How to Tailor Your Resume for the Role You’re Applying For

When you’re applying for jobs, you should look at your resume and edit it each time to stand out to an employer. Use the following tips to tailor your resume and increase your chances of moving along the hiring process.

1. Carefully Read the Job Description

First, take a close look at the job description for the role you’re applying for. As most large companies and many small businesses use applicant tracking system (ATS) technology to scan resumes and candidates, you can use a job description as a guide for how to customize your resume.

ATS technology scans a resume for specific keywords that the employer chooses so they can streamline the application process. For example, since the average corporate job attracts 250 resumes , a company may choose to use an ATS to filter out resumes that don’t contain specific keywords. Once that’s happened, a human hirer may take a closer look at the remaining resumes.

To ensure your resume makes it through an ATS process, look at keywords in the job description, and include ones that relate to your experience in your resume. You can add keywords in a:

• Career summary
• Selected highlights
• Core competencies
• Specific job experience

Only add similar keywords to your resume if your experience is actually relevant. You’ll need to explain and defend what’s on your resume, so honesty is always the best policy in a job search.

2. Customize Each Resume Section Based on the Job

Every different section in your resume is an opportunity to highlight your relevant experience to an employer. Think about:

• Resume title: A typical resume prominently includes a job title, either your most recent role or the title of the position you’re applying to, if you’re qualified for it. Again, look at the job title of what you’re applying for to influence how you kick off your resume.
• Career summary: Below the resume title, you may summarize your career journey and feature what makes you stand out as a candidate in paragraph form. Here’s an opportunity to: 1) calculate the number of years of experience you have that qualifies you for the position you’re applying for; 2) call out specific skills that relate to keywords featured in the job description; and 3) make a case for yourself that you’re qualified for the position you’re applying for.
• Core competencies: These are hard and soft skills you’ve cultivated over your career. Pay attention to skills mentioned in the job description, and use this section to feature ones you have.
• Past experience: In every past position and list of duties, you can also relate back your own experience to the job you’re applying for. Use bullets to list out accomplishments and tasks that match up with the job you’re applying for.
• Technical skills: Many job descriptions that require or prefer specific technology knowledge will feature those platforms and systems. Make sure you identify any software and technology tools you have experience with, especially those that line up with a new job you’re applying for.

Reference the job description as you edit your resume, so your resume stays in your own words, but you can make simple keyword swaps where relevant.

3. Focus Your Resume

If you have a vast amount of professional experience, you can hyperfocus on what matters most for each job you’re applying for. Generally, we recommend keeping resumes to a full two pages.

You’ll want to focus on recent and relevant experience. For example, it makes sense to add more accomplishments and task bullet points to a recent, relevant position rather than list all the positions you’ve had over the past 20 years.

Again, look at the job description and consider the skills you’ve developed over your experience that match the new job you’re applying for. Highlight those details in various sections of your resume.

4. Don’t Plagiarize Your Resume Content

You shouldn’t copy a job description verbatim when editing a new resume. That can be a huge red flag to hirers. They may have even programmed the ATS to look for exact language from the job description and disqualify resumes that copy it.

Along those lines, while it may be helpful to use AI for a resume to get started with, you shouldn’t copy and paste a resume from an artificial intelligence tool like ChatGPT. Some hirers will use plagiarism tools like Copyscape to check that resume content is original and not copied and pasted from another site. You can run your resume through a tool like this before submitting it to a potential employer.

Use Your Resume to Sell Your Candidacy

When you submit a resume today, it can go through several steps to make it to a hirer’s desk who decides to call you in for an interview. Remember to:

• Use the job description as your guide: Look at keywords, experience requirements and skills that you possess. You’ll want to make sure to include those where relevant throughout the resume.
• Edit your entire resume. From your title, to your career summary, to your core competencies and technical skills, to the accomplishments and tasks you list out, approach what you feature and write from the viewpoint of the hirer.
• Focus your resume content. Lead with the most relevant and recent experience that relates to the job you’re applying for.
• Write your resume yourself. While you can certainly use AI to get ideas for how to organize your resume and certain standout skills to feature, keep in mind that copying and pasting a resume can harm your reputation in your industry. Run your resume through a plagiarism detector and edit in your own keyword-friendly words before submitting it.

Are you looking for a job? Contact the recruiting experts at AccruePartners . We can help you find jobs that match your passion and skills, and advise you on what clients are looking for out of candidates. View open jobs and connect with our recruiting team today.??

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