# Purpose of Keywords in Job Announcements?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-keywords-in-job-announcements/503725>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 21, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-keywords-in-job-announcements/503725 "2009-07-21T09:24:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-keywords-in-job-announcements/503725/1 "2009-07-21T09:24:18Z")

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Many times, job announcements close with a listing of keywords. What is the purpose of that? I wager it is terms they hope someone might plug into a search engine at random to make their job posting appear as a hit?

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-keywords-in-job-announcements/503725/2 "2009-07-21T10:09:31Z")

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When writing a job description for delivery to Human Resources, an intelligent manager will include a list of keywords that are likely to appear in the resume of a qualified applicant. An intelligent HR manager will then filter the flood of resumes using these keywords, or pass them on to an agent who will do the same.

An idiot will put the keywords in the job announcement, producing a flood of resumes from unqualified applicants that mysteriously make it through the filter, if they filter them at all. I mean, I suppose that it might have happened your way, but it’s pretty unlikely that an announcement will go unnoticed in this economy.

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**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-keywords-in-job-announcements/503725/3 "2009-07-21T15:05:02Z")

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> [@Jinx](#):
>
> I wager it is terms they hope someone might plug into a search engine at random to make their job posting appear as a hit?

This is exactly why right here. The keywords are more relevant to an Internet posting. They really have no bearing on a print ad.