Customizing your resume is the key to landing interviews

The job market becomes more competitive as the days emerge. In this highly competitive job market, merely sending out a generic resume to every job opening is not enough. Did you know that many mid and large-scale employers sift through hundreds of resumes per position that they advertise online? If you want a recruiter to spot you among the masses, your resume must stand out.

Customizing your resume for each opportunity is the only way to ensure that you can stand out among your competition. If you want to land an interview to secure your dream job opportunity, personalizing your resume is a critical step. Here's how you can effectively do it:

Understand the Applicant Tracking System

The biggest reason why you must customize your resume for each position that you apply for revolves around Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs). An applicant tracking system is a software tool that helps employers manage large volumes of job applications. The ATS scans resumes for specific keywords. If your resume lacks those keywords, you will not be shortlisted by the software. This is why many job applications get rejected automatically.

If you want to beat the ATS, it is a must that you review the job description carefully. Highlight critical skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. Then, make sure that your resume reflects these exact terms strategically throughout the content. We recommend adding keywords within your Professional summary, Skills section, Work Experience section, and Education section.

Demonstrate your relevance

A hiring manager spends only a few seconds scanning a resume for the first time. If they can't immediately see that you are a good fit skills wise and experience wise, they will ignore your resume. If you want a hiring manager to read your entire resume, you need to quickly grab their attention. Customizing your resume is the easiest way to achieve this.

Read the job description and align the content of your resume with what is expected of an ideal candidate. Write a powerful resume summary statement that emphasizes your professional achievements and qualifications that are directly related to the new role. Make sure that your resume prominently displays your job specific skills.

Highlight your unique value proposition

Customizing your resume does not just revolve around matching keywords with the job description. It has a lot to do with distinguishing yourself from other candidates. When you tailor your resume, you can effectively highlight your unique value proposition. Your unique value proposition is a combination of your most compelling strengths, achievements, and experiences. This entirety will make you the best candidate for the role.

For example, if the position that you are eyeing emphasizes leadership, you must customize your resume by highlighting instances where you have successfully led projects. If the employer is looking for an innovative individual, you must showcase how you have come up with creative solutions for everyday problems in past roles.

Enhance your personal branding

Generic resumes very rarely bring out your personal brand. Customizing your resume is the only way to reflect your personal brand through the document. A well-crafted and personalized resume clearly communicates who you are as a professional. When you incorporate personal branding into your resume, you can give the hiring manager an idea about your career trajectory and future goals. Being strategic with your customization will help you enhance your professional identity on paper.

Focus on professional achievements that align specifically with the new role and the industry when writing your resume. Ensure that you maintain the same professional tone throughout all your job search documents: your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. You can stand out even more by incorporating your digital portfolio into your resume.

Save time and increase efficiency

Although it might seem counterintuitive, customizing your resume for each position that you apply for will save you time in the long run. Let us explain. Customizing your resume for each application will take a significant time at first. You may feel that you are wasting time on a repetitive task. However, with each customized job application that you sent out, you begin to stand out more than your competition. Within a few weeks, you will be eyed by several recruiters.

Generic resumes receive minimal responses from recruiters. Instead of sending out a bunch of resumes that get no recognition from potential employers, you will be sending out strong and well-worded job applications. To make your process smoother, you can develop a master resume that outlines all your skills, experiences, and achievements. Ensure that this document has the same formatting as you want your customized resume to have. Then you can use this master document to quickly edit customized versions of your resume for each job application.

When you enter a competitive job landscape, resume customization is not just a bonus step. It is an essential step to ensure that you succeed in your job search. Taking the time to tailor your resume to each job that you apply for will significantly increase your chances of securing interviews.

Do you feel stuck in your job search because you can't customize your resume to bring out your unique value proposition? Then, you are in the right place. At www.resumemanson.com, we excel at creating personalized resumes that get results. Reserve your very own professionally written resume and experience how your job search changes forever. Happy job hunting!

By Resume Mansion