Yes, Always Target Your Resume
Kent R.
I am currently applying for jobs, and a friend asked if I am targeting my resume for every position I apply for. Is this something I should be doing?
The short answer to your question is right in the title of this post.
Yes, always target your resume.
The long answer is that there are many reasons why it is critical to target your resume. Not only do you need your resume to clear the technology layer – the systems that filter and rank resumes in order to cull the list of applicants – you need to communicate to human readers that you are uniquely qualified for a position. You simply can’t achieve those things without a targeted resume.
I understand that the process of targeting a resume can seem overwhelming, especially since the process of creating a resume already feels likes a major hurdle for most people. Here are some tips to help make the process a but less daunting.
Start with a powerful, achievement-centric “core” resume. When developing this resume, you are going to be aware that you need to be able to quickly shift things up based on each specific opportunity. That means easy to swap in/out bullet points, punchy but concise branding elements, and a format that is not so complex as to be un-editable.
When evaluating a position, determine what impact the position is intended to have on the organization. Use this information to adjust your introductory elements so that you are showcasing how you are well positioned to help the organization achieve those goals.
Identify the parallels between each specific requisition and your experience. Use this knowledge to capture keywords in your documents and to highlight achievements that best align with the job requirements.
As a side note, if you want to pursue a broad range of positions, you may need more than one core resume. For example, if your recent experience is in Sales Leadership and you want to pursue both Business Development and, say, Public Relations roles, you’ll need two different core resumes.