How to Make Your Resume Look More Attractive to the Employer

How to Customize Your Resume Using Key Info From the Job Posting
By Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, Expert Resume Writer

I’m sure you’ve heard me say before that it’s critically important to customize your resume when applying for positions—especially to online job postings. Hundreds of candidates apply to positions posted on job boards, and employers have become very savvy at weeding out those candidates who are not qualified. Or who at least do not appear to be qualified because of what is or is not (in most cases) on their resume. So I’m going to share some tips for making key adjustments to your resume to target it exactly for the position based on the job advertisement.

Search for keywords

Look for keywords throughout the job posting related to the position and then include those keywords on your resume. For example, customer service resume keywords might include: account relationship management, customer retention, customer management, order processing, process simplification, relationship management, or service benchmarks.

Incorporate Required Skills

Most position descriptions include required skills or qualifications. Ensure that you address within your resume your ability to meet and exceed these required skills. For example, if one of the position requirements is service delivery, don’t just say “responsible for service delivery”. Show the employer how you successfully delivered this by saying something similar to this: Restructured service delivery procedures, improving staff field time by 35% and increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 92%.

Include Education & Credentials

Is a degree required for the position? Then make sure that you put this information front and center on the resume. Especially if you recently obtained the degree or credential required. If you possess an M.B.A.—and it’s required for the position—a great way to showcase that is to put the degree next to your name at the top of your resume.

Always Address Requested Information

If the job ad requests that you provide salary requirements, be sure to include these on your cover letter. Additionally, if the posting asks for any other additional information such as hours of availability, samples of your work, etc., make sure you always provide what they are requesting so as not to exclude yourself from consideration.

Additional job search and resume-related advice is available on our blog or by following us on Twitter or Facebook.

Read more biotech career tips. Find more biotech and pharma jobs by visiting the career center.

About the Author

Jessica Hernandez, is a resume authority for the Job Talk America radio program and multi-published expert author for resume, career, and job search publications. She boasts more than ten years in human resources management and hiring for Fortune 500 companies and utilizes her extensive experience to support job seekers in their quest to move onward and upward in their careers. Find out more at Great Resumes Fast.

Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - November 15, 2012.

Sign up for the free weekly Career Insider eNewsletter.