Why Job–Specific Resumes Are So Important
Writing the perfect resume has become more complicated now that a variety of resume writing services, resume posting services and key-word scanning software are available. Employers expect—and usually get—very well-thought-out resumes tailored to a specific job.
Job-specific resumes are a necessity because most employment agencies and large companies today use databases to quickly and efficiently match job openings with qualified job-seekers. This process is similar to an internet search engine optimization where specific terms and keywords are used to access certain web pages. Resume screening methods are also done using industry-specific keywords or acronyms that describe the skills and education required for the position.
Keywords can be job, profession, or industry-specific skills, technological terms, job titles, certifications, names of products and services, industry buzzwords and jargon, types of degrees, names of colleges, company names, and even area codes (for narrowing down searches geographically). Awards you've won and names of professional organizations to which you belong can even be used as keywords.
Research the Job
What separates a general resume that won’t get you noticed from a well-received resume tailored to a specific job is research. Before writing any type of resume, do your homework. Examining job advertisements, industry trade magazines, district websites, job descriptions, professional association newsletters, informational interviews, etc. can help you get an idea of the keywords used for industry-specific resumes. To see the formats and types of resumes created for a particular industry, use this site and explore free sample resumes, resume examples, resume formats, resume help, and resume services.
The important point to note is that resumes and cover letters should be searchable by the job-apprpriate keywords when they are placed into the employment database for screening. So, it becomes extremely important for a job searcher to create scannable job-specific resumes by incorporating keywords and phrases related to the specific position applied for.
Once you’ve created a resume, it can be emailed to employers or posted to a job board online (see Resume Posting and Submission Services). For the appropriate electronic format to use when emailing your resume, see eResumes/Online Resumes. When you email your resume or submit it to a career hub or an employer’s website, remember that your resume is only a part of the many thousands that have already been stored in the database for screening, which is carried out based on content. So it becomes critically important for you to submit an ijob-specific resume, containing specific keywords and phrases, for a successful job search. For example, a person seeking a job in radiology would emphasize his CRES certification as a radiology equipment specialist. CRES becomes a keyword.