Where the original idea for the targeted keywords resume came from

This is the reason why we have to target our resumes with keywords.

http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/faqs/iappfaqs.htm#Q3BQ

I read about this in a book a while back but here is what the book was referring to. To avoid discrimination based on race, gender and ethicity in hiring employees by federal contractors and sub-contractors using the internet application process. It does not cover age discrimination.

So now companies have adopted this for their hiring practices. But in the private sector it doesn't seem to be all that effective at avoiding discrimation that it was originally supposed to avoid.

GAH. But this part makes me wonder...about how some companies behave at job fairs...

"If the Internet Applicant recordkeeping standards apply to hiring for a particular position and the contractor receives paper resumes for the position from job seekers at a career or job fair, does the contractor need to retain the paper resumes received?

The contractor needs to retain resumes only if it considers resumes received at the job fair for a particular position. The contractor need not retain any resumes if its consistently applied practice is not to consider paper resumes received at a career or job fair. For example, the contractor would not need to retain paper resumes offered at a job fair if it does not consider them and instructs all job seekers to post their resumes on the contractor's web site and/or apply for particular positions on the web site. The contractor should take care to apply such a protocol in a uniform and consistent fashion. It is the contractor's actual practice that determines whether the contractor has considered a resume. For example, if a contractor's policy is to accept resumes only through its website, but its actual practice is to consider resumes received at a career or job fair as well, the contractor will be expected to retain both the resumes collected at job fairs as well as those submitted through the contractor's website."

It's adviseable for all of us to update our resumes and repost them at least once a month. Keywords cannot be too generic or you will receive pages of openings for which you don't qualify. Don't for instance say Manager, list the type of manager, there are operations managers, nurse managers, casework managers, electrical engineering managers, city managers etc. Be specific. List your skill set.

It's really hard and sometimes the last thing we feel like doing, but update regularly. It does get you more information from the internet posts.

As I've always said, post every day. No one on their resume say "unemployed". The only way a recruiter finds active seekers is to search on resumes updated in the last 24 hours or a week if desperate for a skill set.