Lot of my clients say that they do not want to limit their opportunities. They prefer having a resume which can be used to apply for a variety of roles. They are looking to get their resume transformed. A Generic/Standard resume is diluted & does not help you solve your purpose, since the reader/hiring manager is hard pressed for time to evaluate how you are a potential fit for a specific role. It is awesome to showcase that you possess/are proficient in a number of skills; however it is very rare to find a position/role which would require all your skills to be used/leverages.
Although customizing your resume in some selected areas requires a bit of work, it will assist hiring manager in evaluating how your skills are aligned with the jobs/role you are applying for.
I strongly recommend considering the following customization in your resume:
- Customizing your headline/executive summary: By modifying your headline/executive summary for the role you are applying & including skills/expertise, brief about previous assignments you have undertaken & soft skills the reader can quickly determine the role you are aiming for & how you can be fit for that particular role. For instance if you are applying for management consulting role, make sure that your executive summary have keywords related to management consulting.
- Keyword targeting & core competency section: Go to job posting & look out for keywords/key-phrases terms unique to the role. Avoid using phrases such as “ multi-tasker” & “ excellent communicator” . If there are keywords/core competencies critical to the role & you possess them, do include them in your core competency/ branding paragraph.
- Customize headers: Swap headers such as career overview or experience for headers that reinforce the role for which you are applying. For instance if you are applying for automotive sales, your header might read as “ auto sales leadership experience”.
- Ranked Bullets: Rank your bullets based on the jobs for which you are applying. If you are applying for a sales role, keep sales related achievements on the top followed by customer servicing & product management skills.
As the founder and executive resume coach at Sushant Kumar Ventures, I offer customized executive resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for the modern day world job seeker. Sign up here for our services/free consult.
