Stop Sending Out Generic Resumes!

Update: I've decided to repost this article. When a candidate loses out on a position because they submitted a generic resume and chose not to customize it specifically geared toward the position I feel bad but at the end of the day it could have been prevented. Put your ego aside and do what a consultant does: appease the client by talking their language. That does not mean you are being fake or being someone you're not. When I lived in Brazil I spoke Portuguese, my true personality still came through. If it can be done across languages it can be done across company or personality languages.

Customize your resume for each position:

When you have a skill set that you have developed over 10, 20, 30 years the opportunities tend to be limited. The more niche your skill set, the more limited the opportunities are in most cases. Therefore, you must take the time to review the job description and tailor your resume, accordingly. No matter how much experience you have, I guarantee you will increase the response rate on your resume by customizing it.

Here are a few suggestions:

Have a "relevant experience" section. In this section you will DETAIL your ACCOMPLISHMENTS for each position that you've held which relates specifically to the job for which you're applying. Get specific here. Think of your past relevant experiences and extract your accomplishments and duties for each position to match the requirements and job duties from the job description. Get specific and quantify your achievements.

Another useful section is a general work timeline section, which has only the company name, your title at that company and dates (specify years only). This section allows you to list your experience chronologically in case there are gaps in the “relevant experience” section.

Take it a step further. Go on their website, call their sales guys, and interview their receptionist so that you can learn the terminology and culture of the company. Many companies use spyder tools that scan your resume and the more your resume matches their language the more likely it will be found by the “spyder” or by a recruiter for that matter.

This extra step will take you out of your comfort zone and will set you apart from the competition. You will already talk their language, so when you arrive for the interview it will feel like a match for you and for them.