I am trying to update my resume and was told to use keywords from the job description and use those in my resume. From a hiring manager perspective, how many keywords should be used? Serious answers only please. Please do not leave comments like "all of them" or "as many as possible".
This is a serious answer: As many as will sound natural.
In other words, don’t use words that you wouldn’t normally use simply because they are in the posting. For example, if the ad says that they want someone who can provide "synergy" to the organization, and you’ve never used the word "synergy" in your life, don’t try to work it into a sentence just for the fun of it.
However, if the ad says that they want someone who is able to "multi-task" then it is reasonable to include something to the effect of, "I am excellent at multi-tasking and in my current position it is not uncommon for me to manage 10 phone lines while also preparing time-sensitive correspondance and having it ready to be mailed by the deadline." Or whatever is appropriate and true for you.
The thing to avoid is to just rattle off the job posting back to the reader. What you want to do is write your letter in which you highlight the skills that YOU think are essential to the position (having read the job posting). THEN, look back at the posting and see if there are ways to adjust your writing to mirror some of the poster’s language. (For example, if you wrote "I can do many things at the same time" and the job posting asked for "multi-tasking" — it is best if you go back into your letter and switch around your language so that it mirrors the language of the posting.) Don’t try to stuff all the key words in, though. Only change language where it is appropriate based on what you have already written. That way, you are sure to present your best self as well as mirror what they want.
This is a serious answer: As many as will sound natural.
In other words, don’t use words that you wouldn’t normally use simply because they are in the posting. For example, if the ad says that they want someone who can provide "synergy" to the organization, and you’ve never used the word "synergy" in your life, don’t try to work it into a sentence just for the fun of it.
However, if the ad says that they want someone who is able to "multi-task" then it is reasonable to include something to the effect of, "I am excellent at multi-tasking and in my current position it is not uncommon for me to manage 10 phone lines while also preparing time-sensitive correspondance and having it ready to be mailed by the deadline." Or whatever is appropriate and true for you.
The thing to avoid is to just rattle off the job posting back to the reader. What you want to do is write your letter in which you highlight the skills that YOU think are essential to the position (having read the job posting). THEN, look back at the posting and see if there are ways to adjust your writing to mirror some of the poster’s language. (For example, if you wrote "I can do many things at the same time" and the job posting asked for "multi-tasking" — it is best if you go back into your letter and switch around your language so that it mirrors the language of the posting.) Don’t try to stuff all the key words in, though. Only change language where it is appropriate based on what you have already written. That way, you are sure to present your best self as well as mirror what they want.
References :
Your objective should be less than a paragraph and very specific and to the point.
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