Why Tailoring Your Resume for Each Job Matters

November 17, 2023

Standing out in the age of the 7-second resume scan is an art. With companies inundated by applicants, generic resumes are often not effective.

According to studies, over 75% of resumes are rejected before even being seen by human eyes, caught in the net of screening software.

A generic resume might not be as effective because it may not highlight the specific skills and experiences that the employer is looking for.

Another factor that plays a huge role is Applicant tracking systems. (ATS) are used by many companies to screen resumes. These systems scan resumes for keywords related to the job description. A tailored resume is more likely to pass an ATS scan.

But there is a proven technique to drastically boost your chances - tailoring your resume specifically for each job application.

Let’s explore the science behind tailored resumes, and how we can analyze job descriptions, identify crucial keywords, align our experience accordingly, and tweak content for relevance.

The Stakes: Why Personalization Matters:

It's no secret,competition is fierce for desirable roles. On average, 118 people apply for each corporate job opening. With application volumes surging, recruiters spend an average of just 7 seconds initially scanning a resume.

Within that tiny window, you must make a strong first impression by demonstrating fit for the specific role. This is exactly why resume customization for each application is so vital.

Research shows tailored resumes have significantly higher interview rates:

A large-scale study by the Journal of Applied Psychology found tailored resumes are 40% more likely to land interviews compared to generic submissions.

Personalization pays when competing for coveted roles. Let's explore how to do it right.

Mastering Job Description Analysis:

The first step to an effective tailored resume is thoroughly analyzing the job description. This provides the blueprint for customizing your content.

Start by carefully reading the job description multiple times until you understand the role inside-out. Then, in the next step, you can focus on identifying:

Key Responsibilities: The core tasks and duties involved in fulfilling the role. Look for action verbs like "coordinate", "analyze", "manage" etc.
Must-Have Skills: These are non-negotiable baseline skills for qualification, like "3+ years of coding experience" or "Fluency in SQL".
Nice-to-Have Skills: Preferred qualifications that will favor candidates, even if not strictly required, like "Digital advertising experience" or "CRM proficiency".
Software & Tools: Specific programs, systems, and tools needed for the role like Salesforce, Tableau, Avid Pro Tools, etc.
Quantifiable Mandates: Any measurable objectives like "increase conversion rates by 15%" or "manage a team of 10".
Company Values: Look for keywords reflecting company values like "collaboration", "transparency" or "innovation".
Industry Terminology: Technical jargon or buzzwords specific to the role and sector like "APR", "CTRP" etc.

Perfecting Your Keyword Game:

Keyword optimization is a science that can make or break your resume's chances of clearing critical applicant tracking system (ATS) screens.

These tips will help you master keyword incorporation:

Identify Relevant Keywords: Scan the job description and related company materials for keywords. You can use tools for the said purpose to identify frequently used terms.
Avoid Overuse: Balance keywords with natural language. Avoid awkwardly overstuffing resumes with keywords, as this affects readability.
Include Variations: For example, use "team leader", "people manager", "supervisor" interchangeably instead of repeating the same term.
Prioritize Critical Skills: Ensure keywords for must-have hard skills appear prominently near the top rather than buried.
Include Industry Jargon: Use acronyms and niche terms like "CPA", "ORM", "CAD" to indicate you speak the language.
Quantify Achievements: Include relevant numbers, percentages and metrics aligned with responsibilities.

Following ATS best practices will ensure your resume makes it to human review.

Strategic Design Customization:

Beyond keywords, certain design choices in your resume can be tailored to fit key requirements:

Order Sections Strategically: Front-load key skills and experience ahead of lesser priorities to grab attention fast.
Adjust Length Appropriately: Expand resumes to 2+ pages for senior roles with more experience requirements. Condense to 1 page for entry-level.
Add Relevant Headings: If particular expertise in an area like "Data Analysis" is needed, dedicate a resume section to it.
Include Visual Aids: For creative roles, portfolios, graphs, images highlighting skills may make sense. Avoid for conservative corporate cultures.
Check Cultural Fit: Avoid flashy designs and colors for traditional industries. Leverage them for startups and innovation-focused roles.

Keep your resume presentation tailored not just to the role, but also company culture.

Quantifying Achievements:

Wherever possible, use numbers to provide hard evidence of your fitness for the role. Study the job description for indicators of key objectives.

For a marketing role focused on increasing engagement, you could highlight: "Grew social media followers by 15% over 6 months through viral content strategy"

For an operations job requiring streamlining processes, highlight: "Reduced manufacturing unit costs by 20% through optimization of supply chain"

This establishes you can deliver quantifiable results aligned with key objectives outlined for the role.

Choosing Strategic Bullet Points:

Each bullet point is precious real estate with immense power to capture interest when chosen thoughtfully.

The Impact Formula: Use the formula - "[Action] + [Object] + [Impact]" - For example: "Increased leads generated through digital campaigns by 35%".
Go With the PAR structure: Structure bullets to cover the Problem, Action, and Result - "Faced falling subscriber retention. Implemented lifecycle email nurturing. Resulted in 21% increase in renewals."
Numbers Over Job Descriptions: Don't just describe your past job duties. Show measurable achievements that resonate with targets.
The STAR Method: Some recruiters suggest using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result

You can employ these bullet point frameworks to pack the most punch and value into each line.

Optimizing Your Summary/Objective:

Your summary or objective statement is prime real estate to demonstrate fit for the specific role in your own voice. Use it wisely to make an elevator pitch.

Flaunt Alignment: State directly how your most relevant skills, values and experience map to the company's key needs.
Spotlight Passion: Convey genuine excitement for the company, role, products, mission, etc. Avoid sounding generic.
Define Your Superpowers: What makes you uniquely qualified for this opportunity compared to other candidates?
Be Authentic: Share why the role truly excites you and show your personality. Hiring managers want to see the real you shine through.
Keep it Concise: Summaries should be snappy and focused. Verbose objectives full of industry jargon sound impersonal.

Make sure your summary makes a compelling case for why they should pick you.

Resume Formats for Flexibility:

Job search experts recommend having multiple resume formats tailored to different roles.

Chronological: Showcase your career progression over time. Ideal for established professionals in traditional fields.
Functional: Focus on marketable skills and achievements. Ideal for career changers or skill-focused roles.
Combination: Merge chronological and functional sections. Balances experience with skills demonstration.

TARGETed: A newer format tailored to job descriptions using headings like "budget management", "change leadership" etc.

Vary formats based on which most emphasizes the requirements of each role.

A/B Test for Optimization:

One way to see the best results is to try A/B testing tailored variations of your resume with slight differences in wording, format, and emphasis. For example, have one version with your most recent job first, and another leading with your highest level position. See which garners better results.

You can also A/B test using vs. avoiding certain keywords, adding or removing optional sections, ordering of content, etc.

Use the best-performing versions as templates to further tweak for different opportunities. Testing and metrics can really sharpen your tailoring.

Adapt Your Process Over Time:

Keep notes on what customizations worked for which roles. Reuse elements tailored to similar jobs in the future.

Over time, catalog what content, keywords, and designs best fit various industries, seniority levels, etc to streamline your tailoring process.

You can also enlist professional resume editing services that handle tailoring if you prefer delegating this critical task.

Common Tailoring Mistakes to Avoid:

While personalization is powerful, it must be executed authentically. You should avoid these tailoring pitfalls:

Using keywords unnaturally without context just to force-fit the job description. This lacks finesse.
Drastically overhauling your personal brand just to seem aligned for each role. Always stay true to your identity.
Being dishonest about your skills, experience, or education. Verify you can back all claims.
Getting so granular that you lose core storytelling and personality. Customization should not compromise but rather enhance your message.
Forgetting to align references, portfolios, websites, and other materials included with the tailored resume.
Assuming one resume can easily be tweaked to fit many vastly different roles. Drastic tailoring takes time.

Always keep these principles in mind as you strike the ideal balance between personalization and authenticity.

Conclusion: Start Tailoring for Success Today:

In the modern job market, taking time to tailor your resume is proven to dramatically move the needle in your favor.

Hiring managers are desperately looking for signals you "get" the role. These expert techniques are meant to land more interviews by showcasing alignment through targeted content and smart design.

These best practices enable you to:

Analyze job descriptions to uncover key needs not obvious at first glance
Identify terms and skills to emphasize using various resume formats
Quantify achievements and craft impactful bullet points tied directly to role mandates
Optimize your resume summary for greater personalization
A/B test tailored variations to determine what resonates most with target employers

While tailoring requires effort, the payoff in interview callbacks and competitive advantage is immense.

Start putting these tactics into practice and watch your resume catch the eye of recruiters amid the stack of generic submissions.

Perform this simple exercise for each application, and prepare to land on top.

The future is all about personalization. Don't just tell companies what you've done. Show them how you'll uniquely solve their needs.

That's the key to winning in the age of the tailored resume.