The Key to Key Words

Search for a job on the internet today and you’ll undoubtedly see numerous references to the term, “key words.” Unfortunately, this confuses the job search issue because many people just don’t know what they are, what they should be or how to “find” them with relation to their own background! As such, many wonder how in the world to present them in a resume if they don’t even know what they are.

There is no secret to key words, really. Though the term may sound complicated, it does not need to be once you understand the meaning. Key words are simply industry buzzwords used to identify a particular skill set or sets within a certain industry. Key words can be one word or a phrase of words, such as International Financial Management, General Ledger Management or Economic Evaluation. By using key words in your resume, you demonstrate your expertise in one primary area or a number of different specialties.

There is no hard and fast rule as to how to include key words, because a resume that is well written and focused will logically contain key words within the resume text itself according to one’s background and particular area of expertise. That being said, there is nothing “wrong” with including a separate section of skill sets as part of your resume format.

A Senior Financial Management Resume could easily have a resume section that looks like this:

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- P&L Management
- Strategic Business Planning
- Customer Service / Relations
- Productivity Improvement
- Staff Supervision
- Expense Control
- Budget Administration
- Financial Statements / Review
- Financial Planning
- Margin Improvement
- A/P & A/R Functions
- Economic Evaluation
- Cost Benchmarking
- Inventory Management
- Financial Analysis

The above list of skills is really just a fancy “list” of keywords. By incorporating this type of presentation into your resume, you ensure that they will stand out when being reviewed by either a scanning machine or an actual human hiring authority!

An alternate example would be to incorporate numerous key words within the body of the resume, in this case, part of the job description. For instance:

- Developed and executed financial policies and procedures, authored individual store operating plans and integrated into total corporate operating plan. Provided capital planning and productivity analysis for new, remodeled and closed stores. Served as key resource to senior management team.

Within the above partial job description, we can see that this person is well-versed in Operation Management and Development, Capital Planning, Productivity Analysis and Financial Policy Execution. It’s that simple!

There are no formal adaptations of key words for any particular function or position; you’ll have to review your own background and skills to really determine which ones will work best for you. If you take the time study job descriptions within your field, you will better understand the concept. More than likely, they will evolve naturally once you start developing your resume.

To help you better appreciate the relevance of key words and their use with relation to your industry, review the following list of actual resume bullets that have been used in client resumes within the “achievement-section” of the client’s presentation. The underlined phrase is the “key word” - for your benefit, not actually written on the resume itself - which is then highlighted in the actual resume text.

- Capital Expenditure - Optimized inventory turnover and cash flows by analyzing capital expenditures for acceptable investment returns and ensuring effective management over inventory, capital and space assets.

- Depreciation Loss - Reduced merchandise liquidation losses by $200K in 1991 vs. prior year by implementing new procedures to reduce depreciation losses due to product design changes.

- Gross Margin Planning - Implemented automated gross margin planning system in 1996 and 1997 that enabled merchandise buyers to manage promotional buying/marketing commitments and achieve sales margin goals.

- Operating Income Statements – Developed operating income estimates for new store openings (15 stores in 2002, 3 stores in 2003), evaluated new store ROI and defended capital projects for senior management approval.

The above strategy is a great way to both sell your abilities/strengths on paper while ensuring that your relevant key skills will be picked up in a key word search.

While key words are essential, they are certainly not to be thrown around freely. If one states that he/she offers “Human Resources Leadership,” for example, that person better be able to back that up during an interview. No one will be pleased if you represent false key words. Bear in mind, however, that it takes more than just a list of key words to make your resume work. Combine the key words (skills) with compelling content, eye-pleasing presentation and a focus on achievements, and you’ll have the right mixture of information to improve your professionalism AND your search!