharmaceutical
sales rep and project manager, for which we frequently prepare
resumes for clients.
Pharmaceutical sales rep ads:
Ad #1, Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
--Works with District Sales Manager to assess territory sales performance and market trends.
--Works with Pharmaceutical Sales Specialists, as appropriate, to coordinate selling efforts.
--Works with deployed marketing operations and Medical Information Scientist personnel to
develop customized programs/materials for the therapeutic areas and territory.
--Works with Regional Account Directors to maximize impact of managed care pull through activities.
--Functions independently with a high degree of
sales proficiency.
--Ensures a strong working
knowledge of product portfolio; passing all required tests.
--Applies learned product knowledge to accomplish
sales objectives.
--Clearly understands the
Strategic Targeting Plan and works to meet and exceed reach and frequency goals.
--Ensures
sales forecasts and
assigned budgets meet or exceed therapeutic and territory expectations.
--Develops an
aggressive strategy for implementing the Strategic Targeting Plan
following formulary approval and following through on strategy with recognizable increases of sales in territory.
--Works with District Sales Manager to assess sales performance and market trends; suggests and implements
appropriate actions to enhance performance.
--Provides
special education programs to physicians and office staff members.
--Provides timely and competent
administrative management of work hours, sales call data, customer
objectives, communication responses, synchronization, sample, and expense reporting.
--Seeks out
team building opportunities in order to
communicate effectively and transfer information with supervisor and peers.
--Reviews, implements, and practices all company policies.
--Works within a frame work of company cultural attributes.
Qualifications
--Bachelor's Degree
--Demonstrated sales and communication abilities
--Valid drivers license and safe driving record
--Computer office suite literacy at an intermediate level
--Previous outside sales experience
--Excellent interpersonal, organizational and time management skills
Ad #2: Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Job Description: Represents company and company products in
an assigned geographical territory in a complex, dynamic business
environment. Primary responsibility of the Professional Representative
is to effectively promote company products through a needs-based
selling approach. Representatives provide accurate information to physicians and other health care personnel
so products will be prescribed when indicated. Management of the territory
business is conducted in concert with other territory team members, specialty
representatives, hospital representatives and other business resources.
Progressive promotion to Senior or Executive Professional Representative
may occur through demonstration of sustained high performance and leadership.
Skills: Sales experience/persuasion skills, Communication, Leadership, Planning & Organization, Self-motivation & initiative.
Ability to understand and convey complex information
As a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative you will:
--Sell our pharmaceutical products in a prescribed manner to physicians, retail pharmacies, and other members of the health care industry.
--Develop local business plan to increase market share by outlining tactics, activities and resources.
--Demonstrate thorough knowledge of pharmaceutical products, competitor products and product objectives.
--Utilize customer-focused selling techniques, continually assessing the knowledge
of the customer and strategy to maintain high customer intimacy and customer knowledge of products.
--Maintain current, approved protocol and promotional materials to be included in sales presentation.
--Actively seek and display knowledge of key customers in territory.
--Develop and deliver informative sales presentations based on customer needs.
--Develop creative sales strategies to reach 'hard-to-see' doctors/'hard-to-work' accounts.
--Work collectively with other consultants in arranging speakers, displays and special programs.
--Positively impact sales in territory.
Job Requirements:
--1+ years of relevant outside sales experience
--BS degree or higher
--Science/Pharmaceutical background/experience preferred
--Strong
communication and negotiation skills
--Candidate should have moderate knowledge of the pharmaceutical market and pharmaceutical products.
OK, let's see what keywords we came up with from the three ads:
customized programs/materials for the therapeutic areas
sales proficiency
knowledge of product portfolio
sales objectives
strategic targeting plan
assigned budgets
aggressive strategy
special education programs to physicians and office staff members
administrative management
team building opportunities
communicate effectively
bachelor's degree
sales and communication abilities
computer literacy
previous outside sales experience
interpersonal skills
organizational skills
time management skills
provide accurate information to physicians and other health care personnel
in concert with other territory team members
sustained high performance
leadership
sales experience/persuasion skills
communication
leadership
planning
organization
self-motivation
initiative
ability to understand and convey complex information
bachelor's degree
sciences, business, healthcare fields
local business plan
increase market share
thorough knowledge of pharmaceutical products, competitor products and product objectives
customer-focused selling techniques
knowledge of key customers in territory
informative sales presentations
customer needs
creative sales strategies
relevant outside sales experience
BS degree
science/pharmaceutical background
communication skills
negotiation skills
knowledge of the pharmaceutical market and pharmaceutical products
So, if we wanted to identify keywords that would probably work for most pharmaceutical sales rep jobs, we might narrow the list down to:
ability to understand and convey complex information
customer-focused selling techniques
informative sales presentations
customer needs
Here's how we might fashion those keywords into a concise, contextualized resume
Professional Profile section that front-loads the resume with keywords, yet also
attracts the human reader. Is it cheesy to use the exact words from ads in your
resume? Nope. The more the words match, the more likely you will be to get interviews.
Professional Profile:
Goal-oriented sales professional with bachelor's degree in
science field, and outside sales experience, proven sales proficiency,
and expertise in aggressive, creative sales strategies.
Enthusiastic, knowledge-hungry self-starter, eager to meet
challenges and quickly assimilate knowledge of pharmaceutical market,
customers, as well as pharmaceutical and competitor products.
Results-driven achiever with strong organizational skills
and the self-motivation and initiative to increase market share.
Solid communicator with exceptional ability to deliver
complex information in persuasive, informative sales presentations
and education programs.
Customer-focused closer with unsurpassed interpersonal
and teamwork skills, along with ability to address customer needs.
Project manager ads:
Ad #1: Senior IT Project Manager
The Senior IT Project Manager must be able to
oversee large, complex projects, control and
understand the business environment and work product, and
evaluate technical specifications. Key responsibilities include directing and evaluating
project vision and strategy, accountability for
project completion and
team management, defining and driving
project deliverables, and facilitating
development and operations project teams.
The Senior IT Project Manager will be responsible for defining, creating, and maintaining a
project plan, managing day-to-day
client communication, allocating resources, and maintaining team productivity and morale in high-pressure situations. Candidates must have
IT expertise, a Bachelor's degree in management, engineering, computer science, business or similar field, 4+ years in
professional services or consulting, 2-4 years of
managerial experience, as well as the
ability to manage multidisciplinary projects with 10+ people.
Ad #2: Project Manager
Our firm has a Project Manager position opening in its Professional Services group.
Duties/Responsibilities:
--Work with the prospective professional services customer to define the
scope of work and provide it to the customer for approval.
--Identify the external resources and if appropriate, internal
resources with the necessary skills to develop a detailed Statement of Work.
--Manage the Professional Services team to
execute on and complete the deliverables called out in the Statement of Work.
--Manage the client relationship.
Qualifications:
--Demonstrated management,
leadership,
communication,
motivational and
influencing skills.
--Must have a thorough understanding of the
software development process, preferably from a system (hardware/software) perspective.
--Must have a
proven record of managing software/hardware system integration projects/programs.
--Must feel comfortable in a
leadership role in a
matrix management environment.
--Must be able to effectively
communicate verbally and written with individual contributors, management, executive staff, as well as with the customer.
--Demonstrated
commitment to quality.
--Problem solver with the ability to provide primary problem diagnosis and coordinate resolution.
Skills/Experience:
--Direct experience in a project management role is a must.
--
Experience in computer industry product development in a technical contributing role.
--Actual
software development experience.
--Background must include responsibility for, and
accomplishment of, delivering integrated products to market.
Education:
--B.S or higher.
Ad #3: Project Manager
Reporting to the head of B2B and Global Products, candidate will be an integral member of a dynamic team.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
--Strategic Planning -- we'll rely on your expertise to drive business
opportunity, tracking eCommerce trends and technologies; evaluating their
relevance to the organization and proposing courses of action
--Key technology partner to internal business colleagues to jointly manage the
deployment of technology to meet global markets and internal customer needs,
and to ensure that products and services are brought to market quickly to enhance revenue growth
--New Product Development -- impact success by working with business
partners to envision and define new product offerings
--Technical Development and Operations -- overall
management of development prioritization, sizing, development, and implementation; as well
as production planning and monitoring of the B2B systems
--Oversee day-to-day work of a development manager and team
--Alliance Relationships -- support the analysis, negotiation, due diligence,
and maintenance of the on-going relationship with our alliances and partnerships
REQUIRED SKILLS:
--Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or equivalent experience
--Extensive experience working in an organization using complex technology including
management experience in a complex, multi-platform development and processing environment
--A successful record of leadership development and
implementation of creative strategies and innovative solutions in
response to dynamic business and customer needs, with particular
emphasis on eCommerce and WWW experience
--Ability to effectively deal with business and technology senior management on a global basis
--Excellence in partnering with internal and external customers, using
strong negotiation and
persuasion skills to achieve business objectives
Again, isolating keywords and key phrases:
oversee large, complex projects
understand the business environment and work product
evaluate technical specifications
project vision and strategy
project completion
team management
project deliverables
development and operations project teams
project plan
client communication
allocating resources
team productivity and morale in high-pressure situations
IT expertise
bachelor's degree in management, engineering, computer science, business or similar field
professional services or consulting
managerial experience
ability to manage multidisciplinary projects with 10+ people
scope of work
identify the external resources
client relationship skills
management skills
leadership skills
communication skills
motivational skills
influencing skills
software development process
proven record of managing software/hardware system integration projects/programs
leadership role
matrix management environment
communicate verbally and written
commitment to quality
problem solver
experience in a project management role
experience in computer industry product development in a technical contributing role
software development experience
delivering integrated products to market
BS or higher in an engineering
strategic planning
key technology partner to internal business colleagues
deployment of technology to meet global markets and internal customer needs
products and services are brought to market quickly to enhance revenue growth
new product development
envision and define new product offerings
technical development and operations
management of development prioritization, sizing, development, and implementation;
as well as production planning and monitoring of the b2b systems
alliance relationships
bachelor's or master's in computer science
extensive experience working in an organization using complex technology
management experience in a complex, multi-platform development and processing environment
successful record of leadership development
implementation of creative strategies and innovative solutions
ability to effectively deal with business and technology senior management on a global basis
excellence in partnering with internal and external customers
strong negotiation skills
persuasion skills
And again, narrowing down the list to a set of keywords that might work for multiple project-manager jobs:
oversee large, complex projects
project vision and strategy; strategic planning; implementation of creative strategies and innovative solutions
project completion
managerial experience/skills; leadership skills; motivational and influencing skills; ability to
manage multidisciplinary projects with 10+ people; team management and
development; team productivity and morale in high-pressure situations; successful record of leadership development
project deliverables; delivering integrated products to market; products and services are
brought to market quickly to enhance revenue growth
project plan; scope of work
client communication and client relationship skills; excellence in partnering with internal and external customers
IT expertise; software development process; key technology partner to internal business
colleagues; deployment of technology to meet global markets and internal customer
needs; extensive experience working in an organization using complex technology
management experience in a complex, multi-platform development and processing
environment; proven record of managing software/hardware system integration projects/programs
bachelor's degree in management, engineering, computer science, business or similar field
communication, negotiation, persuasion skills
commitment to quality
problem solver
And, again, crafting many of those keywords into a resume profile section,
with the idea that any keywords not used in profile would be used in the
balance of the resume:
Professional Profile
Results-driven project-management professional with significant and
progressive experience and expertise in such project-management
concepts as project plan, project completion, scope, costing, scheduling,
risk management, contract negotiations, planning and tracking, quality,
and change management throughout the project life cycle.
Creative and strategic visionary with the savvy to ensure that
project deliverables are quickly brought to market.
Strong team leader with the proven managerial experience/skills to
lead multidisciplinary teams and ensure productivity and morale in
high-pressure situations; successful record of leadership development.
Technical guru experienced in the software development process,
deployment of technology to meet global markets and internal customer
needs, as well as complex technology management and integration in a
multi-platform development and processing environment.
Competent problem-solver with exceptional commitment to
quality, and communication, negotiation, and persuasion skills.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate
publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author,
and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers,
edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling
in the job search at A Storied
Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior
from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic
Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking
Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press),
as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your
Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her
personal Website
or reach her by e-mail at
kathy(at)quintcareers.com.
