SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) has become a cornerstone in the modern process of screening potential job candidates. Taking this into consideration when preparing your résumé can greatly increase the chances of it landing in the hands of the right hiring manager.
How exactly, then, can executives and those seeking leadership positions be sure that their résumé will not fall by the wayside, and rather into the right hands at a prospective employer?
Identifying and Putting Keywords to Use
Learning how to properly incorporate keywords will amplify your résumé’s SEO power. However, this process takes certain amount of research and knowledge — and although you may have ample expertise in your field — it’s important that executive job seekers are aware of the specific terms that will propel their résumés into the forefront.
Here is a list of the most commonly used keywords that employers seek in executive and high-management résumés. (Note that a “keyword” also refers to short phrases referring to the same skill, as seen below.)
- Best practices & benchmarking
- Bottom-line focus
- Budgeting & finance
- Business analysis
- Consensus building & teaming
- Corporate accountability
- Corporate administration
- Corporate strategizing
- Crisis management
- Decision-making
- Financial strategic
- Growth expansion
- Industry / domain expertise
- Joint ventures & alliances
- Market positioning
- Multi-site operations
- New business development
- Organizational leadership
- P&L responsibility
- Performance optimization
- Profitability improvement
- Revenue forecasting
- Risk management
- Strategic alliance development
- Strategic planning
- World class organization
Beyond Your Résumé
One of the most beneficial aspects of this approach is that just one keyword is capable of representing a broad range of skills to an employer, conveying a great deal about your background and skill set.
Besides their résumés, those seeking high leadership positions should be sure to incorporate applicable keywords into all forms of communication relating to their job search; including cover letters, emails, follow-up letters, etc. Keywords should be carefully merged into your text so as not to appear as an inventory of terms, but rather a thorough description of yourself and your potential value to the organization.
Moreover, the same keywords you have utilized within your résumé and correspondence during your job search can also be incorporated as an essential part of your job interview. Making use of these terms will add strength and significance to your answers, as well as descriptions of your background, expertise, and achievements.
Stewart, Cooper & Coon, has helped thousands of decision makers and senior executives move up in their careers and achieve significantly improved financial packages within short time frames. Contact Fred Coon – 866-883-4200, Ext. 200