An effective resume, one that gets the interview, always starts with the job posting itself. Resumes generally fall into two categories: they can be either stable – unchanged for individual job postings – or targeted (change often). Each targeted resume is going to have its roots in the original job posting, and the language used to write the post.
Make a list
A good way to start a ‘malleable’ resume is take a piece of blank paper, and draw 3 vertical columns. At the top of the first column write ’skills’, second column write ‘knowledge/experience’, and third write ‘personal characteristics’. Re-read the job posting. What language suggests concrete skills the job-seeker will need? What about overall knowledge and experience? Lastly, what personal characteristics does the candidate need? These should all be listed in the 3 column worksheet.
Compare your own experience to the list based on the job description
The 3-column worksheet will help determine if your experience, skills and characteristics are a good match for the job. This is, of course, only the first step. If the job is a good fit, and you will be creating a targeted resume, the challenge is to translate your skills, experiences and characteristics to match up with the job description. This will be made easier by having the three-column worksheet to reference and guide your writing process.
[...] the cover letter relevant to a specific company. From the job posting, make a list of everything the position requires, and write it down on a sheet of paper. Then use that information to begin to craft a targeted [...]
Great post. I have been searching for this exact info for a while now. I will bookmark it in the public bookmarking sites to get you more traffic.