The Importance of Customizing your Resume

Yes, we know it takes a lot of time. 

According to Glassdoor.com, each corporate job offer attracts up to 250 resumes (in a typical job market), of which about only 25% make it past the ATS (Applicant Tracking System). What set the 25% apart? A Customized Resume! A customized resume can mean the difference between getting an interview or never even getting a phone call.

The job-hunting process is already time-consuming. It requires significant work, time, and energy are expended to make a resume look perfect. However, that does not justify using the same exact resume for every job application. Rather, the opposite. Your resume should be customized for each job application. Why? Below are three reasons:

Employer’s Specific Needs

Organizations hire because they are looking to solve a problem. They are looking for a person with the right skills needed to solve their most pressing needs. Your goal as a job seeker is to position yourself as the sure-fire solution, possessing precisely the needed skill. Remember: every organization’s needs cannot be the same. Hence, the need for a customized resume.

Job Specific Needs

Another reason you need to create a customized resume for each job application listing is to meet the needs of the job to the latter. The fact is it does not matter the kind of job you are applying for; no job is the same, each one has its own characteristic that distinguishes it from others. Plus, the fact that every job posted on the internet comes with its unique job keywords.

You cannot expect them, let us say, ten keywords you saw on one portal to be the universal keywords that will be used for all the portals on which you apply. So, you would need to go through the description of each job listing you apply for and search for the keywords of that specific job. When you customize your resume with these keywords in mind, it will increase your visibility, thereby creating a lasting impression on your recruiter’s mind.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

This point is intentionally placed as the last point here because it is one of the primary reasons you should consider always uploading a customized resume for a job posting. Yes, a customized resume helps you navigate past the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). What is ATS? It is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment and hiring needs. They are used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan and rank the job applications they receive from their open positions.

Do you know that about 90% of large companies are using ATS? What is more: about 75% of all submitted applications are automatically screened out by these systems before getting to a human eye.

Your best shot is ensuring your resume has keywords and phrases that align with the job posting. The more job-aligning keywords in your resume, the better your chances of success.

Granted, creating a customized resume for each job posting might be daunting, but its benefits far outweigh the effort involved. Remember: when it comes to hiring people, recruiters are not looking for quantity, they are in for quality, and your customized resume evinces that.