Job descriptions and specifications decipher the keyword mystery
The job you seek may not be technical, but technology--along with the job description and job specification--can lead you to it. Job descriptions and specifications act like an employment search hard drive because they store the keywords employers target when they scan resumes electronically for candidate matches.
Job Descriptions
Job descriptions define a position's tasks, responsibilities, title, performance expectations and role within the organization. They address the "Do I want to do this work?" aspect of job-hunting and serve as an interview preparation tool for the "yes" occasions. Many companies post job descriptions in the career or employment opportunities section of their web site and on Internet job boards. Others use them as the copy for trade publications ads. Job descriptions contain nouns, phrases and other terminology selected as keywords for electronic resume scanning. Career practitioner Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., recommends combing as many as 30 job postings for the same position at different companies to identify the job-specific words--keywords--they share.
Job Specifications
Every job description includes a job specification--a summary of the knowledge, industry background, special competencies, certifications, aptitudes and years of experience required to handle the job's responsibilities. The order in which the specifications appear gives a clue as to areas of flexibility in what the company wants. Recruiters and hiring managers use job specifications to find candidates through social media and to create short-lists of interviewees. The job specification "drives" the entire selection process, according to CareerBuilder. These "Desired Skills" help the job-seeker decide, "Am I qualified to do this work?" Studying the specification uncovers the job's most important keywords.
Keywords
More than 80 percent of resumes go under the keyword microscope, according to the National Resume Writers' Association. Tailoring resumes to accommodate keyword searchable (KWS) databases will not guarantee an interview; omitting "more than 50 percent" of the keywords found in the job description and job specification, however, will stack the odds against getting a call. Studying job descriptions and specifications for keywords should not be viewed as an exercise for job-seekers only. Talent management authority Dr. John Robinson also recommends employees perform a keyword review of jobs in their current profession to identify skill gaps or weaknesses that might hinder promotions.
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