How to Tailor Your Resume to a Specific Job: Match Job Descriptions, Keywords, and ATS-Optimization

Summary

In this video, Greg LS, a certified resume strategist, explains how to tailor your resume to match job postings, helping you stand out to both ATS scanners and hiring managers. He guides you through identifying and incorporating relevant keywords from job descriptions into your resume's professional branding, key skills, and bullet points. Greg also shares formatting tips to make your resume more scannable and warns against common mistakes, such as keyword stuffing or using functional resumes. The video aims to help viewers land more interviews by crafting job-specific resumes efficiently.

Takeaways

• 💼 Tailoring your resume to each job posting can significantly increase your chances of getting interviews.
• 🖥️ Use job descriptions to identify relevant keywords, skills, and software that should be included in your resume.
• 🔑 Incorporate the most important keywords naturally into your resume, particularly in the professional summary and job titles.
• 📝 Prioritize the most relevant skills and accomplishments at the top of your bullet points to grab the hiring manager's attention.
• ⚠️ Avoid common mistakes like copying and pasting job descriptions, keyword stuffing, and using a functional resume format.
• 🔍 To make your resume scannable, add short, bolded titles to bullet points to highlight key skills quickly.
• 🧑‍💻 Tailoring your resume helps it pass both ATS scanning and human review, which increases your chances of getting an interview.
• 📊 Arrange bullet points in each job section by prioritizing the skills and accomplishments most relevant to the job you're applying for.
• 🛑 Avoid keyword stuffing, which can lead to penalties from ATS software and a poor impression on hiring managers.
• 🏆 To win a free resume review, viewers are encouraged to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of tailoring your resume to a specific job posting?

The main purpose of tailoring your resume is to match the keywords and skills mentioned in the job posting. This increases the chances of passing through ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) and impressing hiring managers, leading to more interview opportunities.

How can you identify important keywords in a job description?

To identify important keywords in a job description, focus on the job title, required professional skills, tasks, equipment or software mentioned, and any terminology that stands out as crucial for the role.

What are the two checkpoints your resume must pass to get noticed by employers?

The two checkpoints are: 1) The ATS scanner, which checks for relevant experience, background, and keywords. 2) A human reviewer who assesses whether the applicant's skills and accomplishments match the job requirements.

How should you incorporate keywords into your resume?

Keywords should be naturally integrated into the professional branding sections (such as job title and summary), key skills, and bullet points that describe your accomplishments and duties, aligning closely with the job description.

Why is it important to prioritize bullet points in your resume?

Prioritizing bullet points ensures that the most relevant and impressive skills, especially those mentioned in the job description, appear first. This helps capture the hiring manager's attention quickly while they scan the resume.

What is the purpose of adding bolded titles to bullet points in your resume?

Adding bolded titles to bullet points makes it easier for hiring managers to identify the specific skills you are showcasing, helping them quickly match your experience with the job requirements.

What are three common mistakes people make when tailoring their resume?

The three common mistakes are: 1) Copying and pasting the job description into the resume using hidden text. 2) Keyword stuffing by overusing keywords. 3) Using a functional resume format, which separates skills from work experience and can confuse ATS and hiring managers.

Why is keyword stuffing a bad practice in resume writing?

Keyword stuffing, or overusing keywords, can lead to penalties by both ATS scanners and human reviewers. It makes the resume look unnatural and may reduce the trust of the hiring manager.

Why should you avoid using a functional resume?

A functional resume, which lists skills separately from work history, is not ATS-friendly and can confuse hiring managers by making it harder to connect skills to specific job experiences.

What is the final step in tailoring a resume before submission?

The final step is to rearrange and highlight bullet points so that the most relevant skills, like those mentioned in the job description (e.g., business development, revenue generation), appear first in each job section.