Targeting Resumes 101

It's a question that separates the overachiever from the slacker - why is targeting your resume so important? Let me share some insight on a recruiter's day-to-day which might shed some light on the importance of targeting your resume.

On any given day, I will have between 50-200 new resumes in my inbox to review for various positions with various hiring managers – each with different specifications, requirements, and preferences. Not only will I need to review each resume, but I will also need to screen candidates to ensure the position they are applying for is a fit for them as well as for my client. It’s a tall "Trenta' sized order and even the best of recruiters won't have the time to spend more than 1-2 minutes on each resume that passes through their desk. If most recruiters are faced with such a task, the question for the candidate then shifts from "how can I stand out to a recruiter?" to "how can I help a recruiter choose me?" The answer is...targeting your resume.

Before I jump into targeting resumes, I want to ensure we are on the same page with how many recruiters review your resume and the steps you can take to make yourself stand out. I will include a break before jumping into targeting resumes if you would prefer to skip this section.

When faced with a pile of resumes and the added pressure to find the best candidate for an open position by noon, I am going to quickly and thoroughly search resumes with keywords to draw my attention to the most important requirements for a role. For example, say I need to find candidates with C# experience. I will start my review of a resume by performing a keyword search to ensure that the basic requirements are highlighted on the resume. It's not enough to only have C# listed though, I will need to be shown "evidence" that a candidate has worked with the tool on their resume. Ideal candidates will not only have the required information placed on their resume, but they will also have a brief description of how they utilized the tool. If given the choice to choose between a resume with C# listed in a skills section or a resume with C# and other programming skills neatly laid out with a brief description of each, I will always choose the latter.

Include a Programming Skills section:

Listing out your technical proficiencies neatly and orderly saves the recruiter time and gives you a higher chance of being selected. The most successful resumes I encounter utilize a programming section in tandem with bullet points under job titles, highlighting their experience. This can be done in a few ways and here are some examples of successful resumes layouts.

Example #1

What I like best here is a break down of not only what the candidate did as a Software Engineer at Boeing but also a list of specific tools they utilized. It shows the recruiter a candidate's ability tied specifically to a role and it puts a date on when the candidate last utilized those technologies. Let's face it - if you have C# or another tool on your resume but you haven't used it in 3 plus years, is it still relevant to the job you are applying for?

Example #2

Here the candidate spells out how C# is utilized in his current position. This is incredibly helpful because it shows a recruiter that this candidate is knowledgeable with the tool, has used the tool, and that they aren't simply listing the tool as a way to "get by the resume-bots." This is a candidate I would feel confident in speaking with for a position requiring C#.

Now to jump back into the main subject of this article, how best to target your resume to a specific role.

Targeting Resumes 101

Targeting your resume simply means to focus your efforts on a specific job opening. The resume will be written or edited to highlight a candidate's skills and experiences in a way that is relevant to a particular position. While targeting a resume takes more time and effort, it is abundantly preferred over a generic resume that might be missing key skills and experience necessary for a position. Like I mentioned above, a neatly laid out resume that shares relevant experience to a job may be the difference between your resume getting the interview over another candidate.

Tips for targeting your resume

• Review the job description: This is important and I can not stress it enough. Read the job description to ensure you are a good match for the role. It sounds simple enough, but I receive so many resumes that don't even remotely match a job description I'm working on. At the end of the day, if you do not have the related experience necessary for a role, regardless of how much you target your resume, you will not be asked to interview.
• Focus on your summary: Sometimes you won't necessarily need to rewrite your entire resume to target a particular role. A few small updates in your summary and in key sections of your resume can have a great impact on defining your abilities.
• Emphasize your skills: Review the job description and then review your resume. Look at the required skills and add your related experience to your resume's summary of qualifications or career highlights section at the top of your resume.

For this exercise, I will be using the Job Description for a Full-Stack Software Engineer below.

Sample Job Description: Full-Stack Software Engineer

As a candidate reviewing the job description, you should always start with the required qualifications portion usually located at the bottom. Begin by searching for the required *hard skills first. For this role, you will need a B.S. degree in Computer Science or relevant experience, 3+ years of professional experience working with Python or C++, and experience developing applications or algorithms independently. Once you have identified the required hard skills and verified that you are a fit, you can then move on to reviewing the *soft skills listed. For this position, they are asking for candidates with management experience and strong communication ability.

*Hard skills are teachable/measurable abilities, such as writing, reading, math, the ability to use computer tools, etc. *Soft skills are the traits that make you a good employee, such as etiquette, communication, getting along with others, etc. 

Now that you are aware of the skills and experience being requested and you have verified that you fit the description, you will begin to edit your resume towards the job description.

Sample Resume: Full-Stack Engineer

1. Notice how this candidate included his education, his experience with developing software applications independently and as a team, and gave a compliment to potential recruiters/companies. This summary instantly makes the recruiter want to continue reading since many of the required qualifications are immediately addressed.
2. This candidate utilized a skills summary section to his advantage and both languages will show up for the recruiter with a quick keyword search.
3. Using bullet points, this candidate demonstrated that he is knowledgeable with Python and that he has experience managing teams and has the hard and soft skills required for this position. This candidate also went a step further to acknowledge which tools were used in this position.
4. Another example of spelling out how a language was used in a previous role.
5. As a bonus, this candidate shared his project experience with ROS, a preferred hard skill for this position. By including this under projects, it allows the candidate to stand out further from his competitors by showcasing he read the job description and understands how his experience relates to the role.

It can become time-consuming, especially if you are applying for multiple positions, but there is no better way to increase your chance of being selected for an interview by a recruiter than to target your resume. Have questions? Want to chat? Connect with me on LinkedIn, my DM's are open!

Kip Brookbank, B.A. in Fine Arts, is a Technical Recruiter with Beyondsoft based in Bellevue, Washington. He has an interest in helping candidates get placed in their dream roles, supporting the LGTBQIA+ community, and assisting where he can.

Looking for your next big opportunity? Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brookbank to learn about our openings.