Staying Competitive in the Job Market

Customize your resumé with these tips!

Perhaps you have submitted your resume for the perfect job, a job that aligns with your work history and skill set; however, you have not received any calls for interviews.  You felt like you were the perfect fit, but to no avail, you just hear crickets.  Have you ever had to write a letter, create an invitation, or develop a presentation?  When doing so, your goal was to gear your message to a particular audience in order to gain your desired result.  For example, imagine giving a presentation to a kindergarten class versus a business conference.  Your approach would be different.  The same goes for when you are developing your resume.  You have to consider what each employer is looking for and how you can fill that gap.  You have to be the solution to a particular need.  You have to show how you can add value to a company’s bottom line.  So how can you accomplish such a critical task?  Your solution is to tailor your resume for each job of interest!  You need to wade through the description and accountabilities to identify the needs for the position and address how you can meet or exceed those requirements.  Here are some effective tips on how to customize your resume:

- Make your resumé title your career goal
- Highlight skills based on relevant keywords
- Match your qualifications to the job requirements
- Modify your responsibilities and the resulting achievements to align with the positions accountabilities
- Reorder your responsibilities according to relevancy
- Provide specifics like facts, figures, and examples
- Lay your resume and the posting side by side to determine if you look like a good fit
- Use a resume file name that includes your name

If you have your eye on a particular job that is a perfect fit in almost every way, you are going to need to customize your resume so you will stand out from the competition.  Your efforts will show the company that you have done your research, you understand the needs for the position, and you are up for the challenge.  Going the extra mile by taking time to tailor your resume, can help you stand out in a competitive job market! 

Written by Melanie Rebottini.