Resume Targeting
How much time do you think a hiring manager spends reading your resume? 2 minutes? 30 seconds? An hour?
The answer? The average employer spends only 7 seconds reading a resume. That’s why it’s important to highlight all the essential skills from the job posting in your resume, as it will help grab the employer’s attention!
What does 'targeting' a resume mean?
Targeting your resume means customizing your resume to a specific job posting or an employer. When you tailor your resume, you're customizing it to fit the requirements of the job you're applying for. It increases the chance of your application standing out among a hundred other applications.
How to target a resume
Take a look at a job posting. What are the key words used to describe the role? Highlight or underline them, and make sure to use those same words on your resume.
On the right, there's a job posting for an administrative assistant role. Underlined are some of the key words that should also appear on your resume if you're applying for this job.
Additionally, pay attention to how the employer describes themselves and their core beliefs or mission statement. Including this information on your resume and/or cover letter further demonstrates your interest in the role and the company, making you a more desirable candidate.
Targeting also helps your resume get through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) !
Targeting your resume is important to grab employer’s and hiring manager’s attention – but it also helps your resume pass the ATS scan.
Here's how it works:
Keyword Matching: ATS scans resumes for keywords and phrases that match the job description. By tailoring your resume to include relevant keywords from the job posting, you increase the likelihood of your resume being recognized as a good match for the position by the ATS.
Improved Ranking: ATS may assign scores or rankings to resumes based on their relevance to the job posting. By targeting your resume to match the requirements of the job, you improve your chances of receiving a higher ranking.
Avoiding Auto-Rejection: If your resume doesn't contain the necessary keywords or qualifications, ATS may automatically reject it or rank it lower in comparison to other applicants who have targeted their resumes more effectively.
Writing Resources
Lost for words? Download these lists of Action Words and Power Phrases to help you highlight your skills!
Here's a list of additional resources:
Link to Resume Writing Workshop (Kennedy)?
Harvard resumes and cover letters guide link (pdf)
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is a software used by employers to manage the entire hiring process, from receiving and sorting job applications to selecting candidates for interviews. Because it's so commonly used, it is important to understand what it is when writing your resume.
ATS automatically scans resumes, cover letters, and other application materials for specific keywords and qualifications relevant to the job opening. This helps recruiters and hiring managers streamline the recruitment process by identifying top candidates efficiently.
As many employers use this system to scan resumes, it's important to make sure you are optimizing your resume for ATS. This means avoiding using formats, fonts, and document types that may lead to ATS auto-rejecting your resume.
Avoid Resume "Templates"
Resume templates are everywhere -- but should you use them? They might seem like they'll be helpful at first, but in the long run, they may do your job search more harm than good.
Using templates in resumes can be problematic due to their compatibility issues with ATS. Templates often incorporate text boxes, headers/footers, and graphics that can obscure text and make it difficult for ATS to read. Moreover, templates frequently feature multiple columns and varying font sizes, which further hinder ATS parsing.
In terms of human review, templates often lack sufficient white space. Research indicates that white space is preferred by the human eye, and it plays a crucial role in capturing an employer's attention within the brief 7-10 seconds typically allotted for resume review. Therefore, while using templates may not lead to outright rejection by ATS, they can potentially result in lower rankings and reduced effectiveness in quickly grabbing the attention of hiring managers compared to resumes crafted with a more tailored approach.
If possible, include visual aids for non-ATS friendly resumes.
