Why Your Resume Isn’t Meant For You
Your resume isn’t meant for you. Yes. You read that correctly. A resume documents your career story – your unique career history, achievements, and strengths. The truth is, your resume is meant for the hiring company. It’s a marketing tool. So, it is essential to remember WHO will be reading it. In this article, The Career Depot will how to utilize the power of your resume to land you the job you want.
How Your Resume Is A Marketing Tool
When writing a resume, one of the first things to remind yourself is WHO is reading it – the company you are applying for. A resume is marketing collateral and requires you to have a deep understanding of the target audience’s needs in order to make it compelling. Then, you need to start by aligning your offerings with your audiences’ needs. This will make your content better resonate with a future employer. Every statement and bullet point on your resume must be valuable to the reader, not just you.
How To Write Your Resume For Your Target Company
Your resume can make or break the job application process for you. As a result, a well-written resume will take you far.
Read and Understand The Job Posting
You’d be surprised how many job applicants do not fully read and understand the job posting. Most of them are only skimming through the postings, but not thoroughly reading them. Applicants are spending 30 seconds or less reading the descriptions before hitting the apply button and submitting their resume. When you click “Apply” without reading all of the job listing info first, it reduces your chances of getting an interview – let alone a job. The better you can align your resume with your job posting, the better it can be received.
Job Application Tip
Print the job listing and get several highlighters in different colors. Use one color to highlight core skills (project management, data analysis, etc). Then, take another highlighter and highlight important job requirements (years of experience, software programs, etc). Lastly, use another color to identify key phrases (grow company revenue, increase ROI for customers). Next, you’re going to incorporate the top skills and phrases into your resume content, using clear and specific examples of success in these areas. This will back up your claims.
Customize Your Resume To The Industry and Position
If your resume is too general or vague, it won’t work. However, there is no need to write your resume from scratch every time you apply for a position. However, you do want to make sure you spend a bit of time customizing each resume before submitting it.
How To Customize Your Resume
It is essential to customize your resume to any and all types of applications. Ideally, you want the resume to resonate with the reader. This is especially true when you are applying for a job online and you have to capture the reader’s attention.
– Share the targeted job title in your resume header and state your intent
– Include appropriate industry language, terminology and keywords
– State accomplishments that are relevant to the position
– Provide specific details that reveal how your skills and experience benefit the employer
– Remove or minimize unrelated details and experiences
Cut Out Unrelated Content
It can be tempting to include ALL the accomplishments and achievements on your resume. However, this is not an effective strategy. On a resume, less is more. Too much information and even the wrong kind of information, can degrade the quality of your resume.
As a result, it will make your value harder to identify and understand. Rather, focus on your most relevant and impactful experiences and accomplishments. The individuals reading your resume want relevant facts. If an employer has to scan a dense and highly detailed resume, it’s too much work on their part. Rather, highlight key facts.
Focus on Quality Content
Your resume should purposely highlight each statement, bullet, and information piece in your resume. Make sure every point counts. You want to make sure you give the reader high-quality content so they can understand who you are and how you can benefit them.
Content You Should Include In Your Content
– With every 3 sentences, use at least 1 number to demonstrate your impact.
– Incorporate 1-2 leadership-oriented words every 5 sentences. Job applicants who used strong, active, leadership words saw a +50% boost over their competition
– Describe your job achievements with different action verbs.
– Include 15-20 skills, keywords, and related synonyms on your resume.
The Bottom Line
When you tailor your resume (and approach) to the employer’s needs, you will notice a change in how hiring managers respond. As a result, this will improve your chances of being selected for an interview and a job. The more customized, targeted, and purposeful your resume is, the more likely your readers will be able to see a clear connection between what they need and what you offer.
About The Career Depot Podcast
Career Depot Podcast was launched to address the needs of Americans and their careers. Stay up to date on the latest news and tips to assist you in taking your career too the next level. Take control of where your future is headed. Tune into The Career Depot Podcast as they navigate the ins and outs of today’s job market, & workforce.
