Tailoring Your Resume for Every Job Application: A Must-Do

Your resume is a concise story of who you are as a professional, but a personalized resume helps employers see if you're the right fit for the position. On average, employers spend 6 to 10 seconds scanning your resume. A tailored resume is essential for your job search if you want to pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Many employers program their ATS to search for keywords in the job description when ranking resumes. In turn, all resumes adapted to the job description and with the right keywords will rank higher in the ATS.

Crafting a personalized resume allows you to address the specific needs of a particular employer. Organizations hire because they have specific problems they want to solve. When you're looking for work, you want to position yourself as the key solution to organizational problems. For instance, if job responsibilities indicate that the candidate must be able to lead project teams to generate results on budget and on schedule, you are expected to have skills such as leadership, budgeting, time management, and project management. While you may have a solid foundation for your overall resume, tailoring it to each position you apply for can make a significant difference in getting the attention of potential employers. We have the perfect tool for you to make sure that each of your resumes matches the specific description of the position you are applying for.

Your resume summary, education section, skills section, and work experience sections will have the greatest impact on an interested employer. The job tracker, along with the extension, also looks for salary information in job descriptions, highlights skills and keywords from the job description, helps set up follow-up reminders, and contains a bank of communication templates for outreach and follow-up throughout the hiring process. The only way to overcome both options is to saturate your ATS-friendly resume with keywords from the job description, that is, to personalize your resume. By creating a personalized resume, you can show that you're a good fit for a specific job, increase your chances of getting noticed by a potential employer and, ultimately, getting the job you want. Review the job description and focus on the key requirements, as well as the technical and non-technical skills required by the position. After the title of your resume, include a concise professional summary that explains who you are professionally and, at the same time, addresses the qualifications and responsibilities indicated in the job description.

The more times a skill appears in the job offer, the more important it is that you integrate it into your resume. I don't think anyone would deny that if your resume fits every job application perfectly, you'll have a better chance of getting at least one interview. If you want to receive news from employers and have an opportunity to do an interview, tailoring your resume to each position is one of the best things you can do. In general, look for a clear, concise, and specific resume that shows your most relevant and impressive qualifications.