Does This Article Apply to You?
In this article, I discuss a writing strategy that I have been applying to the Resumes of experienced professionals - individuals who have at least two prior roles with similar job scopes.
Truth be told, just like everything else in life, there is no such thing as a perfect Resume. Even if you have followed all the recommended guidelines in composing your Resume and have even taken it a step further by tailoring specific sections to meet the expectations outlined in the specific job posting that you are applying to, minor tweaks can always be made here and there. However it is always advisable to take a step back from composing an employment application, returning for a thorough review so that final modifications can be made, and then leaving it be for that specific application.
Nevertheless, if you happen to be working on an application for a job that is “to die for” (I understand this feeling, having been living in a small city with a limited supply of job opportunities for any chosen field), you may want to apply the following tactic that I have been using for the Resumes of experienced professionals.
3-Step Strategy to Drastically Improve Your Resume
If you are applying to a job in which the scope of duties mirrors the responsibilities entailed in at least 2 of your current and prior experiences, open both documents (job posting and Resume) at the same time in MS Word format so that you can flip back and forth between them. The following 3 broad steps contain the strategy that I am talking about:
STEP 1
Go down the list of tasks and responsibilities outlined in the job posting. For each task or responsibility, ensure that this is covered in at least one bullet point in one of your employment experiences (without lying or twisting the truth too much). If so, cross this task off the job posting.
STEP 2
If there is a task or responsibility referenced in the job posting that you are unable to bring up under any of your employment experiences, try to see if you can mention this indirectly as a trait under the Skills and Qualifications section of your Resume.
For example, if you do not have direct experience leading a team during your paid employment terms, but have led teams under volunteer or school roles, it’s fair game to include something like this under your Skills and Qualifications section: “Strong work ethic with experience leading multiple project teams simultaneously”. This way, the hiring manager or HR personnel reviewing your Resume may see one more relevant trait in your application.
STEP 3
After you are done with the above 2 tasks, compare the information in the bullet points that you have composed under all employment experiences. It would not be unusual to find bullet points that sound almost identical, since you have stayed within the same field of expertise.
This is where you jump in to rephrase certain bullet points or better yet, add more value to some of the bullet points so that your prospective employer becomes thoroughly convinced that you are the perfect candidate.
For instance, 2 of your prior employment experiences may contain a similar bullet point that reads something like this “Provided preliminary consulting services for clients with inquiries about general immigration and other associated legal matters”. You could rewrite one of them such that it reads differently: “Fostered long-term business relationships with clients by assessing their cases via telephone calls and initiating in-person meetings or directing them to external partners and stakeholders.”
If you need help improving your Resume for a particular job application, reach out to me anytime and I will point you in the right direction.
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