How to Effectively Tailor Your Resume for a Shorter Job Search

When you create a resume, it should be flush with keywords for your industry from the start. However, in this age of computerized screening and global competition, as discussed in What’s ATS got to do with Me?, your documents need to be updated per application so you aren’t immediately booted from the applicant pool. This may feel overwhelming with an already daunting job search prospect, but with a well structured document and following the below steps this process should not be time intensive but a thoughtful approach. By speaking the same language as the job description ATS and the employers can easily connect the dots between you and them.

Where to begin?

1. To kick off every tailoring session, reorient yourself with the keywords and statements in your base document, the resume you start from with every application. It is important to note that an effective resume should have a summary section that showcases your overarching skill sets and individual character that is flush with keywords. This section should be the primary focus of tailoring.

2. Quickly scan the job description first focusing on the Position Summary and Required Qualifications sections. Ask yourself:
a. Do they describe work I’ve done using different words than my resume?
b. Do they describe work I’ve done that I haven’t captured in my resume?
c. Do they use other important keywords to describe the position or company?
d. What words am I seeing used a lot?

3. Pull together a list of keywords and statements not currently reflected in your resume, first focusing on the important sections of the job description. This should not be exhaustive but a list of approximately 5-15 items.

4. Return to your resume and assess for “clutter” i.e. a word or statement that is both a) not relevant to this position and b) doesn’t showcase something about you that is an overarching value-add.

5. Then beginning with the summary on your resume identify where to incorporate the above list to best mirror the job description. If you have identified clutter, it should be removed and possibly replaced with something from the list.

Struggling to find the prevalent keywords within a job description?

Utilize a word cloud generator such as TagCrowd to help extract keywords. Find a step-by-step instructional video here.

A Few Rules of Thumb

1. Close enough isn’t good enough. Saying the same thing in a different way isn’t recognizable by computer systems like it is by a hiring manager. You need to have enough of the same words and phrases. I provide a short clip of similar but not the same words that need to be updated, here.

2. Think critically of how you remove / replace clutter. You want to paint a clear and full picture of who you are that is relevant to the position.

3. Be careful with keyword or skill set sections that resemble a list. While I use them when creating a client’s document it is done so sparingly. Computerized systems can see lists as “keyword stuffing” and is another way to get kicked out of an ATS system.

4. Don’t lose your uniqueness in the processes. Keep those keywords and statements that speak to who you are as a professional, how you adapt to new positions and ways you could add value in a new company.

Ultimately? Spending time tailoring will result in less time job searching and who doesn’t want that.