Do I Have to Rewrite My Resume for Every Job Application -

Do I Have to Rewrite My Resume for Every Job Application -If youve been out of work for a while, and your full-time job is now, essentially, looking for a full-time job, you may feel that youre spending more time rewriting your resume for every single position than actually searching out new opportunities. Youre wondering if you can get away with a generic resume.What you need is a resume that targets the type of job youre looking for, outlining the skill set you can bring to that particular type of employment. Then you can adjust it to suit specific companies. You dont need to do a complete rewrite unless youre applying for very dissimilar jobs you wouldnt, for example, use the same resume for a job in customer service as you would for one in construction. But you can create a master resume for customer service jobs and customize it for individual positions. You can write a resume for construction jobs, and then make it specific to the company youre applying to.Is Targeting Worth th e Effort?Yes, it is. Theres a lot of competition out there, and if you go the extra mile and create a resume thats specific to the job youre applying for, you get past the screening process. And believe me, the screening process can be rigorous. If you submit a resume that seems to be disconnected from the position that needs to be filled, youre dead in the water. You might be perfectly qualified for the job, but if its obvious that you havent expended any effort, your resume is likely to go straight to the bottom of the heap.Will Targeting Get Me a Job Offer?Lets proceed on the assumption that youre qualified for the job. That alone isnt going to do the trick. Most employers get hundreds of applications for any given job, so theyre not going to give each one full consideration. Theyre going to scan briefly, and then decide whether to put your resume in the Yes pile, or toss it. The conventional wisdom is that you have only a few seconds to make an impression. So you dont need to do a complete rewrite, but you do need to target.How to Target Your ResumeStart with that master copy of your resumethe one thats geared to the specific industry/type of role youre applying to. Now, follow ansicht stepsLook at the job description.Highlight phrases and keywords that represent the skill set theyre looking for, and use them to decide which accomplishments you should take out, and which you should leave in.See if anything should be rephrased or expanded upon to match the companys requirements.See if anything should be added to show that youre a good fit for the company.Add a skills summary section to the resume, and again, make it company and position-specific.See how your resume fits the job description. Will the potential employer identify you as a good fit?Proofread carefully. Believe it or not, a misspelled word or poor grammar can cost you the job, and it would be a shame if you undid all that hard work just because you were sloppy.You dont have to rewrite your resum e for every single jobthats a myth. But targeting your resume to a specific position in a specific company just makes sense. It shows that youre not just looking for workyou want to work for THEM. And you can bet that recruiters really appreciate that kind of interest.MORE GREAT ARTICLESWho Posted that Job on LinkedIn? Finding the Right Contact PersonWhy Being a Proactive Job Seeker is the Key to Your Next Career