Interview Tip #17
Applying for a job? You’ve probably heard the advice plenty of times to tailor your resume for the position. But… how do you do that?
While you might not know exactly how to put it into action, think about what’s actually involved before you start.
What does tailoring your resume actually involve?
How many changes do you need to make?
What content should you be focusing on?
It might sound like a lot of work, but it’s really quite manageable. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
First things first: Sit down with a highlighter and really read the job description. Go through and highlight the points that seem important.
Next, make the first point of your resume relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Third, remember, there’s no rule that says your first section must be “Work Experience.” Tailoring your resume means finding what is most relevant, creating a section for it, and filling it up with experience or qualifications that will catch a hiring manager’s eye. If that means nixing “Work Experience,” creating a “Marketing and Social Media Experience” section, then throwing everything else in an “Additional Experience” section, then so be it.
Fourth, now, that your relevant experiences are at the top of your resume, that doesn’t mean you should ignore everything else. Nope, it just means you need to pull out the relevant bits of those experiences in your bullets.
