Tips 2 of 3 - Making Your Resume Job Specific

If you have reviewed our tips on how to develop a winning resume you are now ready for tip #2. In today's competitive job market it is imperative for you realize that hundreds of candidates are interested in the same job you are applying for. Your resume is an important first step in getting you noticed by the employer. In an effort to sell your qualifications you cannot be tempted to dump a lot of information on your resume. I will share with you how to make your resume specific to the job you are applying for.

Think of your resume as a billboard or infomercial. This document should tell the employer what skills you have and how you will bring value to their organization.

If your resume is not job specific, most hiring professionals will not take the time to connect the dots for you. In the past it was time consuming to develop resumes for the different jobs you applied for. Technology has made it extremely easy for you to customize your resume for every job you apply for. Always be mindful that your resume only serves the purpose of getting you noticed and selected for a future face to face interview. Earlier we discussed the use of keywords in your resume. I like to utilize at least 25 keywords when developing a job specific resume. These keywords should also be front loaded in your resume so the employer notices these words early during their review. Let's get started in making your resume job specific by looking at three rules:

Rule 1. Objective section should be addressed to the company (by name) and you should state the job as the career position you are interested in.

Rule 2. Have the job posting handy for reference as you create your resume. How does your qualifications and experience match up with what the company is looking for? Be sure you capture your relevant skills in your resume.

Rule 3. Be sure to tell the potential employer how your qualifications and experience can help solve their current challenge. Have you performed this work in the past? Have you excelled at this job? Can you duplicate these results for the potential employer? If you answered yes to these questions be sure to include this in your resume.

There are many approaches and styles in creating job specific resumes. Keep in mind the employer has a need that you can address. They are looking for someone to join their team to help them get the job done and increase profitability. This is your opportunity to sell them on what you will bring to their organization.

Our final tip (#3) will address how to get your resume seen by a decision maker.

Greg Ikner is the President of The AGA Group an Executive Search and consulting Firm. I have in excess of 25 years of Industry experience in Sales, Management and Marketing. The articles I author are based on proven experience and I share my learnings with you. If you gain some level of insight after reading my articles then I have accomplished my goal.

By Gregory Ikner