Just Say NO to Generic Resumes

Just Say NO to Generic Resumes

If you have more than one goal, knowing which direction to take your career can be quite the dilemma. Many job-seekers are looking in more than one area of expertise, and their resumes often reflect that. The problem with this is that it can be confusing for those searching to fill a position.

Of course, most employers hope to hire multi-taskers, but many times having a varied assortment of skills listed on your resume can work against you. What you need to do is focus your resume to suit a particular career, even if this means creating a different resume for each different job pursuit.

So, I really need more than one resume?

If you career pursuits are similar, one resume might be all you need. However, if you’re looking in different, unrelated sections of the classified during your job search, you'll have to have a different resume for each job goal.

When you write a generic resume for all of your career goals, your resume may be too extensive. Employers are looking for someone who is focused. You want the person in charge of hiring to look at your resume and know immediately you're the right candidate to call in for the interview. Any uncertainty on the part of the hiring manager means the resume is destined for the trash bin. Recruiters and hiring managers simply don't have time to waste reading wordy or confusing resumes.

Another way to tell if you need to write more than one resume is to give your resume a good review. Better yet, have a trusted friend or relative go over your resume. Are your goals confusing? Are your skills across the board? Would a hiring manager have any trouble figuring out what it is you actually do? If so, you're in need of more than one resume.

I sent out my resumes…now what?

You need to know if your resume is effective. How can you tell if you have an effective resume? One way is through tracking. It's not enough to create a resume and send it off. To be fully successful in your job hunt, you'll want to keep track of where it went and the type of response it received.

When you're ready to send out your resumes, make a spreadsheet or grab a notebook to list some information. List the date, the type of resume sent, and where it went. In addition to helping you remember where you applied, it will also help you to see how effective each resume actually is.

For instance, are you being called back for interviews more for one resume over another? Are you getting call backs, or are your resumes being ignored? Keeping track of where resumes were sent, when, and the response (or lack of response) to each one will help in your job search.

If you find you're not receiving as many responses to your resume as you had hoped, don't be dismayed. It just means a little more fine tuning is in order. Your primary goal is to catch the eye of the hiring manager. You simply can't do this with a generic resume.