The song “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman movie may have won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song but employing this mantra in your resume won’t win you many interviews. While I remember how empowered and liberated I felt the first time I heard those lyrics, I also understand that simply “marching on to the beat I drum” won’t equal success in job search.
Please don’t misunderstand me, it is essential to identify and leverage your unique professional brand (“I am who I’m meant to be”), however, that brand must be conveyed in a manner that matters to each individual employer. If you submit the exact same resume to 20 different companies, 9 times out of 10 it won’t land you an interview.
Why?
1. ATS: 98% of Fortune 500 companies and 75% of all large companies are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems have the capability to screen your resume by analyzing your content for specific keyword matches. Many ATS provide screeners with scores or rankings based on these matches, which can influence their initial impression of you as a candidate. It’s highly unlikely that all 20 employers will be seeking the exact same keywords.
2. Jack of All Trades, Master of None: Employers are seeking an individual who is directly qualified for their open position. Why would they select someone who isn’t when they have hundreds of qualified applicants to choose from? It’s up to you to show them how your experience and accomplishments qualify you for their role.
3. Title Scan: Not only will ATS typically scan your resume for title matches, human screeners are often known to start with a quick title scan to rule out those who aren’t qualified. In a typical posting, about 50% to 75% of the applications received are from individuals who don’t meet the posted qualifications. Reading these resumes would waste time that Screeners don’t have to give. For this reason, they start with a quick initial scan of your resume to see if you have relevant experience. One way to ensure a title match (if your job titles don’t match), is to use the posting title as your resume headline.
4. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): 71% of surveyed employers say they value EQ over IQ. One of the key elements of EQ is the ability to consider the perspectives and emotions of others. Tailoring your content to what matters to a specific employer is an excellent way to demonstrate high EQ.
5. Growth Mindset: Run a search for “growth mindset” and you will find endless articles from top consulting firms and psychology experts about the importance of hiring individuals with a growth mindset. Employers are spending significant amounts of time and money to build a company culture around this perspective. Employees with a growth mindset continuously improve themselves and the organization. Being able to analyze your own experiences (both successes and failures) and draw key takeaways that relate to a potential employer, requires a growth mindset. By customizing your content for each position, you not only are conveying growth mindset, but you are also strengthening it through the activity.
In order to be “bursting through the barricades” and “reaching for the sun” as a job seeker, it is essential to customize your resume for each position of interest. Spending this time up-front will not only help you realize how well you align with the position requirements, it will also significantly increase your chances of being selected for an interview. With these new insights, “look out ‘cause here you come!”