Taking Aim at Potential Employers in Three Steps

There was a time when a resume was just a basic list of occupational and educational experience. A resume was simply a tool an employer used to determine if an interview was necessary. Basically it was an introduction. Today, employers still use resumes to qualify individuals, however there is more emphasis on the merits of the resume.

With the simple click of a few buttons one's resume can be sent to thousands of sources and employers. It is easy to imagine with the use of resume distribution services that employers can be bombarded with a lot of resumes. The outcome... generic resumes get overlooked. A job seeker must target their resume to their employer.

 

The Three Steps to Targeting Your Resume

1. Create a Generic Resume

Sure. Just when we say generic resumes get set aside, we ask you to make one. Hold on, there is a reason for such a move. A generic resume, or basic resume still carries important facts about your career and educational experience. Actually this information acts as the foundation for your resume. Start by Resume Brainstorming.

Resume Brainstorm: On a piece of paper or through some word processor create the following:

Experience	Competencies	Skills	Education
List your Experience	List your Competencies	Name your Skills	Provide your Education Information

 

Save this information. You will come back to this information from time to time when you generate a new resume.

 

After you have finished organizing your attributes, place them into a basic resume. If you do not know how to create a basic resume, download CareerLeak's Free Resume E-Book.

 

2. Discover Employer Requirements and Expectations

Have you found a job you would like to apply for? If you have, you probably have all the information needed in order to discover what an employer is looking for in an employee. 

Most Job Seekers today use the internet as their main source of job listings. These listings provide valuable information to the job seeker and a little glimpse of what an employer is desiring. 

Below is a sample job listing. The items in blue are requirements and are important to to the employer and therefore are necessities for your target resume. The items in red are duties and are not to be used in resume targeting.

 

Sample Job Listing

Part Time Merchandiser We are currently looking for a Part Time Merchandiser who will provide superior customer service while complying with productivity and safety standards. Schedule is variable and weekend work is required.   Duties include: Drive personal vehicle to, from and between from accounts with mileage reimbursement provided Stock products in accounts utilizing a two wheel cart or pallet jack Merchandise shelves/displays and rotate products in grocery accounts in accordance to company and customer standards Create and utilize point of sale signage Complete associated paperwork Effectively communicate with customers and co-workers The hourly rate for this position is $12.00 per hour. Must possess a valid Driver's License and vehicle liability insurance Must be customer service orientated with a demonstrated track record of service Must have experience building promotional displays Understands retail merchandising standards Must be able to work shifts as assigned such as weekends, holidays and mandatory overtime Must pass criminal and driving background investigations as well as pre-employment drug screen Preferred Qualifications: Six months or more experience in customer service, sales, grocery or retail Stable work history and a good attendance record Ability to multi task and good organizational skills In addition to tremendous opportunity for professional growth and career advancement, our employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical/dental, disability and paid vacation.

 

There are two ways of organizing this information: write it all down, or print it off and highlight the duties and requirements.

 

3. Writing Your Target Resume

Now that you have your information organized you can begin to write your target resume. A target resume is an extension of your basic resume. Take the information gained in Steps 1 and 2 and find ways to incorporate the new information into your resume.

There are many ways to amend your basic resume to include the requirements of the employer. One place to start is your work history. 

Basic Work History Example John Boys Grocery Store, Youngston, California Courtesy Clerk June 2004- August 2006 Stocked shelves Dusted Merchandise Bagged Groceries   Target Work History Example Courtesy Clerk, John Boys Grocery Store, Youngston, California June 2004 - August 2006 (2 Years, 2 Months) Provided Customer Service, ensuring that all customer needs were met or exceeded Responsible for merchandising of tri-weekly grocery deliveries, including stocking, rotating, and condensing of current floor and backstock Required to build all types of product displays, from produce to canned foods Many times required to multi task, helping customers, bagging groceries and simultaneously working grocery loads to the floor

 

The above is just one example of how a resume can be targeted to fix an employers desires. The resume was targeted using the information example in Step 2.

Other areas you can target on your resume include the objective, skills, and activities, etc. Use your best judgment and pretend you are the employer. What aspect of your experience would be attractive for them?

 

Targeting a Resume does not suggest lying. Lying on a resume is never a good idea. When resume targeting you are only taking your attributes and aligning them to match the employer requirements.

 

In Conclusion

Remember your basic resume? Not much to it. When you take the requirements of a potential employer and match them to your resume you stand out against the never ending sea of generic resumes.

As you apply to different companies repeat the steps above to help get you that interview.