Prospective employers notice people whose personal content, or job skills and experience, stands out from the crowd as most closely matching their needs. You can share your content in online forums, websites like LinkedIn, blogs and in-person networking, but no matter what methods you choose, you'll need to leverage your content effectively. Find what content is in demand for your career area; then, tailor your resume, written material and in-person communications to demonstrate your expertise.
Before reading resumes or other content, many employers screen applicants' information for phrases that describe their open job needs by scanning electronic material for keywords. Effectively incorporating the right keywords will leverage your content to get it noticed by the right people. Keyword search software often scans for exact phrases, so even if you are a great match for a job, your content might not get noticed if it doesn't contain the right wording.
Begin leveraging your content by assessing your personal data. Create three to five keywords in sets of two to three words each that best describe what you do that is most relevant in your job. Create variations of your keywords to account for different recruiters who may be searching for different words with the same meaning. For example, network engineer and network architect describe the same type of computer professional.
The next step is content curation. This involves researching the keywords that are being used for the skill sets, education and experience requirements that are currently appearing in the job postings and descriptions related to your field. Look for the most frequently used keywords, and use them to leverage your content if they describe you. If possible, adjust your personal keywords to more closely match the most popular keywords.
Place your personal keywords, the keywords from your content curation and your keyword variations in strategic spots in your content. Be sure to include keywords for all aspects of your career including education, skills and experience, and any other relevant information that is included in your resume. Be thorough, but don't oversaturate your content by repeating the same keywords over and over, because this can cause it to be rejected by search engines. If you find important keywords that don't apply to you, it may be necessary for you to get additional skills, education or experience in order to effectively leverage your content.
Job requirements and descriptions are constantly changing and updated as new software, other improvements and more efficient processes come into existence. Stay on top of the job market by frequently researching the latest trends and keywords that are most desired for your profession. This habit will allow you to take action to keep yourself in demand and to leverage your content so it will be noticed.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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