Sending a hiring manager a customized resume improves your chances of landing an interview and being hired for the job of your dream. One of the best ways to create a customized resume is to review the job posting carefully and make sure your resume reflects all of the requirements listed. Follow these tips to make sure your resume matches the job posting as closely as possible.
Automated applicant-tracking systems are one of the first hurdles you need to clear during the hiring process. Instead of having a human review thousands of resumes, an employer using an applicant-tracking system uses software to scan each resume for certain words and phrases. If your resume doesn't have the right words, you have very little chance of making it to the next round of the hiring process. When you create a customized resume, you must include the same words and phrases listed in the job description. Organized, managed, consulted, coached and hired are just a few of the words that make an impact on hiring managers.
One way to make sure your resume matches the job description is to rewrite the job description in your own words. Job advertisements typically include extra information, such as salary range or company perks, which you don't need to include on your resume. Rewriting the job description makes it easier to see what the hiring manager really wants in a candidate. Use bullet points to organize your thoughts.
Once you have a list of essential qualifications, go through your resume and highlight each one. If you only have one or two listed, you need to rewrite your resume completely. Most hiring managers only look at a resume for a few seconds before making a decision, so don't hurt your chances by submitting a resume that doesn't match the job description. If most of the highlighted qualifications appear toward the bottom of your customized resume, consider moving them to the top of the first page. This makes it easier for hiring managers to see that you meet all of the requirements of the job, even if they don't read your resume in its entirety.
Now that you've done all the prep work, write a customized resume that closely reflects the requirements listed in the job description. Try to mimic the format and word placement of the original job advertisement or internal posting. If organizational skills are the first thing mentioned in the posting, there's a good chance the hiring manager places a lot of value in finding candidates who excel at being organized. When you write your resume, organizational skills should appear somewhere near the top of the first page.
Creating a customized resume is a great way to capture the interest of hiring managers. For best results, make sure the qualifications listed in your resume are an exact match to the requirements listed in the job description.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!