How To Customize Your Resume

Utilize Keywords

Think of your resume as a search engine with results.

The key is not to bombard your resume with information that is irrelevant to the job but to be as specific and relevant as possible. The most relevant information always comes up at the top of the search engine and that's what you have to do on your resume.

The top fold of your resume should contain 6-8 major skill sets that you have that also relate to the job you're applying for (just like keywords in a search engine).

Make it easy for a hiring manager to identify why you're a perfect match for the job.

Narrow Your Focus

You want your resume to showcase that you're a specialist and expert in the field of work, not a generalist. As hard as it may be to believe, that's the truth in the case of resumes. Remember, your resume is there to help get your foot in the door at the company.

You have to first understand what the employer is looking for and specifically address that need for them in order for them to want to talk to you. If you come off saying you can do everything else, it can impact your message from getting across in those quick seconds that a hiring manager takes to review your resume (or prevent you from getting past the ATS).

Carefully review the job posting to understand what the employer is looking for and customize your resume to address those specific points.

Think Like An Employer

Put yourself in the employer's position to answer the key questions they have, like:

• "What can you do for me?"
• "How is your experience relevant to the job?"
• "Do you have examples to demonstrate how you've succeeded in your career?"
• "Are you able to achieve those results again in this job?"

You can expect better results with your resume when it's tailored to an employer's specific need. Employers often receive hundreds of job applications for a single job posting, so when your resume requires digging for relevant information, you've already lost them.

Follow the tips above to customize your resume for every position you apply for, and you'll succeed in getting the employer's attention.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.