Why Have Just One Resume When You Can Have Twenty?
Last month I talked about the importance of getting plugged in when you start a new job or a new role with your current employer. If you missed it, here’s a link to the August article.
This month I’m going to take a step back and talk about some things that can help in the application process. Specifically, I want to share some things about resume writing that I’ve learned from a combination of my own career changes, conversations with some of my managers, and my personal experience reviewing resumes as a manager and as a technical lead.
Over the course of my career, I’ve found two things to be the most helpful in getting that next role. Creating an effective resume is the first key to getting an opportunity to interview. Being prepared for the interview is also important, but I’ll save that discussion for another issue of this newsletter. I should also point out that networking - whether through LinkedIn or other means - is another great way to make that initial connection. Those networking connections have helped me get that first interview at least a couple times over the course of my career. But again, I’ll be focusing on the resume piece of the puzzle here.
When you’re done here, take a few minutes to read this article and see the history of job hunting since the 1970s.
When I started my engineering career, everything was done on paper. In order to find jobs to apply to, I mainly counted on the resources available at my school to find companies that were hiring and help me make contact. Resumes and cover letters had to be sent by mail - not email, U.S. mail. I remember spending time in the fine paper section of Office Depot agonizing over what color, quality, and style of paper would make the best first impression. The challenge was to create a single resume that could be used for several employers and roles. After all, it wasn’t as easy to create and print different resumes for each job you wanted to apply to.
Although the media is different, the goal today is the same. You want to create a resume that will make a good first impression and stand out from the rest of the stack in the hiring manager’s inbox. One of the advantages of living in the digital age is that it’s easier to target your resume to the company and even the specific job you’re applying for. What does that mean and why would you bother?
Targeting your resume means taking a little time to make some key updates to your overview or summary section and even your job history to align your experience and talents to the specific role you’re applying for. Every company, and sometimes even different hiring managers, have slightly different points of emphasis or critical skills they’re looking for. Not all software engineering jobs are the same. In some cases, it might just be different keywords for the same skills. In others, it might take a little more work.
Taking the time to align your resume to the specific role has two very clear advantages. First, if the company is using an automated software application to screen candidates, making sure you’re using the terminology they’re looking for increases the chances you’ll make it past that first screening. This is true even if the screener is an HR person that might not be able to easily associate your terminology or skills to the terminology in the posting. Second, making the effort to show how your specific education or experience makes you an excellent candidate for the specific job you’re applying for shows that you’ve taken the time to help the hiring manager make those connections and that you’re truly interested in that specific job. It’s a discriminator you might have over the dozens of other candidates applying. Take advantage of it.
I have been customizing my resume for the past 20 years or so, and although I don't have any data to show how often it was a factor in getting me that first contact and/or interview, I'm certain it helped. I can also say that as a former hiring manager and technical lead that spent time reviewing my share of resumes, I always paid extra attention to those resumes that showed evidence of the applicant was taking the time to apply to specific positions they were interested in rather than just spamming dozens or hundreds of resumes to any job posting that came up on their favorite job posting website. Seeing points on the resume clearly matched up with the job description provided some of that evidence. Obviously, the resume reviewer still has to make an evaluation of the overall resume and confirm the applicant's skills and experience during the interview and the rest of the hiring process, but you have to get past the initial resume review first.
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While you’re at it, don’t forget the cover letter. I know there are plenty of debates over the value of cover letters, but I’m firmly in the camp of taking every opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd. Having a cover letter, especially one that’s customized for the specific job, when there are so few cover letters in the stack is another way to stand out.
So, there you have it. Why have just one resume when you can have twenty? With just a little time and effort, you can customize your resume so it stands out in the crowd and helps the hiring manager see why you would be a great asset for their team. Good luck with your next search!
Check out this article later for more tips on writing a targeted resume.
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Office Photo from Pexels by Pavel Danilyuk
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Legal Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of LinkedIn, my current or former employers, my alma mater, my church, or my family.