4 Great Ways to Customize Your Resume for Different Positions

Are you applying for different positions that all seem to be exactly the same, encouraging you to submit nearly the same resume over and over again? It may be tempting, but don’t do it! You may think you can get away with submitting carbon-copy resumes, but employers can smell them a mile away.

If you are applying for very similar jobs within the same industry but among different companies and need to find ways to customize your resume, here are four ways to make subtle changes that can have a great impact on your chances of being hired.

1. Change the Title/Job Target

One way to customize your resume to the different positions you’re applying for is to adjust the title/job target of your resume so that it reflects your unique skills. This works well if you are posting your resume online and want to attract slightly different recruiters and hiring managers or are submitting directly to employers.

For example, if you are a registered nurse (RN) who is skilled in cardiac medicine and experienced as a travel nurse, you may write two resumes—one with the title “Cardiac RN with 10 Years’ Experience in Diagnosis and Intervention” and another titled “Skilled Travel RN with 10 Years’ Cardiac Experience and Flexible Schedule” to help you reach different audiences effectively.

2. Reorder the Keywords

Another way to customize your resume is to reorder your keywords. This is especially important if you’re posting your resume online and don’t want to post the same resume multiple times. But even if you’re submitting resumes to different employers, it’s good to create unique resumes—even if you’re simply shifting keywords to create subtle differences.

3. Rearrange Your Bullet Points

As you adjust your resumes for each job you’re applying for, you can try rearranging your bullet points so that the most important information for that position is listed first. For instance, if you are the travel RN with cardiac experience, you could rearrange your accomplishments so that your stellar cardiac background is listed first in one resume and, in the other, your travel experience is listed first.

4. Revise Your Career Summary

Your career summary is your chance to highlight moments that stand out the most in your time as a professional. You want this summary to be tailored as closely as possible to the job you want. This means it’s time to dig through the job posting to explore the critical requirements of the job. You want to make sure that you list your greatest moments that also mirror what the employer wants most in a candidate.

Customizing your resume is a sure-fire way to get an employer’s attention when applying for jobs. So take time to make some subtle and not-so-subtle adjustments and see what a difference it makes in your search.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow @GreatResume or visit our blog.

 

Jessica Hernandez, expert resume writer with http://www.greatresumesfast.com, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.