Every work needs an extraordinary finesse to stand out in the eyes of the admirer. Your cover letter and resume have pretty much the same characteristics and the more you work on them, the better the results you can expect to get. But you will never know how much it affects the person who is reading it if you tailor your resume and cover letter to perfection.
Besides you have to put in more work than usual if you are applying to score the position you have been wanting to lay your hands on for a while. Here are a few vital things you have to keep in mind while tailoring your cover letter and resume for different positions:
Tailored CV Meaning:
1. Writing a proper introduction:
The most important thing to remember while composing a CV is that it represents you as a person. That is to say, your introduction is the first thing that will give the employers a reason to think about selecting you.
The introduction needs to have a slice of every crucial information that is useful for the company and your selection. So you better gauge the specific wants of the company before you start writing. It is not just about what you think the company should know about you, rather you have to cater to the needs of the company.
So try to write a brief introduction that touches on all the aspects of your achievements and experience that you want to share with the company without bragging too much.
2. Writing about previous employment:
Include data on things that will clear your path of getting your desired position in the company. If you have been in HR and feel that you are made for that post then mentioning your previous employment details is surely going to pull the scales on your side.
But do not go on writing about your previous job more than you are needed to since it can embarrass the employer to read so much about your previous work. Just try to drop in a snippet of information as a reference wherever you feel necessary but never overdo it.
3. Talking about your interests:
While tailoring your CV, you have to keep every piece of information well-balanced. Even if you are letting them know your wish to work in a specific area or position, do not give away the chance of stepping out of your comfort zone.
It is always not possible to hire in the position of your choice but that does not mean you have to pass up an opportunity to grow your interests and learn something beyond your known horizon for a change.
So show that you are not limiting your scopes of learning and you are just as much interested to work in other positions as you would be in a position you want. Employers are always looking for people who have not taken the importance of humble livelihood for granted.
4. Do not use references unnecessarily:
Most of the time applicants make the mistake of mentioning references. While it can sometimes work to your advantage, it also takes away from your credibility an efficient and potential employee.
Employers might give you less important than others thinking that you would rather choose to play on references and notes of recommendation rather than fight nail and tooth-like everyone else to get the job.
Plus nobody likes a person who enjoys the undue advantage. Only add a note of reference if you think it will give you a serious edge over others. And remember to use reference only after you have proved yourself as a potential employee.
5. Highlighting your qualities:
Honestly, tailoring your CV is quite like getting ready for show business. To be very practical, you are selling your talents and attributes for money. Big companies select the best people for the job on the market and pay them in exchange for work.
It is as simple as that to showcase your talents while being relevant to the needs of the company. However, keep in mind not to go too out of line while making yourself seem valuable for the company. Write as much as you think will help you to create a good impression on your employer.
6. Using keywords:
This is a busy era and employers are even busier. Never forget to use keywords while writing a CV. Keywords are very important in determining the course of your selection since employers do not have enough time to go through each CV word by word.
They just glance through as fast as possible while simultaneously gathering information on all employees. So it is undoubtedly a safe call to follow the golden rule of using keywords so that employers do not miss out on what you would rather want them to read more closely.
7. Being to the point:
Being to the point on your CV is just as important as everything else mentioned above. You have to offer them glimpses of what they are going to gain if they hire you without writing too much.
Being drab on a CV is the last thing you would want for yourself if you want to bag the dream job. So make sure you are writing just as much is needed to let them know. Do not keep on writing or bragging about your past achievements if you do not have anything else to write. Doing that will do more harm than good.
How to Tailor Your Cover Letter for Different Positions:
1. Talk about general skills:
The best way for applicants to try their best to get their desired positions is by breaking the ice with the employers. An employer expects you to have an all-round knowledge of the job you have applied for.
More importantly, you are required to keep in mind what a particular company stands for. For example, if it is a company that makes software then you are expected to be able to deal with any problems regarding programming. As an applicant, it is your job to make them feel at ease enough to accept you as one of their own.
2. Mention specific skills:
Talk about the specific set of skills you have which can be used for a particular position. You can totally bring yourself to be extremely skilled in a few chosen skills meant for a particular role or position.
By doing so, you will automatically give yourself the advantage of being most likely chosen to the position of your choice. Mentioning a set of skills you are really good at is going to give the employers heads up that they would achieve much more if they let you work in the field you are comfortable in.
It is always a plus point to develop expertise in a specific field of work as it will always play on your strength.
3. Mention your qualifications:
Using your qualifications is a great tool to grab the attention of employers. While it is true that having qualifications is a great way to increase self-worth, there is no better use to them than helping you pocket the position you have always longed for.
Adding your qualifications to the cover letter does wonder for your chances of getting selected. If you have always wondered that when would you actually get the chance to flaunt your qualifications and put them to good use, then this is the right time to make the most of it.
4. Specify your expectations:
Employers appreciate the ability to speak up in applicants. So try to be as much vocal as you can be without coming off as rude or blunt. Do not speak in a manner that will make it seem that you are full of hot air.
So often applicants make the mistake of assuming that having respectable qualifications means you have the employers at your disposal. Having a mentality like that will never get you far and if anything happens, it will spoil whatever chances you had of getting the job.
Be subtle when you are sharing your expectations. Write about what you expect and not what you want. Moreover, give enough reasons as to why you think your expectations are justified.
5. Say what you think might be best for you:
Companies detest opinionated interns but that does not mean that everything or every opinion you express will go against you. When you are about to give an opinion in your cover letter, think what you are about to say has enough argument to back it up so that it cannot be used against you.
If you have an orthodox mindset then practice achieving more flexible bent of mind little by little. So that when you finally express your opinion it is not regarded as bias or hasty conclusion.
6. The next best option:
Always keep other doors open while expressing your choice of a position you would like to work in. It is normal to not get what we think we deserve in every walk of life.
You have to come to terms with the fact that there is always the chance that there is someone better than you who deserves the position more than you.
So do not end your choice at the one position you want the most. A wise man would always opt for the next best thing and keep the options open for himself.
How to Tailor Your Resume for Different Positions:
1. Write in simple language:
Write in the extremely fluid language if you are trying to make the employers notice. More often, applicants mistakenly think that the best way to grab their attention is by using high vocabulary.
In contrast to what they think employers have an easy time going through resume written in simple language. They hardly have two minutes to look at each resume so they are not going to waste time on any complex write up.
Also, you can say this is the first-ever test when you apply for a job where the employers judge you on how well you have been able to express your opinion without using complicated language.
2. Repeat the key points:
Employers are on a shortage of time to be paying proper attention to all the resumes equally. A simple way to fix this problem is to keep repeating what you want them to notice the most in different ways.
Do not write the same thing again once you have mentioned it. Instead, try to write about things that will point to what you have said earlier. Doing so will also make your argument strong as you are giving several points of view to prove something you truly believe in.
However, do not make it too boring repeating the same thing over and over again without any change in tone or expression.
3. Gather information about the company:
Dig up as much information as you can on the company you are applying to. This gives you an edge in gauging what the company wants from employees. Most of the time either a company has specific needs from its employees or their requirements keep changing with each passing year and advancement.
So you have to keep tabs on the company’s movement and strike when the time is right. This is to say that you will have to use all the information you can gather to your advantage making yourself seem of use and likely to cater to the needs of the company more efficiently than others.
Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description:
Using a single resume for all the job applications is not a wise thing to do. Creating different resumes and cover letters for different jobs helps the chances of landing a job easily.
The resume needs to be prepared in accordance with the job description posted by the employer. This could help the hiring manager easily find out the required skills in your resume thus helping you get selected.
Saying this doesn’t mean that you need to copy-paste the whole job description into your resume. You need to ensure that your skills match the description of the job rightly so as to get into the hiring process.
Your resume selection by the hiring manager makes you considered as the right candidate for the job, so work on your resume accordingly.
Why You Need to Tailor a Resume?
In the hiring process, the employer gets a number of job applications. Now here the hiring manager needs to choose the resume which suits their requirement
The usual process of screening the resume is done mainly in two ways, they are
- Manual
- ATS (applicant tracking system)
Most of the companies have started using different ATS for screening the resumes of the applicants. This helps them to save time and also perform the task error-free. The usage of ATS in recruiting makes the recruiting process easier for the hiring manager.
The best solution to make your resume get selected is to include important keywords related to your job role in your resume.
As per James Hu, Founder & CEO at Jobscan, “Keywords are important because it’s the primary way recruiters source candidates on LinkedIn and in their HR systems (ATS). A candidate whose resume doesn’t include the exact-match keywords will not show up in the search. The job description is the best place to identify the top keywords.”
So make use of keywords in all the relevant sections of the resume and also check that the keywords are added naturally rather than stuffed in.
The important parts where keyword needs to be included are summary, skills section and experience section.
List out the skills:
It is very important to list down the skills you possess. It helps you to rank and order them in a format while adding in resume.
Also, write down the skills and abilities that are not relevant to the job role. This helps you to segment your skills into sections so that it aids you in your future resume preparations.
So rank your skills accordingly and mention your strongest ones in sequential order so that it gets highlighted.
How to Find the Keywords You Need to Tailor a Resume:
Now the next most important part is to find the keywords right. Generalized skills that you have can be counted as keywords and inserted in the resume. The other ways to find out relevant keywords are
- Finding a similar type of skills and abilities from the job description
- Search other job roles description to get more keywords
- Try Linkedin and look for professionals who have the same job role. Check their profiles to get more keyword ideas.
How to Categorize Your Skills Before Tailoring Your Resume:
Prioritizing the skills accordingly to the job role helps you to place them at the right space. There are mainly 3 types of skills and they are,
- Job-related skills: (important and mandatory )
- Transferrable : (best skills that rea helpful in any job role)
- Adaptive: (conceptual, social and practical life skills)
Understand the job role carefully and mention the skills which can help you impress the hiring manager and take you a step ahead in the hiring process.
Use Numbers to Your Rewards and Achievements:
Adding in your past achievement and rewards you gained can add up as an extra push to your resume.
To make your resume even more effective make use of numbers and percentages to your achievements. This mentioning of digits would make it look more effective and trustworthy. Also, the hiring manager could easily identify them and understand the outcome or result you have drawn.
Above are a few tips that you need to follow to make your resume tailored as per the job description of the job role.
Key Takeaway:
- If you are not getting any interview calls even after applying to numerous jobs then it is time you need to make changes to your resume.
- Tailoring your resume as per the job description can help the recruiter find and identify your resume easily
- Your customized resume makes you look like the right person for the job
- Making your resume relevant to the job role increases your chances to get employed
Conclusion:
Just filling up applications is never enough if you want to get the job let alone work in the position of your dream. You have to tailor your CV and resume to flawless perfection so that it feels like heresy for the employers to reject you. And the above-given points are the ingredients to the perfect mixture of all the right things to say to get what you want.
