One of the hardest things about writing a resume is the process of preparing it for electronic eyes--many resumes are scanned and ranked against preferred keywords and never even reviewed by hiring managers. (I can say this frankly because I have worked as a recruiter, and have selected the keywords for positions before listing job openings. I've worked on the "other side of the process.")

As a job seeker, it's important to write your resume so that you can pass this first scan test. Here's one of my favorite quick tips for assessing key words for any position:

1. Find a job listing--any job listing. Select and highlight all job description and "cut" the description for pasting later.

2. Go to the website, Tag Crowd

3. Paste the job description in the "paste text to be visualized" box.

4. Click Visualize.

You will now see a visualization of word highlights for your target position. Here is a summary for a project management position:

Tag cloud

5. Now take the biggest words and make sure you use them in your resume and cover letter! Bonus points: Use them in your LinkedIn specialties section as well.

It may not be an exact match, but it's a start--and a useful tool for beating the electronic scanner.

Cross-posted on Career Hub.