So you’ve scrolled through dozens of job ads and finally came across that job.
You like it. You want to put a ring on it.
Here’s how—
According to decision makers themselves, a generic one-size-fits-all resume is a dealbreaker.
One in three recruiters will auto-reject your application if it doesn’t feel personalized.
The fix? To make sure this unicorn job doesn’t get away, you need to target your resume for the job.
The infographic below will show you how to customize your resume to match the expectations and requirements of any position, step by step.
How to Target Your Resume
- Read the job ad and highlight important requirements: years of experience, skills, education, etc. Most of these keywords have to be mentioned in your resume.
- Focus on showing how your previous responsibilities match those of the position you’re targeting.
- Sprinkle the most important keywords throughout your resume, not just the experience section:
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- Pick two or three to showcase in your heading statement.
- List the most relevant skills in the skills section.
- Mention relevant coursework in the education section if you’re an entry-level candidate.
- Don’t worry if you don’t meet all the requirements. However, don’t leave the reader hanging and mention what you can do instead:
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- Say, you’ll need to write press releases in your new job. You haven’t done it, but you’ve run the company newsletter. Mention that.
- Or, if the open position requires you to have experience managing five people, but you’ve managed three, be upfront about it. It really is close enough.
Remove non-relevant information. Recruiters, hiring managers, and employers themselves don’t want to hear your whole life story. They want to hear parts of it. Parts that matter to them, not you.
