The Right Balance

Job applicants should avoid “keyword stuffing,” said Keith Wolf, managing director of Murray Resources, a recruiting and staffing firm in Houston.

Just like you wouldn’t like to visit a website filled with a jumble of keywords, hiring managers are likely to pass on a résumé that appears to be overloaded with disjointed keywords, Wolf said. Finding the right balance is key.

“What we recommend to candidates is to include keywords, but to do so in natural way,” he said. Responsibilities and achievements should naturally weave in the keywords from the job description.

If there are additional projects you would like to include but that do not fit into one of your job responsibilities, Wolf recommended adding a section called “key initiatives.” For example, a marketer might include website development, trade shows and public relations in his/her key initiatives section.