If you're looking for a job as an administrative assistant, you've probably been scouring the Internet for opportunities and resume tips. However, you may not have realized that you can easily use the power of the Internet to get the job opportunities to come to you. Many employers use databases to help them search for qualified candidates to fill open positions. Including resume keywords in your resume helps the search engines categorize your resume so that employers can find you.
Put simply, keywords are nouns, verbs, and phrases used by job recruiters searching through applicant databases for applicants that fit their requirements. Because so many companies are using job databases or search engines to find potential employees, most resume tips advise people to include a variety of keywords in their resume.
Many online resume tips advise you to use keywords in your resume. However, it's important to use keywords that are relevant to the position you're applying for. Employers looking for people to fill administrative or clerical positions typically look for people who can multitask, type quickly and accurately, communicate effectively, and use word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. If you have these skills, it's important that you include the related keywords in your resume.
In addition to including keywords that revolve around the tasks you'll be required to complete, you can strengthen your resume by eliminating generic keywords. The majority of online resume tips advise you to eliminate most general adjectives like "strong," "motivated," "excellent," and "outstanding" because they are too broad. Instead, replace these words with verbs like "improved," "researched," "developed," and "created." Adding specific facts and figures to these keywords gives you more credibility when a recruiter who finds your resume via a keyword search opens it up and reads it. For example, if you're applying for a clerical position, you may mention an important presentation that you developed for a previous employer and include how well that presentation performed when your employer presented it to others.
Most online resume tips advise you to use specific keywords. The more specific your resume keywords are, the easier it is for employers to find you, and the greater the likelihood that your resume will get their attention when they do find you. As an administrative professional, you can draw on numerous types of job-related keywords, including the names of software packages you're familiar with, colleges you've attended, degrees or certifications you've earned, names of previous employers, and relevant technical skills—including, for example, how many words per minute you can type. If you're submitting your resume in response to a specific job announcement, a careful reading of the job listing can give you clues as to what keywords the recruiter may consider important enough to scan for.
Once you've read through the online resume tips and determined what types of keywords you want to use, all you have to do is write your resume, submit it, and wait for results. Creating a keyword-rich resume and posting it online can make finding a clerical job a lot easier.
(Photo courtesy of sippakorn / freedigitalphotos.net)
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!