Using keywords in your resume but still not getting interviews?
May 16, 2022
Yesterday, I came across an article by a “career expert” talking about…
"the only way to get your resume noticed is to use exact keywords...”
Basically, he was giving tips on how to make sure your resume is noticed and selected by a recruiter – using keywords.
And, because of the copious amounts of “wrong” in this article, I wanted to make sure you weren’t relying on this advice in your job hunt.
Here was the expert's advice on how to get your resume noticed.
Make sure all the exact keywords from the job ad are filtered throughout your resume.
“WRONG”
If you hear someone raving on about “check your keywords, check your keywords”, it probably means they don’t know much about the recruitment process or what HR , Recruiters and Hiring Managers are actually looking for.
Why?
Because this only helps one part of your application...beating an ATS system.
And in reality, ATS systems (applicant tracking systems) don’t often get in the way of good applications...
PLUS if your resume still sucks even with keywords, you won’t get past the next stage anyway!
So, if you’ve been submitting your resume with the exact keywords and you are still not getting calls for interviews, let me tell you what you’re missing...
Missing element #1: Content that’s appealing
Sounds simple, but so many resumes I read are BORING.
(Gosh it’s good to say that out loud – because it totally needs to be said and no one's saying it!).
People are super passionate about the role, or the organization, or the type of work and then submit this dry as cardboard, “corporate” resume that doesn’t show their personality or passion for what they do.
Add on top of that they don’t connect their experience with the role they’re applying for.
But hey, it’s got the right keywords, right?
Missing Element #2: Content that’s formatted the right way
When I was in HR, do you know how many resumes I couldn't progress because I couldn’t find all the relevant information I needed?
I saw photos, fancy fonts, in-vogue templates but all I wanted was to easily be able to find the information that would allow me to decide if they could do the role, or not.
If your resume isn't formatted correctly, with the right information in the right spots, you’re like going to miss an opportunity.
Missing Element #3: Demonstrating you can actually do the role
If you’re writing dot point after dot point of what you do each day so it ends up looking like your daily task list (I mean the more dot points the better, right?)…
….then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Recruiters don’t want a “laundry list” of every single task you do in your role.
More is not less in this case.
They want to know exactly what “outcomes” you produce in your role, how this impacts positively on the business, and how it relates to the role you’re applying for.
This is where the real gold is, and no one teaches you this. (Again cue the keywords experts!)
So you keep getting rejection after rejection. And that sucks.
Help is on its way!
I teach women in my Career Accelerator Program exactly how to format, write and ensure their resume is super appealing, so they finally get calls for interviews.
My resume writing training and templates are so effective that the hit rate on job applications is HUGE.
If you want to apply for a new role and get the best possible chance of making it a reality (and you want to be able to do it quickly and with confidence)...
...then you can join me in the Career Accelerator Program and learn exactly how to make your resume and applications shine.
So you don’t have to spend weeks or months receiving “no thanks” emails or even worse, hearing nothing back at all.
There’s currently a waitlist to join, but you can put yourself on it here: