Every résumé, whether in electronic or paper format, should contain keywords that signal employers you have the skills, talents, and experience to match their job requirements. Because keywords are so critical to résumés—especially résumés that are stored in databases that will eventually be searched for keywords—it’s important to know what they are and how to use them.

Before I do, let me offer some data that might alleviate your concerns about finding some magical combination of keywords for your resume. In a survey of recruiters and hiring managers conducted for my book, Resume Magic 4th Edition, you’ll discover secrets of how few keywords are actually searched:

• 70% indicated that they search for just three to four keywords
• 23% said five to six keywords
• Only 3% searched for seven to 10 keywords
• 3% searched for just one to two keywords
• No respondents searched for 11 or more keywords

The most common keywords recruiters searched for, in order of importance, include (respondents were able to select all that applied, thus percentages do not add up to 100%):

• Position title (80%)
• Nouns or noun phrases common to the position (71%)
• Location (city, region, zip code) (55%)
• Employer names (55%)
• Degrees (35%)
• Certifications (16%)
• Soft skills (communication/interpersonal skills) (9%)
• Prestigious universities or training organizations (6%)

In my next post, I’ll share more about how to unearth keywords for your specific industry.