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Tailoring Your Experience for a Specific Opportunity

on December 16, 2016 in Engineering Candidates

 

It’s no longer acceptable to have just one resume on file to send out whenever you learn of a new job opportunity. To succeed in today’s job market, you must tailor your resume and experience to specific job requirements. Hiring managers are not going to dig through your resume, drawing parallels between their needs and your experience. It’s up to you to make the connection for them.

Begin with the listing.

Read the job description carefully and compare the requirements to your experience. Identify areas where there is a connection and draw attention to them. Lead with these points on your resume, and call them out in your cover letter. Have you buried experience in your resume that matches the qualities and experience the employer is seeking? Bring it forward to show the employer that you are the best-fit candidate.

Check out the website.

Carefully examine the website of the company you are considering. Analyze the terminology they use, the projects they discuss and assess their company cultures. This content can help you tailor how you present yourself in your resume and during your interview to set yourself apart from competitors.

Mirror keywords.

Identify words that stand out or terms specific to your job or industry. Each company may have a unique way of phrasing things. Adapt your wording to match their manner of speaking. It will likely only take small changes in terminology to match your experience to their post. Your resume will likely be screened by both an applicant tracking system (ATS) and human eyes. Build in keywords, but be sure your writing is designed to be read by a person.

Quantify your accomplishments.

Use specific numbers or metrics that prove your success on your resume. By speaking in hard data rather than generalities, you’ll set yourself apart from the competition and show hiring managers you possess the qualifications they require and are the best candidate for the job.

Increase your chances of landing an interview and an offer by creating a new tailored resume for each position. PEAK Technical Staffing USA makes it easier to find opportunities that correlate with your experience and skills. Contact our staffing professionals to discuss additional tactics to get your resume to the top of the stack, or take a look at our current openings.