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IT & Engineering Staffing Insights

IT & Engineering Staffing Insights

Tailoring Your Resume For The Job You Want

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You've just made the conscious decision to find a new job. Maybe it was that third weekend in a row of mandatory overtime, the 45 minute commute in gridlock traffic, the overbearing boss, or maybe you just wanted a change of scenery. Whatever your reason for looking for a new job is, your search always starts in the same place. 
The resume.

The resume is the most powerful tool that a job seeker has to help them find a new position. Hiring managers look at dozens, if not hundreds of resumes every week, so creating a resume that accurately reflects not only your skills, but also your potential, is key. Here are three easy steps that will help you build the resume that hiring managers are searching for. 
 
Step 1: Build a resume "backbone". This should be the meat and potatoes that all resumes need on them; name, location, phone number, email, education, certifications, employment history, position details, hard skills, and soft skills. Find a simple, yet aesthetic, template from a quick google search and build from there. 
 
Step 2: Find a job you want and identify the "core competencies".  Read through the full job description to get a firm understanding of what they are looking for. Usually the first few bullets under "Job Qualifications" are the most crucial. Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes and think of what an "ideal candidate" would look like. 
 
Step 3: You want your resume to jump out to your potential employer, so tailor your resume to reflect your relevant experience. Once again, the purpose of a resume is to show the hiring manager you have the skills necessary to excel in this position. 
 
For example: You are applying for a marketing role. In your last position you were an Administrator, but did all of the company's marketing as well. In your "backbone resume" you've highlighted your administration experience, but left out most of your marketing experience. If you don't tailor your resume, the manager will never know this! Don't just add a few marketing bullets under that position, but really dig into how you handled the marketing responsibilities and how that experience is transferable and applicable to this new role. Make these bullets as visible as possible so the hiring manager doesn't have to dig for them. 
 
Following these steps may take a bit more effort on your part while applying for positions, but it will also get you a lot more interviews and a lot more job offers! 
 
Happy Hunting!