Keywords Cloud: The Best Way to Prepare Your CV for ATS
Keywords Cloud – The Best Way to Prepare Your CV for ATS
ATS systems analyze CVs and help with candidate selection
The larger the company and the more recruitment processes it runs, the greater the chance that recruitment is managed by an ATS system – a system that automates recruitment processes. Although each system looks different and varies in details, they generally work in a similar way and have comparable features to their competitors. One of the key features is reading the content of a candidate’s CV and storing that content in the system so that the recruiter can easily find candidates whose CVs contain the keywords the recruiter is searching for.
Example:
An employer is looking for candidates for a sales representative position. The recruiter creates a new recruitment process for this position in the ATS system. Then the recruiter types the phrase “sales representative” into the ATS system to see if there are any candidates in the database who have experience in sales positions. Candidates may already be in the database because the employer has previously run recruitment for this position.
After entering the relevant keywords into the ATS system, the system displays all candidates who are in the database and who have those words in their CV. And not only in their CV – some systems, such as Element, also search through notes and application form content.
Keywords are the most important factor in CV search within ATS systems
Continuing with the sales representative example – if a candidate did not include the word “sales representative” in their CV but only “Sales Specialist,” that candidate will most likely not be found by a recruiter who types only “sales representative” into the search bar. As a result, that candidate’s chances of being included in this particular recruitment process decrease.
So how can a candidate increase the chance that their CV will be found among thousands of others? Use a keywords cloud.
Keywords cloud – a cloud of keywords
A keywords cloud is a set of words that a recruiter might type into an ATS system to find candidates for a specific position. In our sales representative example, every candidate who wants to develop in this role should make sure that their CV contains words such as:
sales representative, sales, selling, client, clients, customer, customers, B2B (or B2C, or both), business development, account management, acquisition, revenue
These are certainly not all the possibilities – just the first ones that came to my mind while writing this article. Generally, the more the better. The guiding principle should be – better too many than too few. It is better for the recruiter to find your CV and, after a thorough analysis, possibly reject it, than for them to never find it at all. Of course, everything within reason. Let’s not make fools of ourselves by including the word “sales representative” if we are looking for a job as a legal advisor or a software developer.
Adding keywords to your CV – add them to the job description
The first way to add keywords to your CV is to include them in the description of your work experience. Let’s take the example of a B2B sales representative.
Company: Element
Position: New Business Developer
Responsibilities: Acquiring new business clients, maintaining and developing relationships with existing clients, building a positive company image in the market, delivering and reporting on KPIs.
Keywords: sales, B2B, commerce, SDR, business development, account management, clients, lead generation, upselling, customer, deals
This format for describing your work experience in a CV makes it clear to recruiters that we added these words specifically so they could find us when searching for them. The structure is clear, does not create clutter, and does not leave too much to the imagination of less experienced recruiters. For each position that is relevant to the job the candidate is seeking, we add an appropriate set of keywords.
What does it mean that a position is relevant to the job being sought?
The point is that if a sales representative once worked as a hotel receptionist, we do not need to add keywords related to reception work under that position. Since the candidate wants to develop in sales roles, not reception roles, they do not want their CV to be found by recruiters typing words like “reception,” “guest service,” or “hotel” into the ATS system. This does not mean, however, that the information about having worked as a receptionist should be removed from the CV. That information may be useful for evaluating the sales representative’s overall experience. We simply skip the keywords related to reception work so as not to mislead the system and the recruiter into thinking we are looking for that kind of job. A recruiter will not search for sales representatives using the term “receptionist.”
Adding keywords to your CV – create a dedicated keywords cloud section
However, you can do it a bit differently. At the end of your CV or somewhere in the margin, even in a smaller font size so it does not take up much space, create a general keywords cloud where you list all the words related to all the positions you want to highlight in terms of your expectations for further career development.
It does not really matter where exactly in your CV you create the keywords cloud section. Whether it is a footer, a margin, or a separate paragraph – it does not matter. However, it is worth considering naming this section, e.g. “Keywords,” so that less experienced recruiters understand what it is.
One important note here – do not hide these words by matching the font color to the CV background color (e.g., white font on a white document background). The recruiter must be able to see where in the CV the word they typed into the ATS system search bar appeared. Otherwise, they may assume there was an error and move on to the next CV.
Create a keywords cloud using AI
AI tools such as ChatGPT are excellent for creating keywords. As a reminder, ChatGPT can be used for free. The feature for attaching documents (CVs) is available in the free version of ChatGPT, but only after logging in.
Here is an example prompt to enter in ChatGPT to get a list of keywords tailored to a specific job position:
Help me create three lists of keywords for the attached CV that will increase my chances of being found by recruiters in ATS systems.
General list: First, prepare a list of general keywords for the position of [job title, e.g. digital marketing specialist]. Include the most commonly searched phrases and skills that recruiters might type when looking for candidates for this position. Focus on popular industry terms, technical skills, soft skills, and tools that are frequently required in this role.
List tailored to my CV: Next, after analyzing the content of my CV, create a second list of keywords that is tailored to my specific experience, skills, and achievements. Include keywords that may be particularly important for recruiters looking for someone with my professional profile. Focus on those skills, achievements, and technologies that set me apart from other candidates and are specific to my career and competencies.
Combined list: Finally, create a third list that combines both previous lists – it should contain all the general keywords as well as those specific to my CV. This list should include all key phrases and skills that may increase my chances of being found by recruiters, whether they are searching broadly or looking for specific profiles.
Provide each list separately, using the appropriate headings: “General keywords list,” “Keywords list tailored to CV,” and “Combined list.”
Remember to verify every response from ChatGPT and other AI tools. These are still imperfect technologies that can return incorrect information, partly due to so-called hallucinations. Read through the list, remove any words you consider incorrect, and then add the final version to your CV.
A comprehensive guide to writing CVs and LinkedIn profiles
If you are looking for comprehensive knowledge on how to write a CV or LinkedIn profile, I encourage you to check out the guide I prepared based on my own many years of recruitment experience. I update the guide regularly.
DISCOVER ELEMENT!
Maciej Michalewski
CEO @ Element. Recruitment Automation Software
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