Despite the fact that 80% of available jobs are not posted and must be found through networking, people still spend much of their time submitting their resume to job postings online. In order to increase your chances of getting through applicant tracking systems (ATS) it is critical your marketing resume has the right keywords.
How to find the right keywords
The first place to look is in the job description itself. First make sure any technical skill, degree, or specific experience listed as a requirement is written clearly on your resume. Then underline any keywords, phrases or buzzwords that stand out to you. You can download this sample of a Marketing Communications Director position where I highlighted key words and phrases.
Another way to find keywords is to run a few target job descriptions through Wordle.net. It will produce a word cloud like the one above so you can easily see the most used words.
Other sources for keywords:
- Company websites
- LinkedIn skills listing – when you go in to edit your skills list, suggestions will come up
- Google searches – again start typing a keyword and suggestions will come up
- O*Net Occupational Directory – allows you to drill down and see basic skills and competencies for various job titles
- Keyword Books
Where to incorporate keywords in your marketing resume
These days ATS systems are pretty sophisticated, so there is no need to load keywords all upfront or try a “black hat” technique of putting keywords in white at the end of your document. Add them in places where they fall naturally throughout your resume.
- Your target job title
- Your summary
- Your core competency section
- Your current and past job titles
- Your technical skills section
- Your education
When adding these keywords to your resume be sure to match the words in the job description as close as possible.
For example, if the job description states:
- Develop and execute media events.
Your resume could have a bullet that states:
- Develop and execute 24 media events per year.
