Why you Need to Tailor Your Resume for a Job Posting (+how to do it in 3 easy steps)

Imagine you're in a race to land your dream job, but the competition is fierce. Recruiters are looking through piles of resumes, giving each only 6 seconds of attention. So, how do you stand out and make sure you don’t end up in the dreaded discard pile?  It's simple, you tailor your resume to showcase your most relevant skills and experiences for the job you want.

Employers don't have time to interpret your skills & experience. So, it’s vital you connect the dots for them, so they clearly see on your resume why you’re a perfect fit for the position. Otherwise, your resume will end up in the dreaded discard pile. Yes, even if you're the best candidate for the job!

So, let's make sure you understand why you need to tailor your resume and cover letter, and how to tell your professional story, experience, and accomplishments in a way that will get you noticed so you land that dream job!  And, we’ll cover how to do this if you’re applying to multiple types of jobs.  Let’s dive in!

Why do you need to Tailor your Resume & Cover Letter?

Overall, a tailored resume is a powerful tool that can help you stand out from the crowd, get noticed by potential employers, and increase your chances of landing your dream job.  A tailored resume offers a multitude of benefits, including the ability to help you:

Get past applicant tracking systems (ATS)

Since ATS compares the content of resumes to the job posting to find the best-matched candidates, tailoring your resume to each position you apply for is crucial to ensure your resume is read.

And

Increase your chances of landing more interviews

Imagine you're a hiring manager looking for the perfect candidate for an important position at your company. You receive:

A generic resume- That lists a lot of experience, some related to the position, some not, but leaves the hiring manager guessing, wondering if the candidate is truly capable of doing the job.

Vs.

A tailored resume- Gives a clear picture of the candidates past experiences, qualifications, skills, and accomplishments in a way that is directly related to the job description.  This tailored resume makes it easy for the hiring manager to see the candidate's capabilities and how they can contribute to the success of your company.

How to Tailor Your Resume for a Job Posting (in 3 steps)

Step 1: Understand the job Posting (and what’s important to the company)

Carefully read and analyze the job posting. Highlight and write down the key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities required. This will give you a clear idea of what the employer is looking for and what you need to highlight in your resume and cover letter.

Drawing from my own experience as a hiring manager, I can attest to the fact that job descriptions are meticulously crafted to outline the ideal candidate for the role. Recruiters and hiring managers tell you exactly what they're looking for in a candidate, so use this to your advantage. 

 Review the Job Description for:

 ·        Responsibilities

·        Experience level

·        Education

·        Years of experience

·        Themes (like leadership, multi-tasking, organization, etc.)

·        Keywords, or skills repeated throughout

·        Specific skills: These can be skills learned through experience such as leadership or knowledge of software tools, certifications, etc. 

 ·        Job related skills (examples)- copywriting, press releases, and editing.

·        Technology skills (examples)- Hootsuite, Buffer. 

·        Soft/Transferable skill (examples)- leadership, multitasking, and problem-solving.

 Step 2: Customize Your Resume (Match your resume with the job description)

Tailor your resume with keywords from the job posting that apply to your own skills, experience, and achievements to showcase your strengths (relevant to the job you’re applying for).  Remember, few applicants have every skill and meet every qualification. Tailoring your resume is about making sure the recruiter or hiring manager notices the ones you do have.

Use keywords and in your cover letter and throughout your resume in your education, skills, and professional experience sections.  Also, make sure to use the right action verbs and quantify achievements when you can.  Here’s an example of a strong bullet point that includes action verbs, keywords and showcases results.

·        Increased website traffic by 50% through the implementation of targeted social media campaigns and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, resulting in a significant boost in lead generation and sales revenue.

Tip: Always make sure to spell out acronyms for any skills

Step 3: Review and Edit

Once you've customized your resume, review it to make sure it's easy to read and well-organized. Ask yourself:

·         “Does my resume experience section clearly state that I can do what’s required of this role?”

·         “Am I using the same language found in the job description or job posting?”

Also, double-check for spelling and grammar errors and have someone else review your resume for feedback. It's important to make sure your resume is error-free and presents you in the best possible light.

FAQ’s

What if I’m applying for different types of jobs?

If you’re applying for different types of positions, create a main resume for each.  To get started, find a typical job description for the position you want, and create a "main copy" of your tailored resume.

Follow the steps above and tailor your resume to the job description and save that file. 

Then, use this as your “main copy” for your job search, using this as starting point for future job applications, and make small adjustments as needed.

Why this matters? Let me share a personal story to show you why.  Years ago, I was torn between different career choices of continuing my career in sales/fundraising or making the switch to focus solely on communications. So, I crafted a one-size-fits-all resume to appeal to both areas. But, that a mistake. It was a monster of a resume, and it pleased no one. I wasn't getting any responses from potential employers.

It wasn't until I realized that I needed to tailor my resume to each position that things started to take off. I created two separate resumes, one for each field I was interested in, and then fine-tuned each one to highlight my relevant experience and accomplishments. And just like that, I went from hearing crickets to getting 10+ callbacks a week!

So, the moral of the story is this: if you want to stand out from the crowd and land your dream job, you need to tailor your resume for each position you apply to. Trust me, it's worth the extra effort.

Final Thoughts

By customizing your resume to match the job you're applying for, you'll have a better understanding of the position and the employer's needs. And guess what? This will give you a major advantage over other candidates during the interview process. You'll be able to provide laser-targeted responses that showcase your relevant experience and accomplishments.

For example, being asked one of the top interview questions, “tell me about yourself,” you won’t just list off random facts or work experience. Instead, you’ll be able to impress the interviewer by sharing the experiences and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job showing them you have what it takes to succeed in their position! The best part? This strategy doesn't just increase your chances of getting more interviews; it also helps you turn those interviews into job offers.

So what are you waiting for? Start tailoring your resume today and see your job search take off!

-Melody Joy