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You’ve heard the advice that a resume needs to be customized, and that sending one generic resume being to multiple employers isn’t going to cut it. This holds even more truth now that a majority of employers are relying on Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software which reads and ranks your resume.
The Applicant Tracking Systems use algorithms to rank your resume according to experience and keywords so some tweaks to your resume may be in order.
While it’s nearly impossible to figure the exact algorithm being used, what you can do is try to offer as much information as possible that’s relevant to what the employer is seeking.
Start by reading the job posting and identifying the key roles, responsibilities, and requirements that are indicated there.
Then you will want to do two things: showcase your capabilities both under the “Profile Summary” of your resume as well as under some of the jobs where they are relevant.
A good tip is to have a “Capabilities” section on your resume right after the “Profile Summary.”
For example, if the job posting indicates the job requires someone with “extensive experience managing large-scale, multimillion-dollar projects to meet budgets, schedules, and specifications,” then just show this as a statement in your “Capabilities” section, like:
CAPABILITIES INCLUDE:
Managing large-scale, multimillion-dollar projects to meet budgets, schedules, and specifications.
You should also indicate that you managed large-scale, multimillion-dollar projects under the relevant jobs.
The better match in language you have with what the employer used in the job posting, the better your chances of getting a good ranking.
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