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by Kacey Toews, Talent Solutions Sales Specialist
ARE YOU INTERESTED in applying for
several positions but scared that you
won’t stand out? The first thing you must
understand is that a generic resume
won’t cut it. Having a solid and
customized resume is key to move on to
the next stage of the hiring process. Most
job seekers claim they do not have time
to put together or update their resume
for one job let alone every job they are
applying for, but it is vital when thinking
about making a job change. Taking extra
time crafting a customized resume will
pay off in the end.
It takes about 10 seconds for the
employer or hiring manager to scan your
resume and decide if you are qualified or
not, so standing out is a must. Most often,
we do not get a chance to speak with the
hiring manager before we apply for the
position, so it is important to take time
analyzing the job description, picking
out keywords and building your resume.
Finding the right words and phrases to
sum up your education, experience and
skills is not always simple, but if you keep
these things in mind, it doesn’t have to be
overwhelming!
UNDERSTANDING THE JOB
DESCRIPTION
Before you even think about touching
your resume, you must first read and
understand the job description. Once you
read through the job description, read it
again, but this time take note of the job
title, duties/responsibilities, and
requirements. As you do this, pick out
11 Ag & Food CAreer guide
keywords and phrases that stand out. I
would recommend highlighting or
underlining these keywords or phrases in
the job description or even listing them
out. Understanding the job description
will also help you craft a perfect
objective, if you choose to include one
in your resume, by aligning your personal
career objectives with key points from
the job description.
KEYWORDS AND PHRASES
Once you have picked out the keywords
and phrases, start organizing your
education and experience and match
them up with the key phrase and use
similar language. Having similar language
is important because the hiring manager
will be able to pick those words and
phrases out much easier than generic
wording. Make sure you are careful with
your word choice, this does not mean
copy and pasting the job description
in your resume. As you analyze the job
description and pick out keywords, you
may come across keywords or experience
needed that you had left out of the
previous version of your resume, so take
some time to think through all your
experience and its relevance to the
current job you are working on.
BE CONCISE
There is nothing worse than a cluttered
resume and that is one of the first things
the viewer will notice. Don’t be afraid to
combine your experiences and skills. For
example, if you worked for a company but
held several different positions, instead of
listing them individually, list them
together or just pick the highest-level
position. If you have skills that aren’t
relevant to the job in which you are
applying, feel free to leave them out. This
way, the hiring manager is not taking time
reading over things that are not
important and skipping the skills that are.
DON’T EXAGGERATE
Even though you are picking out
keywords and using similar language, it
does not mean your resume should be
exaggerated. Make sure your education,
experience, and skills give an accurate
depiction of your background and don’t
get too carried away. You might make
it to the interview round because of an
impressive resume but once you get to
the interview, it may be hard to back up
what was written on the resume.
GET CREATIVE
Think outside of the box when writing
down your skills and experience. Take
extra time to think and evaluate your past
experiences. That one undergraduate
research project, volunteer opportunity or
even part-time job in college might come
in handy someday and become relevant
to a job you are applying for.
Following these steps when generating
a customized resume cannot guarantee
you the job, but it will sure put you a step
in the right direction and even ahead of
other applicants. AG
customizing your
Sarah Hughes
DOUG RYAN Kelly Reece
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