Companies aren’t only hiring for candidates with the skills and experience.
They also want people who align with their brand values. It’s more challenging to find a job seeker whose attitude and personality match the company culture than it is to find someone who meets the basic requirements of the job vacancy.
That’s one reason why tailoring your resume is important.
Since you’re proving that you’re a strong fit, it can increase your chances of securing an interview.
So in this guide, we’ll go through how to tailor your resume step-by-step and how you can create the perfect application with minimal research.
Short on time? No worries, here our our top 5 strategies to tailor your resume:
- Thoroughly read the job description
- Check the company's about us page
- Read the company's social media pages
- Gather skills and keywords from existing employees
- Update your resume sections accordingly
What it Means to Tailor Your Resume
Tailoring your resume is like giving it a personalized makeover for each job you apply to. It's all about carefully reading the job posting, understanding what the employer is looking for, and then tweaking your resume to showcase your most relevant skills and experiences that make you the perfect fit. Think of it as customizing your pitch to make a strong first impression and increase your chances of landing that dream job.
In order to show the hiring manager that you’ve created the resume for them specifically, you’ll need to include a few things such as:
- Keywords
- Competencies
- Brand values
These details should directly relate to the job description and company culture.
When you’ve put in the time and effort to personalize your resume like this, it helps with proving that you’re a good fit for the role.
And ideally, you should be aiming to position yourself as the best candidate to work with.
Why a Tailored Resume Gets More Responses
A tailored resume gets more responses because it is precisely crafted to match the specific job requirements, demonstrating your relevance and commitment to the position. By aligning your qualifications and accomplishments with the job description, you capture the hiring manager's attention quickly and efficiently, increasing your chances of making it to the interview stage.
Show a Genuine Interest
It’s valuable for employers to hire a worker that’s self-driven and passionate about what they do.
If you could show a growth mindset and that you’re motivated to grow with the company, it can be acknowledged as an advantage since they’d want to hire long-term candidates.
To reflect those values, you’ll need to spend the time doing research and making specific references in your resume. The hiring manager will take notice of this and as a result, they’re more likely to read you as a strong fit for the company culture.
Position Yourself as a Match to the Company Culture
Skills and experience are important. But, so is self-awareness and attitude.
Not all applicants’ personalities are something that can be developed quickly with training and courses. The inner character of a person requires more, which is another reason why matching their cultural values can help you stand out.
Plus, if you’re a good fit for their culture and work environment, it tends to lead to higher job satisfaction and better job performance overall.
Keep in mind that it’s more expensive for hiring managers to hire new employees than it is to retain existing ones. In a report by Kronos, it was found that 87% of HR leaders have made employee retention their top priority for the next few years.
That’s one reason why they’ll also consider the long-term factor.
Get Past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Tailoring your resume is not just about impressing humans; you also need to navigate past the digital gatekeepers, known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems are used to quickly filter job applications based on predefined criteria, such as specific keywords and qualifications. Failing to tailor your resume to align with these requirements can result in your application being lost in the sea of candidates.
To avoid becoming a common resume mistake, make sure your resume matches what the ATS is looking for, thus increasing your chances of progressing in the hiring process. If you’re not a good match because you haven’t included the keywords or things that they’re looking for, then you’ll be common mistakes on resumes.
5 Steps to Create a Tailored Resume That Gets You Noticed
There are two ways to approach this: the traditional way or the fast way.
After we go through the standard way of tailoring your resume, we’ll go through how to do it the fast way without losing quality.
If that sounds interesting, be sure to read through until the end!
1. Refer to the Job Description
Understanding the job description is like having a treasure map to find your dream job. This is your starting point, and you need to dig deep to uncover the hidden gems and winning resume keywords.
Read it thoroughly. Don't just glance at it; take your time to understand every word. Look at the responsibilities and qualities that have been included and ask yourself:
- What are they looking for in candidates?
- What are the skills and attributes they expect to see?
These are the types of things that you should put on a resume. You’ll need to mention these if you want to get past the first stage of the hiring process and get invited for an interview.
2. Check the Company Website’s About Page
There’s a strong chance you’ll find more information about the company’s beliefs and corporate cultural values on their website.
More specifically, their about page. Here, you may find things such as:
- Mission statement
- Brand story
- Goals and objectives
Using this information, make direct references to their values to show that you align with what they’re working towards. For instance, what’s the main problem or pain point they solve where your skills can fit in? What are the qualities that they value most in their work environment?
3. Review The Company’s Social Media
Other than their website, you may also find relevant information about the work culture on their social media pages. For example, they could be found on sites such as:
- Twitter
Find out what they’re posting about. See if there are parts of the process that you’re experienced or skilled in, and how you could fit in. These are the things that you could include in your resume.
4. Research an Existing Employee
Another hack is to look at the existing employees who already work there.
If there’s someone who has the job title you’re applying for or someone who works in a similar field, do some research on their LinkedIn profile.
From there, take a look at what they’ve included in their:
- About section
- Experience section
- Education
- Skills
The company is already hiring them because they’re a good fit. So, one winning strategy is to take inspiration from that employee. Show that you have a similar depth of knowledge and skills as they do, as well as a similar approach.
5. Update Your Resume Sections
Updating your resume to align with a specific job description is the key to standing out in a competitive job market. Start by:
- Tailoring your resume objective or summary to include the company's name and convey why you're a perfect fit for the role.
- The work experience section is the core of your resume; focus on showcasing relevant skills and achievements. Highlight responsibilities that resonate with the job description, and quantify your accomplishments with specific numbers whenever possible.
- Your skills section isn't one-size-fits-all either – customize it to emphasize the skills the job posting emphasizes, whether they are technical skills or soft skills like teamwork and leadership.
- Your education section remains constant, but you can adapt it by emphasizing degrees, certifications, or coursework that align with the job's requirements.
How to Create a Tailored Resume With Minimal Research
Now that you’ve reached this point, we’ll share how to tailor your resume faster without losing the quality of your job application.
The only problem with following the standard method of tailoring your resume is that it can take hours of back and forth research. While we’ve only included 5 steps, the reality is that the process is a lot long longer than it looks.
If you’re looking to send multiple tailored job applications to several companies so you can receive a job offer faster, Rezi gives you the resources you need by helping you do 2 things:
- Find the keywords required
- Get professional feedback
Find the Keywords Required
The first step is to create an account on Rezi (it’s free).
Next, you’ll have the option to create a new CV on the left side of the screen.
Fill out the details in the form provided.
Head over to the finish-up tab and you’ll be taken to the following page.
You’ll notice that the Rezi score is provided at the top corner. This assesses your resume and gives you feedback where necessary.
On the right side of the page, you’ll find the AI keyword targeting feature.
To use this feature, do the following:
- Enter the job title you’re applying for
- Copy and paste the job description
Next, click on “save job description”.
Now, you have the list of keywords you need to create a tailored resume that stands out and beats the applicant tracking system at ease.
Example of a Resume Tailored to the Job Description
This tailored resume for an English language teacher is specifically designed to match the requirements of a teaching position in the field of English education. It works effectively for several reasons:
- Relevance: The resume highlights qualifications and experiences that are directly related to teaching English, such as relevant degrees, teaching certifications, and language proficiency.
- Keyword Alignment: The resume is optimized with keywords commonly found in English teaching job descriptions. This ensures it passes through applicant tracking systems and catches the attention of recruiters.
- Accomplishments: Instead of just listing responsibilities, the resume emphasizes tangible achievements, such as improvements in students' language proficiency, successful curriculum development, and notable teaching awards.
- Customized Objective: The resume's objective or summary clearly expresses the candidate's passion for teaching English and their commitment to effective language instruction, demonstrating a strong alignment with the teaching role.
Get More Job Offers By Sending Tailored Resumes
For some of you, the biggest challenge in creating the perfect resume could be that it takes a lot of time to research all the information you need. Especially when you need to write a resume when you have no experience.
And as some of you may know, it’s draining and takes a lot of effort.
That’s where Rezi’s resume builder comes in.
We speed up the process and help you get job offers faster by enabling you to send more quality resumes with minimal effort.
Best of all, you can get started at no cost. So, the ball is in your court.
All job seekers who create a resume with Rezi have a 62.18% chance of getting an interview!
Explore Rezi 🔥 Comes with 5,000 AI Credits, and is free forever, no credit card required.
Quality Over Quantity in Job Hunting
When it comes to job applications, it’s quality over quantity.
An applicant that sends 5 tailored, well-thought-out resumes are more likely to receive a response than the applicant who sends 10 generic resumes.
That’s why it’s important to do the homework to get all the information you need before sending over your resume. Employers can tell when a candidate has rushed their application and whether or not they’ve done the research.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do both at the same time. At least, not with Rezi.
