You’ve found the perfect job. You just need to get the interview and you’re positive you’ll nail it. Except…you never get a phone call after submitting your resume. So what went wrong?
We see it all the time. Good resumes and “perfect” fits going astray because the job seeker couldn’t be bothered with tailoring his or her resume to the specific job they applied for.
You might have a great resume, but if it didn’t contain just a few of the correct keywords, more than likely it got pitched by the applicant tracking system (ATS). The ATS searches for specific keywords in your resume, which means you have to go through it beforehand and make sure it contains the right phrases.
A good rule of thumb—perhaps the only one to go by—is to read (and reread) the job description. Highlight keywords in it and transfer them to your resume. If the job description lists “provides exceptional technical support” while your resume reads “in charge of troubleshooting,” then you should change it to match. You’re more likely to have the correct keywords if you let the company’s job description be your guide.
Spot another great job opportunity? Again, you have to tailor your resume. We know it’s tedious, but it’s imperative that you take those extra ten or fifteen minutes to rephrase some bullets, tweak your professional summary, or reorganize your accomplishments so the most pertinent information is visible.
No two jobs are exactly alike, so why would you upload the same resume to different postings? Customize your resume for every job, listing the skills hiring managers (and ATSs) are searching for—not skills that might translate.
