Applied to 50 jobs with a generic resume - zero replies

Switched to tailoring each resume for the job description. Got 4 interviews in the first week. Has anyone else noticed keywords make or break you?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sage24d ago

Keywords make or break you" - they matter but not that much. Companies still read the actual resume.

burns.brooke24d ago

Right, but aren't you worried about the flip side where you jam in too many keywords and the whole thing just reads like a robot wrote it? I feel like a human reviewer would spot that pretty quick and toss it out anyway. What's the balance point between getting past the machine and not turning off the person?

michaeladams24d ago

Keywords make or break you" - yeah, you're kinda right but also wrong at the same time. @the_sage is spot on that companies still read the actual resume, but keywords get you past the robot filters first. I've seen it work like crazy for people who just copy-paste phrases from the job ad. It's not fair but it's how the system works right now. You gotta play the game to get your foot in the door, then your real experience can shine.