One size does not fit all…when it comes to your resume, that is.
If you are using the same resume for all your job applications, you are doing both yourself and the recruiters a great disservice.
Here’s why.
Think about your professional career. You have a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience, all of which cannot possibly be covered in your resume. (If you could, it would be far too long for someone to wade through, since you only have about 60 seconds to get their attention.) So you need to pick and choose what you think is the best summary of what you bring to the table. But what if those that you picked are not relevant to the job you are applying for, and other things that you left off are?
Every time you apply for a position, you need to customize your resume to highlight what past skills and experiences are relevant to that job opportunity. If you are not doing this, you are wasting a great opportunity for not only you, but the recruiter trying to read through your resume to see if you have what they are looking for. It’s an opportunity lost.
Isn’t that cheating? NO!
You’re doing them a favor. How can a recruiter possibly know all of the experience and successes you’ve had in your career by reading through a two page document? They can’t. You need to connect the dots between what they are looking for and what you have done in the past. You need to print out the job description and highlight everything that they are looking for, then you need to identify where and when you have been successful in those areas, and highlight them in your resume. That’s not lying or cheating – it’s actually the opposite! You need to be able to provide specific examples once you get to the interview stage.
Doesn’t that take a lot of time? YES!
If you won’t take the time (an hour) to research and customize your resume for that position, why should they invest time in interviewing you? Just remember to rename each version of your resume with the company name that you are applying to and file it away so that you have a copy for reference when the recruiter calls. (And they will, because you’ve made their job easy for them!)
That’s if you can get your resume through the Applicant Tracking System… Want to know why your resume goes into the black hole of technology, never to be seen by a recruiter?
I invite you to join my upcoming TeleClass, “Targeting Your Resume: How to Stand Out from the Crowd” on January 19th. Call 512-989-2230 for details, or send an information request to register@peoplebizinc.com.
Article by Deborah Huyer