(Newswire.net — February 12, 2019) — The job market is so saturated and competitive right now that you take every possible action you can to make sure your application materials and resume are in the best possible shape. You may have started crafting your resume slightly different for each job you are applying for. While this won’t really hurt you, it’s not always necessary and may just be a waste of your time that could be spent applying to more openings with the same resume. Alternatively, if you AREN’T making changes in some situations, you could be missing a big opportunity.
In an ideal world, you only need one resume. Traditionally, your resume is just biographical; it is where you provide your information, education, work history, and skills. If a hiring manager was actually reviewing every application they receive, it would still serve that purpose. However, most job searches and hiring are done online now and the time spent reviewing a resume during the first pass is less than 20 seconds, assuming keyword searching doesn’t automatically pass over it.
Regardless of your decision to adjust your resume for each application, you need to start with a solid resume format and then you can make modifications emphasizing some skills over others or using different keywords for different positions. Ladders provides free resume templates to start with a clean and well-organized foundation. Ladders also has a wide variety of sample resumes and industry-specific examples if you are feeling lost.
If you are applying within the same industry you’ve already been in and the same or similar position but just switching companies, one resume format is sufficient and you don’t need to make any edits before submission. Sticking with one single version of your resume will help you remain focused in job interviews and not have to recall as many details that you may have used specifically when applying because it’s all the same.
If you are looking to move into a different industry or a very different position than you’ve served in historically, you may want to start tweaking your resume to emphasize your general skills and strengths rather than your past responsibilities. Incorporate keywords from prospective job listings, as this will help software or a reviewer flag your resume rather than it slipping through because your history doesn’t match up with the open position.
If you are seeking higher-level or executive jobs, spend more time in your resume focusing on your achievements in past roles. Employers need to see that you are striving for excellence and not just there to handle a position’s day-to-day duties. For these openings, using choice keywords in your resume will be critical, since these employers are more likely to use recruiters or executive search firms to find the right match. These types of companies utilize more technology-assisted resume filtering and you want yours to make it through these searches. Having a strong resume format will go even further for these positions, since these candidates are supposed to be the cream of the crop and any sloppiness will quickly throw you into the reject pile.