How to tailor your resume
I think one of the biggest mistakes made in the application process is the misconception that you don’t need to tailor it.
I hear it all the time…
“My resume is what it is, I don’t need to tailor”
“My experience is what it is, tailoring it is just not needed”
- sorry guys, but you really do.
On average employers and people in recruitment look at your resume for 6 seconds. That is it to get the complete download of who you are, what you do and why you will be perfect for this role. SO if you have not used language or structure your resume to suit the role you are applying for - you will get overlooked.
Tailoring your resume is a must for any job application.
How do you do this?
Number 1 -
Start with the simple steps - look at the key words and language that is use in the job advert. How can you add these words to your resume? Is it in your key stills, is it in some of the the achievements you have done? I am not by no means suggesting you make anything up - it is a simple rephrase.
For example:
The job has asked for someone with communication skills.
And you have put that one of your key skills is copy writing - you can simply change this to —
strong communication skills, specifically with skills in copy writing and editing
Or
The job has asked for someone with skills around building relationships
And you have put down you can work within a team - you can change this to —
Ability to build relationships and work well within a team environment
Can you see how you are molding your resume to suit the role?
Number 2 -
Update your Career Profile to match the direction of the role.
For example. If you are applying for a role is a change in direction - you need to note your career goals within your career profile. A simple way to think of this is:
State Who you are (what you have studied / your current profession) What you are good at (key strengths or areas of interest) and Where you want to go (this is your career direction that matches the job you are applying for)
I go into full details, give examples and a give you template of this on Your Application Toolkit which you can download here
Number 3 -
Look at how you have listed your responsibilities under your work experience and make sure, as much as possible, you have listed (and used the same language) as what is in the job advert or even better on the position description so you can clearly demonstrate how you can perform the role.