How To Write a Targeted Resume: Tips and Tricks

A targeted resume is more like a sales pitch to a potential employer, and the truth is, it sells. That is why, out of 10 job seekers, about nine want to submit a specifically tailored resume. The only holdback is that it almost seems like an arduous task because it involves lots of time. But not to worry, we see this drawback and, to that effect, have written down nine great tips that will aid in writing a targeted resume. All the tips listed below have been proven and are great resume practices anyone creating their first resume can trust for a job.

1. Research and Read Wide

A lot of research is required before putting together a resume, especially, a tailored one. First things first, you have to conduct research regarding the desired job position. There are certain requirements for a specific job, and a targeted resume is exactly what you need. So before even penning anything down, take extra effort to check for the job position on the company's official site. Then move further to check the social media pages of the company in view to gain insights into the company's voice.

There would be specifics the company will emphasize on their websites and social pages that you would draft to add to your resume. To spot those keywords, you might have to read the job advertisement more than once and look at what the company expects in its ideal candidate. This means you will be doing lots of jotting of skills, qualifications, and experience needed, which will guide you into editing and restructuring your previous resume. So, be ready to research and read a lot before writing your professional targeted resume.

2. Write Only with Researched Keywords

The keywords that you obtained from your research have to be used to build your resume. Since there are different sections in a resume, you need to concentrate on each one of them.

The Heading

Most resumes always have a heading that is either slightly related to the job role or is not entirely what the company seeks. The heading should be the specific job title as that is where the hiring manager starts scanning suitable candidates from.

The Summary

The summary is the most critical content that would be focused on when your resume is reviewed. The font style, choice of words, and keywords should be well selected, making the summary enjoyable. This is crucial because recruiters review tons of resumes, which means yours should draw attention in the first few seconds. The summary is usually just one paragraph, so it should contain only skills that have been researched, relevant experiences, and critical accomplishments. This is the point where many people falsify their resumes, but that shouldn't be the case with your resume. This statement shows the hiring manager that you are a good fit for the role, so it should be straight to the point and not full of unnecessary words.

3. Keep Tailoring Each Section

Every section matters in a targeted job resume, and that means all sections have to be carefully written. The skills section should be a list of both hard and soft skills. In this section, only relevant skills to the job role are permitted, and they should not be more than seven skills. Both the hard and soft skills should be written in the same format as the job description. For instance, if one of the soft skills was written as "great communication skills," you could write it verbatim or tweak it without omitting major keywords. The same applied to the experience, achievement, and other sections. So, in those sections, only highlight relevant experiences and accomplishments pertinent to the job in view.

4. Position Your Sections Accordingly

The way your sections are positioned should also be targeted. The first thing your employer wants to see is your name and contact address. It will be unwise to place your name after the summary or your contact address at the end of your resume. These mistakes lower the chances that your resume will catch the recruiter’s attention.

The summary section should come right after your name and contact details. This section gives an abstract description of what the reviewer will see in your entire resume, therefore, should be placed at the top. Then the skills sections should follow immediately to bolster what was written in the summary section. This section outlines what the reviewer will be looking for, and if the skills don't say so much, it can deter the person from getting the job.

All other sections can be placed as you like. This doesn't mean they are not essential, but the hiring manager will continue to this point only when interested. So, if you have sustained that attention span, you can push any other section forward to be reviewed.

5. All Descriptions Should be Brief

This is one tip you shouldn't overlook when writing a targeted resume. Because it is written for a specific job, all descriptions should be concise yet relevant. The wordiest section is always the experience section. It is good that you have gathered several experiences, but recruiters don't have time to read them all. So, before writing this section, jot your experiences in a different paper and highlight the relevant ones. Once you are sure of the ones to include, compare them with the researched expertise needed for the job role.

The next step is to construct the experiences to fit into not more than four sentences. All the sentences should contain keywords that would be seen by the ATS systems even before the reviewer does his part. Also, the other section should follow a similar pattern of listing and highlight before tailoring it to fit your applied role.

6. Use More Bullet Points

You can use bullets for the skills, accomplishments, and education section to make your resume look compact. This tip also makes your resume more readable and gives it a better chance of being read by a recruiter. If you want to highlight a specific aspect of your job resume, using bullets is a good way. Also, for your accomplishment that involves quantifiable descriptions, using bullets just simplifies it for the reader.

7. Target Using Numbers

A resume will be received as targeted when numbers are well used. Though this will require you to put extra time into getting those exact numbers, it will be worth it in the long run. Does this mean all the sections will include numbers? Not exactly! Only relevant aspects of your resume that can be quantifiable need to allow numbers to work for them. For instance, the skills section does not need numbers as they are better expressed with adjectives. But, the achievement section will need both numbers and special characters like percentages to show what has been achieved so far.

8. Use an Online Resume Builder to Make it Easier

One quick way to write a perfect resume for a specific job is by using a resume builder. Many people have a challenge in this area: they do not want to settle for a general resume template, so they prefer to go a long way. However, not all resume builder platforms offer a general template, professional resume builders like ResumebuilderPro.com are an exception. Because they understand the differences in job roles, they have vast templates that job seekers can choose from for easier resume writing.

All you have to do is answer some simple questions from any of the templates you choose online, according to the researched keywords. This template will then draft your targeted resume, given that you have provided the needed info. With the Resume Builder Pro, all you have to do is read the job ads carefully, do the necessary research, and then sit back and watch the transformation happen. If you don't mind having help with your resume, then this professional builder is for you. Interesting, you get this juicy package for free and still get a better chance of landing your dream job.

9. Send only a Well-Edited Resume

The most commonly omitted part of effective resume writing is editing and proofreading. Yes, you have come up with the best resume ever, yet you must check to see if your resume is well polished. Some errors can be avoided if only the writer takes one last look to see if some typographical errors are hidden somewhere. No matter how short the time frame is, take a few seconds more to take a final glance and submit only when the resume has been cleaned thoroughly and perfected.

Conclusion

Here you go, the nine solid tips you need to write a targeted resume. If you will follow these tips carefully, they are sure to get you through the door of your dream company.

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