Conducting a job search is a time-consuming endeavor. Many job seekers use the same exact resume for every single job they apply to. This seems logical – your work history and experience isn’t fluid, after all. However, sending the same, generic resume could be costing you opportunities.
To Stand out, You Need to Address the Employer’s Specific Needs
Not every electrical engineer has the same responsibilities. This is true of every position in the marketplace. Each employer has specific needs for a position, and each job has its own unique set of requirements and responsibilities. Your resume should address the specific needs of the position you are applying to. Showcase the skills they are looking for and use specific keywords if you want to pass any automated resume scanning software being used in the hiring process.
The first time a person looks at your resume, they will most likely give it a cursory scan to see if you meet their needs. Generic resumes won’t demonstrate your fit for the position. Read the job posting and make sure your resume is formatted and written in a way that says, “we definitely need to bring this candidate in for an interview.”
Superfluous Details Take up Valuable Real Estate
As previously noted, hiring managers are only interested in whether you might be of value to their team. That means there is no reason to include your first job in the mail room of the local manufacturing plant if you are currently working in computer engineering.
There is no need to submit a manuscript-length resume when applying for jobs. You can always print out and bring along a more complete copy of your resume to the interview, but when you’re applying for a job, only include your most relevant and most recent experience. Don’t take up valuable space with irrelevant information.
Generic Resumes Don’t Demonstrate Interest in the Position
Hiring managers know what they are doing. They see thousands of resumes per year. In some cases, they may see thousands of resumes per week. They know a generic resume when they see one. Taking time to tailor your resume to the position demonstrates you were interested enough in the job to really study their posting and you spent extra time to create a relevant resume. Moreover, this shows attention to detail, a skill nearly every technical and engineering position requires. Attention to detail is difficult to ascertain in an interview, so you can set yourself a step ahead of the competition by putting it on display in a customized resume.
If you are an engineer seeking new opportunities to grow your career, contact the Atlanta recruiting experts at Selectek today.
