The use of keywords are critical in your resume. Keywords bring up your value immediately to the reader and can be used as “value added skills” to your next employer. Mitch and I use Creative Keywords in certain types of resumes that need to express our client’s interest in a field even if they have never performed that function before or if they are trying to break into another industry.
For instance, when writing our client’s resume, we can title a section INTERESTS and underneath that category bullet several interests our client has in the field. Let’ s say, our client trying to break into the health and beauty field and wanted to express it through keywords on his or her resume. Some of the keywords could be: Exercise, Body Building, Health and Nutrition, Recreation Management, Nutrtional Sales and Marketing. These are only an examples. It also depends if they were apllying for a particular position or using their present skills to transfer to another industry.
Many times when I write a resume for someone breaking into a new field, I give them two sets of keywords. One for their Business Skills or Core Competencies and one set of Keywords for their Interests. It works well as it give them the “license” to be applying to an industry that they do not have experience in. Keywords indicating interests and a good statement about their transferrable skills will set the tone for a transition resume before the other sections of the resume comes into play. This type of transition resume style, combined with a good cover letter expressing the love of that industry and the hobbies, volunteer work, or research on the industry will draw a prospective employer’s attention! It works!!
For more examples of the above go to our resume website www.resumewriternj.com and click on samples. We are very successful in repositioning our clients to positions in the fields that they dream about. It takes dynamic thinking out of the box with a certified career counselor, a professionally prepared resume and cover letter, and the use of creative keywords. Good luck.