Target your Resume to a Job
To target your resume to a specific job, you should tailor it to highlight the skills and experience most relevant to the requirements of that position. This involves carefully reviewing the job description, identifying keywords, and then strategically updating your resume to highlight your qualifications and accomplishments that align with those keywords and the overall requirements.
1. Analyze the Job Description:
Read Thoroughly:
Carefully read the entire job description, paying close attention to the required and preferred skills, qualifications, and experience.
Identify Keywords:
Note down the key words and phrases used to describe the job duties, required skills, and desired qualifications. These keywords are crucial for both human readers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
Understand the Company:
Research the company and its culture to understand what they value and better understand what kind of candidate they are looking for.
2. Tailor Your Resume:
Update Your Professional Summary:
Create about 4 sentences that summarize what you have to offer and positions you as an asset to the company. This could include your years of experience in your area of expertise, in a particular industry or industries. You could also summarize that experience by indicating similar roles across multiple companies. Mention the soft skills (communication, innovation, integrity) the recruiter or hiring manager will find most attractive for the position. Keep this section brief and do not repeat information mentioned in other areas.
Create a strong Highlight of Qualifications Section:
Set up this section as a bullet point list. Add bullet points that list hard skills and abilities that are most relevant to the position. Order the bullet points to reflect the most important qualifications first. Include any transferable skills you have. Identify specific attributes you possess that could help your candidacy such as second languages, ability to travel, or schedule availability. Plan for four to six bullet points with each limited to 2 lines. This section of a resume is most effective when it's direct, relevant, and brief which makes it easy for a hiring manager to scan.
Customize Your Work Experience in your Employment History:
Begin your work history with the most recent job first. Describe your job responsibilities with an emphasis on ones that highlight hard skills, measurable results, and significant accomplishments. Write short sentences in bullet point format that will add context to the claims made in your summary and highlight of qualifications sections.
Incorporate Keywords:
Strategically integrate keywords from the job posting throughout your resume to support your qualifications. The ‘secret sauce’ here is making sure there is a direct correlation of key words to your skills and experience. Don’t insert keywords or key phrases in random spots that don’t relate to your message. You want the reader to readily see that your experience fits.
By taking the time to target your resume to each specific job application, you can significantly increase your chances of being noticed by employers and landing an interview.
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