More Than Half of Hiring Managers Agree That This Can Help You Land an Interview

Surveys show that more than half of hiring managers agree that if you adjust your resume and customize it for the position you’re applying to, this can help you land an interview.

One of the key factors of a great resume is that it is catered to the job you’re applying for. It sounds like a difficult task, but it’s a fairly simple process if you break it down into a few steps. Here is exactly how to cater your resume to a specific job and why doing this can help you land an interview.

Why is customizing your resume important?

Customizing your resume to the job you’re interested in applying to can help you land an interview because it shows the reader that you care and that you are willing to put the time and effort into customizing your resume for this specific job. Additionally, it helps the reader visualize you in the role and see the value you would bring as a candidate.

The first step to writing a great resume is figuring out what you want from your career

You might think that the first step to furthering your career is to have a great resume, but in order to create a resume that will best serve you, you need to decide what you want to gain from it. Why? Because a truly great resume is catered to the jobs that you’re applying for. If you don’t know what kind of jobs you’re going to be applying for, you can’t utilize the correct wording and phrasing to ensure that you align with the requirements of the job. Trying to figure out what job is right for you? Here’s an article to help you out!

You may have a lot of transferable skills, but if you’re not highlighting them in a way that hiring managers can see and understand, they won’t benefit you.

Why you should take the time cater your resume to each job you apply to

On average, each corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes. Of these candidates, four to six will be called for an interview and only one will be offered the job. With the number of applicants increasing, many hiring managers and recruiters default to either using an applicant tracking system, or doing keyword searches to determine if candidates are qualified. Keyword searches are an easy way to determine it’s worth taking the time to look at a resume or not.

How to cater your resume to a specific job

The best way to ensure that you come up on keyword searches is to go through the job descriptions that you’re interested in applying to and integrate those key words and phrases throughout your document. Do your desired job descriptions utilize key words or phrases which you can use in your resume? Does a job description have a more eloquent way of wording one of your job duties? If you’re not using current job postings to help you write your resume, you’re doing yourself a disservice. See how industry professionals talk about jobs and utilize that in your document. Using industry jargon will also help you appear more professional and knowledgeable about what you do.

How to figure out what words and phrases to include

Do some research on what businesses are actually looking for in a candidate and pay attention to trends of required skills or experience in your industry.

• Is there software that you continually see as a job requirement?
• When you browse potential job opportunities, are there any specific skills required?
• How about certifications? Is there any specialized training that could benefit you when it comes to your job search?

The more research you can do, the better. You want to get a better understanding of what potential employers and recruiters are looking for in candidates within your field so you can highlight these requirements on your resume.

A great way to do this research is to browse through potential job opportunities. Think about what you want your next career move to be and do a search on LinkedIn, Indeed.com, themuse.com, or any other job site you find effective. Look through opportunities that interest you and make note of the requirements so you can integrate the required keywords and phrases into your resume.