25 Keywords to Make Your Database Programming Résumé Stand Out
There are some jobs that simply aren’t work – they’re fun – and for those of us who love computers and software, database programming can be a great choice.
Here’s the first lesson in Résumé 101: If you don’t have the know-how to create a standout résumé, you won’t get the chance to shine, even if you're the best database programmer in your class.
/* Please Read My Résumé */
Here’s the second lesson in Résumé 101: If you wrote your résumé for a human reader, your dazzling accomplishments and education may never be seen by a real person. There are “résumé robots” out there, and they can eat your job application and résumé submission about as fast as you can click the “submit” button.
In 2015, Business Insider said, “Many organizations now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), a software application that helps employers with the time-consuming and expensive process of screening and filtering out hundreds of candidates. This means that you have to make it past the robot eyes in order to progress your application. And with new eyes comes new rules.”
New résumé rules, that is. You need to add as many keywords to each résumé submission as possible for the ATS robot to find. Those keywords may have a numeric value, from 0-100, and your live human will see your “score,” not your résumé. But padding your résumé with keywords may not be enough; some systems are now searching for “semantic matches.”
A semantics search incorporates words, phrases and their meanings. For example, “excellent written and verbal skills” is considered a soft skill. “Java programming” is a good hit. If a company is seeking a “software developer,” its program will target words like, “database developer” and “software engineer.”
Your Key(words) Could Start the Engine
You have the qualifications to be a database programmer. Now, you want a job. And you don’t want a company’s résumé robot to toss you into a bottomless black hole of job applications. Some keywords are needed on your résumé, no matter what your field of interest. These general keywords should be included on your résumé every submission:
- City, state or area where you want to work (Especially if you live in Hoboken but want to work in Chicago)
- College or university names
- Company names
- Conferences or trade shows attended
- Degrees, certifications, and professional affiliations
- Internet tools and apps
- Job titles
- Publications, white papers, or your websites where you blog or websites that have featured your writing
- Service types and product names (Include information about the company for which you worked: “Xyz, a Big 10 company and major distributor of soft drinks”)
- Software and hardware skills for the job you want
Some general advice for not making the résumé robots angry from Professional Service Group of Central New Jersey (PSGCNJ) includes:
- Never send your résumé as a PDF.
- Don’t use images which can block the ATS.
- Use bulleted lists rather than paragraphs.
- Don’t use scripts, designer fonts, tables, logos or graphics.
- Don’t use a continuous lines across the page. Some ATS systems read this as the end of the page.
- Don’t use larger than 12 point fonts.
- Don’t have headers or footers.
- Don’t get cute and try to “hide” keywords invisibly on the page for ATS to scan. That’s cheating.
Your path will unfold gradually, so another good tip is to insert your accomplishments and title changes into your résumé even while you’re employed. Keep copies of work you're particularly proud of (unless it contains confidential information) and add them to your portfolio. If and when an opportunity you want is available, your résumé will be up-to-date and you’ll be ready to submit!
Database Programmer Keywords
Before you begin working on your résumé, look for at least 10 jobs that are advertised online that you’d like to have. As you read the postings, make a note or highlight the words you see repeated often and occurring frequently in each advertisement. The words you highlighted are your keywords. Your keywords will probably include some version of these 25 words:
- Ajax
- Android developer
- Asp.net
- Business analyst
- C#
- C++
- CSS
- Database
- Designer
- Developer
- Dot net
- Engineer
- HTML
- JavaScript
- JQuery
- Mobile apps/applications
- Mobile UX
- MySQL
- .Net
- Oracle
- PHP
- Programmer
- Software
- SQL
- Xml
Got an A in both classes (database & networking) @ecpi_cot ! Woohoo! Next up: database scripting.
— donna ridgeway (@donna_ridgeway) November 8, 2010
Considering a Future in Database Programming?
If you’re a computer geek, why not have fun and get paid too? Doing what you want to do is truly the definition of success. ECPI University has flexible, year-round Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a concentration in Database Programming classes, online and on campus, plus financial incentives and opportunities that make it affordable. In just 2.5 years, you can be embarking on your new path. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.