A PRACTICAL EXERCISE IN CRAFTING A TARGETED RESUME

In writing this article, I assume the reader is familiar with the concept of targeting a resume to a specific job posting. Job applicants continually struggle with this tactic so I am, therefore, sharing an example of this approach and illustrating the level of detail required to craft a resume that paints the right picture of a candidate’s skills and experience specifically related to the job requirements. I am offering what I have learned from my personal experience; I am not speaking on behalf of my employer.

Applying to every job with the same resume is not a successful strategy if you want to land a job in a highly sought-after organization. The best companies to work for are not kept on a secret list; everybody knows who they are and everybody wants in. It is not uncommon for large, popular companies to receive thousands applications every day. Winning a job with a perpetual award-winning employer, or any employer for that matter, is an incredibly competitive process, and crafting a well-targeted resume is essential to getting through the initial stages of the hiring process and earning an interview.

Crafting a resume was the most frustrating experience of my transition out of the military; if I shared my resume with 10 people, I got back 12 opinions. Company A told me a chronological format was the way to go while Company B told me a functional format would better highlight my skills. I became an expert in creative file naming conventions and techniques to help me organize and keep track of my library of resumes.

It is incredibly important for job seekers to research the resume format their dream employers prefer but, regardless of the chosen format, every resume must paint the right picture. By purposely going through the exercise of first scrutinizing the job posting, then synergizing the job posting and the resume, and finally removing detractors from the resume, job seekers can craft a well-targeted resume that communicates their specific value and inspires recruiters and hiring managers to reach out and learn more.

Scrutinize the job posting – It’s an open-book test

As we begin the first step of this 3-step exercise, let’s look at a simplified example of what you might find in a typical Project Manager job posting:

Approach this step as if it were an open-book test and the job posting is the chapter in the book you are being tested on. After 15 minutes with a highlighter, the job posting might look something like this, with the important, “testable material” highlighted for easy identification:

It is important to go through the entire job posting deliberately, line by line, identifying the critical knowledge, skills, attributes, and requirements of the job. Do not rush through this step; anything that sounds important probably is- HIGHLIGHT IT! Remember, this is all “testable material.” Pay special attention to the preferred/desired requirements in the job posting; ideally, managers want to hire candidates who meet most, if not all the preferred/desired requirements. It will be important to show how you meet those in your resume.

Once you have made a few passes through the job posting, completely scrutinizing it, you are ready to make your resume sing by creating synergy between the two documents.

Synergize the job posting and the resume – creating a complementary image

Moving into the second step, let’s now look at an abbreviated example of what I frequently see in resumes submitted for the typical Project Manager job we are working with in this exercise:

Job seekers frequently struggle with translating their skills and experience into language that will resonate with employers; this is particularly true with transitioning service members trying to translate military experience. Don’t overthink this problem or let it paralyze you. The good news is employers have done the translation for you- you just highlighted the language you need to use in your resume. The employer has used the job posting to communicate to the job-seeking world what their ideal candidate looks like (on paper). Why would you submit a resume that paints you as anything else?

Synergizing the job posting and the resume is simply the practice of working as much of the highlighted “testable material” in the job posting into appropriate places on your resume. You want to create a resume that complements the job posting. After completing this step, the synergized resume might look something like this:

Just as you made several passes through the job posting while scrutinizing, you should make several passes through the resume when synergizing. If, at this point of the process, you find it extremely difficult or nearly impossible to work the critical language from the job posting into your resume, it might be an indicator that you are neither a great fit nor a competitive candidate for the job. If you are able to work most of your highlighted text into your resume without too much difficulty, you will probably end up with a resume that is too long. This is right where you want to be at this point in the exercise- now it is time to tighten things up by removing detractors.

Remove detractors from your resume – less can be more

As difficult as it is to work critical language into your resume, often it can be more difficult deciding what to take out. Again, this is particularly true for transitioning service members who may have years, if not decades of unique and extraordinary experience they are rightfully proud of. However, it is important to identify items in the resume that take the reader’s attention away from more important points. If they neither add relevant value nor differentiate you from other candidates as having a skill or experience that could be useful in the job, they might be detractors. You should consider either rewording detractors to add value or removing them. Sometimes less is more.

Revisiting our example resume, rewording and removing detractors might look like the following:

Notice that the first sentence alone paints an entirely different, and more appropriate picture. Removing detractors might mean setting your ego aside and not sharing some of what you feel are your greatest “high-five” moments on your resume. Remember, the sole purpose of the resume is to earn an interview. Once you are in an interview, selling your full value to an employer, recounting some of those “high-five” moments can be a great way to show the employer all you bring to their organization, above and beyond what they asked for in the job posting (it will be important to tie those experiences back to the requirements of the job- a topic for another article).

After scrutinizing, synergizing and removing detractors, you should be left with a well targeted resume that paints the right picture of your skills- a resume that complements the job posting:

An extra tool for your tool box

Recall my personal frustration of sharing 10 resumes and receiving 12 opinions in return- it would be funny if it wasn’t so true. That’s what this article is; it is my opinion for your consideration. You have likely heard others and you will surely hear more. There are people who will share my view and there are those who will disagree, and both groups will be vocal about it. Dissenting opinions are just that- opinions, also for your consideration. My hope is that this article (and any conversation it generates) adds a tool to your job seeker’s tool box, whether it be the entire 3-step exercise or only some small part of it.

In the end, after all opinions have been considered, the resume you submit should be your own. It should be a resume you are comfortable handing to an employer and a resume you are able to speak to.

* Edited February, 2022: Sean Passmore serves as the Head of Military Talent Strategic Sourcing and Enterprise Military and Veteran Initiatives for Wells Fargo. A prior Non-Commissioned Officer and graduate of Officer Candidate School (OCS), Sean retired as an Army Major in 2014 after 22 ½ years of active service.