The importance of using keywords on a resume

To me a keyword 'section' shows you read the ad and can copy and paste. Sprinkle the keywords throughout your points and you have my attention, especially if they are in accomplishment statements. A machine may find the words, but I will be reading those filtered out.

The idea of a keyword section has been around for a few years so maybe you need to clarify when you say "....this new trend of having an actual keyword section...."

Job seekers should consider having more than one resume during their job search. A keyword section isn't necessary or appropriate if a candidate is sending their resume directly to me for a specific position. If a job seeker posts their resume on the job boards, a keyword section can be helpful since they are posting one resume that needs to be general enough for recruiters or Human Resources to understand what they offer. If a job seeker is posting their resume, they should familiarize themselves with boolean strings and understand how a recruiter or HR specialist might use boolean to find candidates. Five recruiters can search for an electrical engineer and come out with 5 different candidate pools when they search on job boards.

With all of this stated, I still advocate that a well written resume shouldn't need a keyword section and networking is the best way to find a new position. If applying to job postings, a candidate will want to write their cover letter for that specific post and they may want to move information around - bringing attention to particular sections.

If posting a resume to the job boards, a keyword section is wise since many companies think it is easy to go to the boards and find the perfect candidate. Companies let the new person do the searches and filter the resumes. Since we don't know who is filtering resumes, a keyword section is beneficial when putting it out their among the millions