How to Get a Job as a Dietary Professional, Three Keywords

If you're looking for a dietary job, you're in luck. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for dietitians and nutritionists is pretty good. Employment in these occupations is projected to grow by 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. The growth in this occupation is a good sign, but how do you make yourself stand out in a crowd of applicants?

First things first, you'll need to write a resume that gets noticed by hiring managers. Similarly to crafting a selective diet for a client, you should tailor your resume for each prospective employer. You should also try to incorporate keywords into your resume to help it rise to the top when recruiters perform searches. Here are three resume keywords you can use to help convince recruiters that you are the right person for the position:

1. Medical Nutrition Knowledge – The primary goal of people in dietary jobs is to help patients with their nutritional needs. Although the amount may vary depending on the job, knowledge of medical nutrition is typically required for people to be effective in their positions. Clinical dietitians must be able to identify and prescribe diets that address patients' nutritional requirements and deficits, while dietary aides must ensure that the meals they prepare adhere to those recommendations. Recruiters will search for resumes using this keyword, so you will want to use it when describing your experience.
2. Customer Service – At the end of the day, patients are customers. Like any other service business, providing good customer service is an important part of the job. Employers want to make sure that the people they hire are able to explain medical and nutritional details to patients in an understandable way and address their concerns with patience, respect, and empathy. Therefore, all dietary jobs will require you to have some customer service experience, so it's important that this keyword and similar ones show up numerous times on your resume in connection to your skills in this area.
3. Supervisor – Being able to manage others is a critical skill for many dietary jobs, particularly those that involve overseeing staff. Even if the job doesn't require you to be in charge of other people, many recruiters consider supervisory or managerial experience to be an indicator that you are a capable and responsible employee who can step into a leadership role when necessary. Including this keyword on your resume is a definite must, especially if you want to land a managerial or administrative position.

It's important to use the appropriate resume keywords when applying for dietary jobs. Many times you'll be submitting your resume electronically or posting it on an Internet job board. Recruiters will then enter keywords into a search function to pull up resumes listing the skills and experience they're looking for. If you want your resume to float to the top, then it's a good idea to research industry lingo as well as pull keywords from job announcements and use them in your resume.

Finding and landing dietary jobs can be challenging. However, they can be rewarding mentally, physically, and financially. According to Nexxt's salary center, the average salary for a dietician in the US is $50,657. You can use Nexxt's search to find dietary jobs, and add your city and state to see opportunities near you. As you discover jobs and apply to postings, remember that adding keywords to your resume may give you a competitive edge to land the job of your dreams. 

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