5 Simple Steps to Customizing your Resume

5 Simple Steps to Customizing your Resume5 Simple Steps to Customizing your Resume5 Simple Steps to Customizing Your Resume for Each JobYour resume is your resume, right?You may think that once youve edited and tweaked your resume to get the best possible finished product, youre done. Just add a nifty cover letter and ship it out to all those prospective jobs and wait for the interview requests to start rolling in.But then they dont. Your resume is solid. Whats the problem?While your resume may be smartly put together, it doesnt speak to any one specific job. Consider how many applicants each job gets on a daily basis. How does your resume stand out from the crowd?It may binnenseem like a lot of extra work, but taking the time and effort to customize your resume for each job that you apply for is well worth your time and effort. TWEET Heres 5 simple steps to customizing a resume and making it jump out of the slush pile for your dream job.1. Dont lie.Lets establish this right off the bat. Customizing a resume for a job isnt the same as embellishing your credentials. If the job posting says theyre looking for a person with expert level skills in Microsoft Photoshop and you dont really use that program, dont add it to your resume. More often than not, lying or embellishing your resume in such a manner leads to disaster. Think about it. If you get hired based on skills you dont actually have to perform tasks you probably dont know how to do, how is that going to work out?Instead, customizing your resume is about really looking at the job you want and emphasizing your skills that best fit what theyre looking for in an applicant and downplaying those things that may not be as relevant.Tip Think of customizing a resume as dressing up your resume for an interview. You want to wear the right clothes that bildschirm you fit with the company, not a wig because you think they want a redhead.2. Optimize for keywords.It may be less common than it was a few years ago, but man y companies still use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for keywords. This system is a way for companies to weed through the large quantity of applicants by triggering certain keywords or traits theyre looking for in their next hire. The downside to this practice is that excellent candidates can get missed because they used slightly different terminology.How do you avoid being weeded out when youre a great fit for the job? Easy. Look closely at the job posting that intrigued you in the first place. Notice the verbiage they use throughout. Then, go over your resume and see where you may be able to tailor your resume to insert a few of those keywords into your job history.For instance, if a Public Relations job is looking for people with innovative ideas for marketing and media relations and your resume talks about the way you created a new system for integrating social media with existing marketing efforts, you have an easy swap. Take out a new and put in an innovative . Even if the hiring company doesnt use an ATS to screen resumes, theyll be tuned into those keywords that they advertised in the job posting.Tip Dont go overboard. If your resume looks like a mirrored response to the job posting, its too obvious. Youre trying to highlight your best qualifications. Too many matches and theyll think youre embellishing.3. Update that objective bewertung.The objective statement is a thing of the past. Instead, swap it for a professional summary that isnt about what you want in your career, but instead about what you can bring to the job. Its smart to update this part for each job because in some cases, it may be the only thing they read. If you cant capture their interest in your professional summary, they may not bother with the rest of your resume. Its like reading the back cover of a book to see if youd like it.Again, you dont want to lie and say youre looking for career that will allow you to travel the world if you really would prefer to stay clos e to home. That leads to a bad fit down the road. Think about what it was in their job posting that intrigued you the most. Is it the job title or the chance for advancement? Be realistic about how this job would fit your career goals and then highlight those goals in your newly customized value statement.Tip Make sure that your professional summary discusses goals beyond just the current position. fruchtwein employers want to see candidates that have a career path in mind.4. De-clutter your resume.If your overall objective is to highlight the career moves and accomplishments on your resume that best fit the position you are applying for, it makes sense to clear away some of the clutter right? Eliminate or minimize older jobs that may have little to no relevance for the desired position. Even on more recent jobs, keep the parts you want them to see and trim away some of the rest.You want your resume to be clear and concise and customized beautifully for the hiring manager who sees i t. That means that clearing away the non-important features (that may be very valid for your next job application) need to clear the way so your main accomplishments can really shine.Tip Keep your original resume stored and clearly marked somewhere safe. You dont want to lose valuable information during this process. Think of it as your starting canvas.5. Go beyond the job description.Once youve captured the job description and the verbiage they like to use, head to the company website to get a feel for the company as a whole. Are there certain types of projects they focus on more than others? Do they heavily support any charities or local community events? Look for reasons why you might be a good fit with this company beyond the job description and work it into your resume if possible.Again, dont pretend to embrace a charity just because they do. Thats not cool. But, if they sponsor Breast Cancer Awareness events and youve participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk , add that in your resume. If you see that theyve worked closely with local kids sports and youve coached or volunteered, get it in there. Not only could this help your customized resume rise to the top of the pile, its great conversation fodder for that interview.Tip Remember, sometimes there are reasons why youd be a good fit for a company and position that have nothing to do with your previous work experience. Volunteering, parenting, and hobbies create valuable experiences.Why go through all of this work when you already have a resume? You dont have to if you dont want to. If youre happy throwing one resume at 20 different jobs, thats fine. But, by finding three or four jobs that you really want and customizing your resume for each one, you maximize your chances of landing at least an interview. In the end, its all about a great combination of you, your abilities, a great position, and a company that youll enjoy working for every day. Thats worth a little extra effort.Want to se e how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique today