How To Use Keywords In Your Resume

Placing your resume on the internet may not be enough to get the attention of legal recruiters and employers.  It is becoming increasingly important that a candidate’s online resume contain the necessary keywords that will place them at the top of a legal recruiter’s/employer’s search.  So, what exactly are keywords? Keywords are the words and/or phrases that recruiters and employers look for when searching for a candidate. They are also used often in job ads. For example, a recruiter searching for a litigator may look for a resume with the phrase “litigation experience.”  The candidate who has effectively placed this phrase in their resume will receive the most “hits” from legal recruiters and employers using a search engine.  Here are a few tips on using keywords in your resume:

1. Find out which keywords recruiters and employers are using by searching for and comparing ads for the type of job you’re looking for.
2. Be sure to include these keywords in your online resume repeatedly.  But the keywords should not be used in an excessive or unnatural way.  The keywords should not make up more than 11 percent of your text.
3. Be sure to use the keywords in the ways that they are used within the legal industry and in the job ads.  For example, if acronyms are often used, then for the purposes of your online resume use the acronym.