How can a cloud get a job recruiters attention

Last week I applied for a customer service position with MAC at the Minneapolis International Airport. I could easily do all the job qualifications, but one.

After I had submitted the online application, I immediately called the person that was responsible for receiving the applications. I had asked her when they would they would complete the process of selecting the top candidates.

She was really nice on giving me an indication when I should call back. I told her that I had all the qualifications except one and she informed me that that specific qualification was going to be weighted more then all the other ten required qualifications.

After they had a chance to review all the applications, I called her back. She informed me that they had received over 260 applications and because I didn't have that one qualification I wasn't going to be considered for the position. Because they had such a large pool of applicants, having 10 out of the 11 requirements wasn't enough. WOW!!

Being that the information on online applications are digital, many get scanned by a computer program. This computer program is looking for key skill words or buzz words that the employer is wanting their new employee to have.

When scanning hundreds of application, if you don't have all the buzz words, YOUR OUT!!!

As a job seeker, I was told over and over again to customize each resume and cover letter to reflect the needs of the company for the position. Every time I did an online application, I looked over the job description and the company's website to eyeball what I thought were the most important words. I'm sure I missed a lot of the key words.

Wouldn't it be great if there was website or program that would scan companies webpages and job descriptions to find the most likely buzz words?

The other day I viewed a webinar and they talked about using a free online technology to assist one with buzzwords. The goal was to ensure you get as many of the buzzwords as you can that the company uses,  to then build them into your resume and cover letter. The website they recommended was wordle.net. It creates a cloud of all the most important words.

To come up with the best number of buzz words to better connect with a specific company, they recommend one should enter (copy and paste) into wordle.net all the words from the company's website, printed material and a few job descriptions to discover what buzz words the company uses.

This would give the job seeker the edge in making sure the appropriate words are used.

For example, if your resume states that you create monthly newsletters and the company requires that the applicant needs to create a bulletin, the employer's resume scanner program would miss you as a viable candidate. Isn't a newsletter and a bulletin pretty much the same thing? With wordle.net, you can increase the chances of showing you are the best candidate.


I wish I had known this six months ago. I might have been working before now. If you are looking for a job and do online applications, make a cloud of your target companies information and compare it to your resume and cover letter. I bet it would increase the chances of a call back.  One could also use this to help them word their LinkedIn profile more effectively, as well.

Give it a try and leave your comment here about any issues or success.