how to make your resume fit the job description

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How to Make Your Resume Match the Job Description

• Joel Schwartzberg

You should update it every time you apply for a role.

Submitting the same resume to multiple openings when looking for a job is usually a bad idea. To stand out from the crowd, you need to revise your resume to match each desired position. Here are ways to carefully identify and leverage job description (JD)-to-resume connections.

• Most JDs start with a description of the role using generic terms and jargon. Clues about work responsibilities show up in verbs: coordinating, scheduling, organizing, analyzing, presenting, writing, editing, and proofreading. Clues about areas of expertise can be found in the nouns: consumer needs, competitive markets, insights, and newsletter.
• Companies typically list desired skills on JDs in sequential order or prioritize them with labels like “required,” “desired,” and “preferred.” Use these clues to decide which skills to highlight on your resume. Phrases like “required” and “must-have” are typically non-negotiable, whereas labels like “desired” and “preferred” are less important to the company.
• Once you’ve identified the work responsibilities, the areas of expertise, and what to borrow from the JD, use the summary section and the bullets beneath your job titles to place them. Use the objective or overview at the top to match the experience you have with the job you want. Then, depending on your level of work experience, organize your resume by skill (if you’re early in your career) or by job (if you’ve held one or more relevant positions). While you have limited flexibility with titles or companies, you can customize the details and success metrics below each to match items in the JD.

If you want to get hired in a competitive job market, submitting the same resume to multiple openings is usually a bad idea. For hiring managers and recruiters, a resume is your very first impression — and that impression alone can make or break your progress. To stand out from the crowd, you need to revise your resume to match each role you apply to.

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

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How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description (+Examples)

3 key takeaways

• What a tailored resume is (and why it's essential in your job search!)
• Steps for how to tailor your resume
• Tips for tailoring your resume using the free Teal AI Resume Builder

The phrase "one and done" can apply to many situations, but writing your resume shouldn't be one of them.

A "generic resume" or "one perfect resume" just won't cut it anymore. 

Considering the technology available and what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for (combined with the number of people applying for a role in today's market), you need to showcase that you're unique to stand out. 

How can you do that? By learning how to tailor your resume in a way that corresponds to the job description of the role you're trying to land. 

What is a tailored resume?

A tailored resume is a customized resume explicitly designed to match the requirements of a particular job or company you're applying to. A tailored resume aims to demonstrate how the candidate is the best fit for the job and increase their chances of getting hired.

Customization in this situation means considering the language used in the specific job description, the responsibilities mentioned, and even researching the employer's expectations before including certain words or facts on your resume. 

Tailoring a resume is an excellent way to increase your chances of standing out from other applicants and being noticed by hiring managers.

Why you should tailor your resume to the job description

Crafting a unique and tailored resume is crucial because:

• It significantly increases your chances of receiving an interview invite.
• With so many applicants to compete with during the hiring process, you have to take all the steps you can to get noticed, and tailoring your resume is a great way to do this.
• It demonstrates how you're the best fit for the job.
• It draws attention to the fact that you've taken the time to research the company and understand the job requirements.
• Customizing your resume shows you pay attention to detail and are willing to put in the extra effort to secure a job.

And not only does tailoring your resume help you stand out from the crowd of other job seekers, but it's also an opportunity to showcase your relevant qualifications in a way that matches the job you're applying for. A tailored resume highlights valuable skills, experiences, and accomplishments relevant to the position.

TL;DR: Whether you're in project management or hold a job title as a sales manager, your general resume should always be tailored to the specific job description of the role you're applying to because it demonstrates how you are the most qualified candidate for the position. 

Why you should optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems

Behind the scenes, some job search sites and companies use an applicant tracking system or ATS. And while it has somewhat of a negative reputation, the ATS is absolutely nothing to fear.

An ATS is simply a software program that helps companies, recruiters, or hiring managers sort applicants into a virtual filing system. Applicant tracking systems allow hiring teams to find candidates through keyword searches like past titles or specific qualifications—quickly.

By tailoring your resume to the job requirements with your relevant qualifications, you increase the likelihood of hiring managers searching for job-specific keywords to find you, improving your chances of landing an interview.

Pro Tip:  With Teal, you can store all of your primary resume information in one place. Then, when you're ready to apply, use the free  AI Resume Builder  to create tailored resumes by adding and removing specific details in minutes with no manual work. 

Check your resume score with Teal

Teal's free resume checker gives you a personalized resume score to quickly see where your resume stands, and where you need to improve.

Your score is customized based on the specific job you're comparing it to, which can help you better tailor your resume accordingly.

The difference between a comprehensive resume and a tailored resume

A primary resume is a comprehensive document that includes  all  of your education, work experience, skills, and achievements. It contains a complete record of your professional history and serves as a reference for creating tailored resumes.

On the other hand, a tailored resume is a customized document designed to match a particular job's requirements. And it's created by selecting and highlighting the most relevant information from your primary resume and emphasizing the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job.

5 benefits of tailoring your resume to the job description

Tailoring your resume for each job description might require a bit more effort, but it comes with substantial rewards.

1. Increase your chances of landing an interview

When you customize your resume for a specific job description, you're speaking directly to the hiring manager's needs. Your resume becomes the solution to their problem. 

By showcasing your skills and experiences that directly align with the job requirements. In turn, this significantly ups your chances of landing that all-important interview invitation. 

2. Demonstrate your understanding of the role

Adapting your resume to fit a specific job demonstrates your depth of understanding and keenness for the role.

A tailored resume is a clear sign that you've done your homework and grasp the intricacies of the position and company. It shows you're not just an applicant but a potential asset who's already started thinking about the company's needs.

3. Highlight your relevant qualifications

Your resume should reflect the top 10% of your qualifications that are relevant to the role you're applying to. When you modify your content for each employer's job description, you spotlight your most relevant qualifications for that job. No extraneous details, no fluff—just the essentials they're looking for, served up neatly and compellingly.

4. Set yourself apart from other applicants

In a pool brimming with talent, you want to be the one who stands out. Tailoring your resume helps you do exactly that. It underscores your genuine interest in the position and sets you apart from those candidates sending the same, unmodified resume to numerous companies.

5. Showcase your attention to detail and effort

Finally, a customized resume is a testament to your attention to detail and willingness to put in the extra effort. It suggests that if you're meticulous with your job application, you're likely to bring the same level of diligence to your role. This can be a powerful selling point to prospective employers.

How to tailor your resume to a specific job description

The process of creating a tailored resume involves two high-level steps:

1. Highlight the hard and soft skills, professional experiences, and key qualifications in the job description of the position you're applying for. 

2. Update your resume to address those specific job requirements and responsibilities directly from step

Whether you're a recent graduate, making a career change, or just ready for a new opportunity, creating a resume that stands out in today's market is no small feat. But with the right approach, you can tailor your resume to present your relevant experience professionally.

From selecting the right keywords to adding a personal touch to using  ChatGPT resume prompts , there are numerous tips and tricks to complete the steps above that can help you create a resume that attracts potential employers—so let's get into it! 

1. Use a specific job description

The job description will always outline what the company, recruiter, or hiring manager is looking for. Carefully read the JD and take note of the required skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. 

Here's the thing, you have to study and understand job descriptions to see if the role seems like the right fit for you. And you also need to do this to identify the best way to customize your resume to fit its needs. Essentially, the job posting is the company telling you exactly what they're looking for. 

Some key things to look out for include…

• Whether you need to have a degree
• How many years of experience are required
• What the day-to-day responsibilities are
• What previous work experience is most important 
• What tools you'll need to be familiar with 

Teal's Job Description Keyword Finder highlights the top keywords from any job description—no copying, pasting, or toggling between screens.

Then, Matching Mode will compare your resume to the job description —giving you a Match Score that you can use to tailor your resume with precision.

With Teal, customizing your resume is easy and effective. Match, compare, and optimize it for any job description in one central location.

2. Research the company

Looking into the company you're applying to, what they do, and what they stand for is crucial in your job search. Knowing these facts during the interview process makes a massive difference. As a bonus, it's not as expected in the application process, so understanding the mission, values, and vision can help you stand out. 

Here's how you can do this:

• Look at the company website
• Check out its social channels
• Zoom in on their core values if they have them publicly available
• Search for a video about the company and its product

Knowing and being able to provide important company information throughout the interview process can help demonstrate how you can contribute to the company and what unique value you can bring to the role. Take notes as you do that work, and paste them into the same word editing software mentioned above.

In the Teal AI Resume Builder platform, there's a free Company Tracker where you can record specific information beyond the company name or website. Add values, culture, and other essential details in the customizable "Notes" section.

Pro Tip:   Search for a podcast that includes the Founder or CEO. Hearing how they describe the company and what they stand for can help you get a feel for their messaging. Document key details in the Teal Company Tracker.

3. Dedicate time to the top half of your resume 

The top half of your resume is the most important because it is the first section that recruiters and hiring managers see. Making a good impression immediately is crucial to entice them to keep reading.

This section should be concise, well-organized, and visually appealing, using bullet points, headings, and clear language to highlight your key achievements and qualifications. 

If you can effectively communicate your value proposition in the top half of your resume, you'll increase the chances of getting an interview and being considered for the job.

4. Adjust your target title 

‍When it comes to the target title of your resume, you might think this should reflect the position you currently hold or held in your last role, but not necessarily.

The target title of your resume should align as closely as possible with the specific job description of the role you're applying for. So that means each time you fill out an application, you may need to tweak your target to fit the specific role the hiring manager is looking for. (For example, titles like Copywriter, Content Writer, and Content Marketer can have many of the same requirements, but the job titles slightly differ.) 

Making small changes like this will reflect your thorough understanding of the role. 

5. Personalize your professional summary 

Now that you've saved all the important researched information you need and adjusted your target title, you can customize your professional summary. 

The professional summary section, also known as a  short professional bio , is the top section of your resume, giving readers a brief overview of your previous work experience and top skills. In this section, you'll want to highlight the most relevant details and unique aspects of your skills and experiences for the job you're applying for.

Here's how to do this:

• Copy and paste some primary key skills and responsibilities into this section
• Lay them out in a way that's similar to the job description

This personalized approach showcases your ability to meet the job requirements and demonstrates your interest and fit for the position. As a result, it can increase your chances of getting noticed by the hiring manager and ultimately landing the job.

6. Customize your resume job description with professional achievements 

Your resume job description, or work experience offers insight into your professional impact and results.

Especially when you have several years of job employment history, you should have at least a handful of key  accomplishment examples  to add. (But of course, these will look different depending on your industry, if you've had multiple positions at the same company, and your seniority.)

Customizing your work experiences on your resume is important because it helps you highlight the achievements and important skills most relevant to the job you are applying for.

This process of tailoring your resume for each job application enables you to demonstrate how you can leverage your existing skills, previous experiences, and accomplishments to meet the position's specific requirements.

By highlighting your work history, you increase the chances of your resume being noticed by the hiring manager and also show that you're a good fit for the job. Additionally, it helps to make your resume stand out among the many other applicants—giving you a competitive edge.

Pro Tip:  Quantifying your relevant achievements is a way to showcase your dedication and success in past employment or educational endeavors.

Use the Teal Achievement Assistant to write more impactful achievements that showcase your results, not just your responsibilities. (Or try generating your achievements with AI!)

7. Incorporate relevant keywords

It is important to incorporate  resume keywords  when tailoring your resume to the job description because it helps ensure that it'll be easily discoverable by potential employers and applicant tracking systems. 

By including applicable keywords and similar language from the specific job description in your resume, you increase the chances that your resume will be picked up by these systems and seen by the hiring manager.

Incorporating keywords also…

• Highlights your skills and qualifications as they pertain to the role
• Helps your application stand out when hiring mangers search the ATS
• Demonstrates you're a strong fit for the role 
• Shows your understanding of the job responsibilities and ability to perform required tasks

This level of customization also demonstrates that you've taken the time to tailor your entire resume to the specific job, which can impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.

To find resume keywords easily, use Teal. The  Chrome extension  highlights the top five hard skills in every job posting. (With Teal+, you can see all of the skills and keywords without toggling away from the job ad itself.)

Try Teal for free to get personalized keyword recommendations with your resume. Start mirroring the language from the job description.

8. Check your Match Score

Once you've tailored your resume to the job description, you want to see how closely they align.

The Teal  AI Resume Builder  compares the skills and important keywords in your resume to the job description of the role you're applying to. It has an analysis mode that grades your content and provides a Match Score. 

So what defines success? Well, you want your Match Score to be as close to 80% as possible. To improve your score, incorporate more keywords from the job listing into various resume sections like your achievements, professional summary, and target title.

Want to give it a try? See how closely your current resume aligns with the job description.

9. Proofread and edit

Ensure that your updated resume is written in a professional tone and free of errors, typos, and grammatical mistakes. 

Proofreading and editing are essential because they help to ensure that the document is free of any errors and inconsistencies, which can negatively impact your chances of being considered for a job.

A well-crafted and error-free resume showcases your attention to detail, professionalism, and competence, which can help you stand out among other applicants and make a positive first impression with potential employers.

Also, proofreading and editing can help you clearly and effectively communicate your qualifications, skills, and relevant experiences, making it easier for hiring managers to understand why you are the right candidate for the job. Make sure to review your resume several times to make any necessary edits to ensure that it presents you in the best possible light.

10. Complement your resume with a personalized cover letter

Finally, to seal the deal, use your newly crafted resume and the original job description to create a custom cover letter. 

You can do this with the help of AI and ChatGPT. Try a prompt like:

"Write a conversational cover letter for a job application as an  [position]  at  [company]  using the information below as a reference in 150 words or less." Then select "shift + enter" to start a new line and paste the job description and your resume. 

Pro Tip: Want to save time while crafting unique cover letters for every job application? With the AI Cover Letter Generator , you can generate personalized cover letters by merging your resume and any job description with the click of a button—all thanks to advanced AI technology.

Create a tailored resume and cover letter, all in one place.

Start tailoring your resume with Teal

Before you start customizing your resume, you need the right tools.

The Teal offers one centralized platform to pinpoint the right keywords, incorporate them into your resume, iterate with a Match Score, seamlessly track individual company details, draft custom cover letters, and more.

With Teal, matching your resume to job descriptions becomes organized, intuitive, and straightforward. Start enhancing your resume, one job at a time.

Great Examples of Tailored Resumes

Now that you understand how to tailor your resume to a job, let's review some examples to see what this looks like in practice for different roles:

Tailoring a Customer Success Resume

Title:  Customer Success Manager

Sample Job Description:  We're seeking a highly motivated and experienced Customer Success Manager to join our team. 

The ideal candidate will be responsible for spearheading customer success and retention initiatives, improving customer onboarding success rates, increasing customer satisfaction scores, and decreasing customer churn rates. The successful candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to analyze customer data and insights, and the capability to develop tailored customer training and education programs.

Tailored Title and Professional Summary: 

Target Title:  Customer Success Manager 

Professional Summary:   Industry-experienced  Customer Success Manager  with over four years of experience spearheading customer success and retention initiatives. Demonstrated history of  increasing customer onboarding success rate  by 15%,  customer satisfaction scores  to an all-time high of 93%, and  decreasing customer churn rates  by 20%. Responsible for identifying customer training needs and improving product utilization, resulting in a 12%  increased customer adoption rate.

Why this works:  In this example, the professional summary and target title align with specific accomplishments highlighted in the job summary, like increasing customer onboarding success rate, improving customer adoption and satisfaction, and decreasing customer churn rates. 

To see more examples, check out these 10 customer success resumes .

Tailoring a Backend Developer Resume

Title:  Entry-Level Backend Developer 

List of key responsibilities from the job description:

• Develop database schema and objects to optimize data retrieval and searching time 
• Write technical documentation of APIs and procedures 
• Create unit tests to identify and prevent bugs from entering the production environment 
• Implement security and data protection solutions to ensure access control of personal data 
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams on sprints to develop new features
• Troubleshoot and debug production issues 
• Implement RESTful APIs for third-party integrations

Tailored Work Experience:

Junior Backend Developer | CodeCrafters | 09/2022 – Present

• Developed a  database schema and objects  that resulted in a 25-35% decrease in data retrieval time.
• Implemented security and data protection solutions to ensure access control of users'  personal data .
• Successfully established a web services and microservices architecture using  REST APIs for third-party integrations .

Backend Developer Intern | 04/2022 – 07/2022 | Byte Builders

• Extensive knowledge of relational database systems in developing effective MySQL database schemas
• Wrote  technical documentation  of APIs and procedures to simplify support processes, decreasing the number of support tickets by 9%.
• Created  unit tests  to identify and prevent bugs from entering the production environment
• Assessed existing systems by  troubleshooting  production issues and suggesting best practices to ensure quality

Why this works:  In this example, the tailored work experience corresponds well with the job responsibilities for the role of junior backend engineer by incorporating keywords like technical documentation, database schema and objects, and unit tests.

The resume job description also points to any relevant metrics while using some of those specific keywords to demonstrate impact in those areas. (This work experience is a great example of how to create a resume with little to no job experience.)

See more examples of backend developer resumes here.

Tailoring a Digital Marketing Resume

Title:  Digital Marketing Specialist

Job description summary:

We are seeking a Digital Marketing Specialist with a Bachelor's Degree or higher to join our awesome team! This person should have strong communication skills and a proven track record of leading campaigns and implementing effective strategies while successfully communicating impact in a testing and learning environment. The ideal candidate has experience in SEO and SMM and will be responsible for developing and executing digital marketing strategies across various platforms, including search engines, social media, email, and advertising. The candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver on-time and on-budget projects and initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

List of key responsibilities from the job description: ‍

• Lead the end-to-end execution of paid advertising campaigns to increase sign-ups and conversion rates 
• Implement and manage online advertising campaigns in Google Ads to increase website traffic 
• Develop and execute digital marketing strategies across various platforms, including email marketing using Marketo 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver on-time and on-budget projects and initiatives 
• Analyze data in Amplitude and create reports and presentations on campaign performance 
• Conduct A/B testing and multivariate testing to optimize campaigns 
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices

Tailored Education:

Bachelor of Science  in Marketing | 2015-2019 |Columbia University | New York, NY

Tailored Skills and Competencies:

• Search engine optimization  (SEO)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Social media marketing  (SMM)
• Content creation and marketing
• Email marketing  and automation
• Paid media strategy and implementation
• Data analysis  and report creation
• A/B Testing & Multivariate Testing
• Communication
• Digital Advertising
• Public speaking and presentation
• Cross-functional collaboration

Why this works:  In this example, the candidate's education, as well as their skills and competencies, align with the job description in an easy-to-read, bulleted format. Including both hard and transferable skills with specific keywords from the listing gives the hiring manager a holistic view of the candidate's strengths while using exact same language as the job description.

And for more inspiration, explore our extensive selection of 1,400 resume examples

What's the best way to tailor your resume?

The best way to tailor your resume to a job description is by using the best resume app. Teal's free  AI Resume Builder lets you create quality, tailored resumes that will grab the attention of any recruiter. Watch the video below to learn how.

@teal_hq Replying to @kr._.007 Tailoring your resume is the best way to improve your chances for an interview, but it takes a lot of time... Here's how to effectively tailor your job for a role in under 5 minutes. 1: Check responsibilities and match them with your resume. 2: Match JD keywords. 3: Make sure your resume shows the skills for the jobs you're going for. #resume #resumetips #resumetok #resumebuilder #jobdescription #jobsearch #jobsearchtips ♬ Make It Better (Instrumental) - Anderson .Paak

Create a customized resume today

The bottom line is, tailoring your resume is absolutely worth the effort. Especially in today's job market, creating a resume that's tailored to the job description is vital to standing out and landing an interview. 

But here's the good news: This process doesn't have to be time-consuming.

With Teal, you're equipped with a tool that simplifies and accelerates this process—and the rest of your job search. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you tailor your resume for each job.

Yes, you should tailor your resume for each job you apply to. Customizing your resume for each position enables you to showcase the most relevant skills and experiences that align with the job description. This targeted approach can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview and, ultimately, landing that dream job. Overwhelmed by the idea of customizing your resume for each job? Sign up for Teal for free to tailor your resume faster.

What is generic vs. tailored resume?

The primary difference between a generic resume and a tailored resume is that a generic resume is a one-size-fits-all document you can use for any job application. In contrast, a tailored resume is specifically customized to match the job description and requirements and showcase your relevant skills and experiences.

Do employers prefer generic or tailored resumes?

Employers generally prefer tailored resumes over generic resumes. And they prefer them because a tailored resume demonstrates that you've taken the time to understand the company's needs and the job's specific requirements. Tailoring your resume to the job shows that you have a genuine interest in the company and the position (and you have the skills and experience necessary to excel in the role).

What does it mean to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job?

Tailoring your resume and cover letter to each job means customizing these documents to match the specific requirements, skills, and keywords of the job you are applying for.

Tailoring (or customizing) involves highlighting relevant experience, skills, and achievements (with impact!) that align with the job description to show that you are a suitable candidate for the position.

Want to see how your resume is tailored to a specific role? Try Teal's Resume Job Description Match ! 

How do I make my resume tailored?

To make your resume tailored, start by carefully reading the job description to understand what the employer is looking for. Then, adjust your resume to emphasize your skills, experiences, and accomplishments that directly relate to the job's requirements by incorporating the right keywords. Want to find the right keywords to tailor your resume? Try Teal's Job Description Keyword Finder !

Kayte Grady

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How to Tailor Your Resume to a Specific Job Description

By Biron Clark

Published: March 1, 2024

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

If you’ve read any type of resume advice online there’s a good chance you saw many recommendations that you should tailor your resume for each job.

You’re probably wondering- Is it really necessary??

It might be tempting to skip it, because yes- it takes time.

But it really will make a huge difference in the number of companies that call you back and invite you to interview.

I’m talking about an exponential increase in callbacks… not a slight increase. I’ve tried both ways, trust me.

And tailoring your resume is not as hard as it sounds. I’ll take you through it step by step. But first, read this next section because it’s important…

The Problem With Not Tailoring Your Resume:

Most job seekers go create a resume with the goal of seeming as impressive as possible. That’s not what a hiring manager is looking for though, especially not at first.

They’re not evaluating how impressive you are, or how smart you are, or anything like that.

They’re taking your resume, putting it side-by-side with the job description, and deciding if you have the skills and experience needed to do this specific job.

They want to see evidence that you can come in and perform well from day 1.

When you create a general resume with the goal of showing all of your impressive experience, what you are doing is not in line with what the company is checking for.

There’s a disconnect, and this causes a lack of callbacks.

This all happens because you made your resume about YOU .

When you tailor a resume to a specific job, it becomes about THEM. And that’s how you get the interview!

How To Tailor Your Resume to a Job:

1. identify what’s most important to the company.

The key to making your resume attractive to a company is to tailor it to the job description. You can use the job description to figure out their needs and priorities and then make your resume mirror that.

Things to look for:

• What responsibilities are mentioned first? What’s mentioned lower down and might be less important?
• What specific requirements or qualifications do they list?
• Are any themes repeated throughout? (like leadership, multitasking, organization, etc.)

2. Match your resume content with the job description

Now that you understand a bit about what the company wants, look at your resume.

You want to tailor your resume to the job description, starting by matching the most important things on the job description with the most visible areas on your resume.

Make the first few bullet points under each previous job on your resume as relevant as possible. Your resume employment history is one of the first places recruiters and hiring managers look, so it’s one of the most important areas to tailor!

If you’re looking for your first job, you can tailor your education and other related experience instead. Same concept.

If the job description emphasized leadership, don’t talk about all your individual accomplishments first. Instead, put a bullet point that mentions any leading you’ve done… taking the lead on projects, training, supervising others. No matter how small, find a way to demonstrate leadership!

Then you can list your individual accomplishments.

Maybe the individual part was 90% of your last role, and leadership was only 10%. It doesn’t matter, mention the leadership first, just like the job description did.

If you have multiple positions on your resume, tailor all of them.

If you have an objective  or summary section in your resume , tailor that too! Look at how the company describes the overall role and match your summary with that description.

3. Reorder, add, remove

You can accomplish what I described above with a few different methods.

First, you can reorder the bullet points and info you already have. Push the most relevant experience to the beginning of each section and move other less-relevant pieces lower down.

I’m mentioning this first because it’s easiest. You’re just cutting and pasting different pieces, with no writing needed.

Next, you can write new bullet points. You might see something on the job description, realize it’s not mentioned on your resume at all but it’s something you do have a bit of experience with. So add it!

And finally, you can remove or delete information  if the new bullet points you’ve added have made it redundant, or if it’s just not relevant at all.

Here’s a good way to know whether to remove something: Ask yourself if a company will be confused by any of the info you provided.

If you think the hiring manager is going to ask, “why did they think it made sense to include this information?”, then maybe it should be removed.

Or if you need to save space or make room, you can delete some of your old bullet points to make room for the new tailored info that you’re adding.

As a final note, you can reorder whole sections of your resume as well.

Example: Moving your “Education” section above or below your “Employment” section. In most cases, you’d want it below. As a general rule of thumb, the first thing a hiring manager wants to see is your most recent experience.

So the less they have to dig for that, the better!

But I know there are jobs out there where a hiring manager can’t even consider interviewing you without seeing you have the specific education and training required. Nurses, pilots, etc.

So in that case, you can consider putting your education up top. Use your best judgement based on the job description. Did they mention these qualifications right off the bat? Or was it an afterthought near the bottom?

4. Provide compelling evidence

Not all bullet points are created equal.

Let’s say you read that multi-tasking is a big challenge in the job you’re applying for, so you decide to tailor your resume for it.

Do you think writing, “excellent multi-tasker” in your career summary is going to be impressive or convincing enough?

Do you think having one bullet point saying, “frequently required to multi-task” under your most recent job will impress the hiring manager?

You need to provide specifics: Facts, figures, examples, stories. Something that shows the hiring team that you can come in and be effective in this job right away.

Here’s what you could put as a bullet point for the example above:

“Managed 4-5 simultaneous projects including all timelines, goals, and results. Frequently required to make scheduling adjustments as new projects were initiated.”

That’s convincing!

Other ideas for facts and figures to include:

• Percentages (a % increase in sales, a % growth you contributed to, etc.)
• Dollar amounts (managed $___ worth of customer accounts, $___ worth of projects, $___ advertising budget, team budget, etc.)
• Number of people (trained 4 new employees, interacted with up to 10 suppliers on a daily basis, etc.)
• Geography (managed work for various clients across 4 continents)

I wrote a complete article on how to add numbers to enhance your resume, you can check it out here.

5. Review everything

Once you’re comfortable that you’ve covered everything possible on your resume in terms of what the job description asks for, do what the hiring manager would do…

Lay your resume side-by-side with the job description and glance through it. Does everything fit and make sense? Will the company be able to clearly see why you chose to apply for this position and why you’re interested?

Or will they ask, “Hm, I wonder why this person thought to apply here?”

That’s what you want to avoid!

Tailoring Your Resume to a Job Will Also Help You in the Interview

If you follow the steps above, you’re going to be  way better prepared than the other candidates in the interview.

You’ll have a better understanding of the job and the employer’s needs, so you can make sure your interview answers are laser-targeted.

For example, when they ask you, “ tell me about yourself ,” instead of just naming random facts or pieces of work experience, you’ll be able to focus on what’s most relevant for  their job. You can talk about the pieces of experience and accomplishments that best demonstrate you’ll be able to succeed in their job!

That’s going to get you a whole lot more job offers !

So taking the time to learn how to tailor your resume to a job won’t just get you more interviews , it’ll help you turn those interviews into job offers , too.

What to Do Next

Here’s a great way to get started: Go find one job description for a position you’d want to apply for. Try to find something that’s typical and “middle of the road” for the type of position you’d want. This is important because we’re going to create a “master copy” of your resume.

Follow the steps above and tailor your resume to that job description you just found, and then save that file. That’s your master copy for this job search.

When you apply for other jobs , use that file as a starting point.

You might find that you only need to make one or two small adjustments from one job to the next!

Sometimes more is needed of course, and it’s well worth it either way.

As a final note: If you’re applying for a few different types of positions, create a master copy for each. I was in this scenario a few years back when I was looking to either continue as a recruiter , or go into corporate sales. I was getting absolutely no responses from my general resume, because it was tailored a bit to both areas.

I admit it- I was lazy. I tried to create one general resume to appeal to every employer in two entirely different areas of work! I thought if I went half and half, I’d have just enough to please everyone.

Horrible idea, it didn’t work. I pleased no one.

If you try to make your resume good enough for every job out there, the reality is it won’t be good enough for any job! You need to tailor it.

I didn’t see any results in that job search until I created two separate resumes. And then after tailoring my resume further with my method above, things really took off…  I went from no callbacks to 10+ the next week.

About the Author

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Thank you so much for this very clear article, Biron!

Helpful article, thank you!

I have questions, though. In case I’m applying to a multinational company based in country A for a position in country B, to which country should I tailor my resume and address my cover letter in case there’s any ‘rule’ difference?

Thanks in advance for answering!

Choose the country where the job would be located.

Thanks for this very informative and educational material.

Is a chronological resume the template to use for a person in IT?

Yes. I recommend a chronological resume for practically everyone. It’s the format employers and recruiters are used to seeing, and it shows them the info they’re looking for faster. I did spend a year recruiting in software technology and IT, FYI.

What if your most recent job(s) don’t position you for the industry/type of job you’re currently seeking (especially if you’re a recent grad), could splitting the work experience sections into “relevant [occupation/industry] experience” and “other work experience” suffice?

I did this with my most recent resume for civil engineering and both a hiring manager and recruiter said my resume looked good. Thoughts?

How do you tailor your resume and cover letter if you’re applying via. email to companies that don’t have any open positions (or positions you’re not qualified for) where you can’t go off of a job description?

Hey Biron, if we’re submitting resumes/cover letters directly to companies via. email (like the basic inquiry email address info@…) what do you recommend we include on our resume for tailoring since there isn’t a specific job description as a guide?

In terms of matching the wording of your resume with job description, to which level of matching the engine search works? is it by key words or sentences or both?

Every employer/software is a bit different. But it’s usually keywords and key phrases, not full sentences.

What if my experience was years ago? Too far back to put on a resume? I was a stay-at-home Mom for several years….how do I include that relevant experience when it was soooo longggg ago????

Great tips, info and article! I’ve heard that before, but, what should you do about this? If changing your resume to meet a job description, would then mean having to change your linkedin profile too, so it could match your changed job description and job title for one particular application. I’ve also read that you have to be sure your profile and resume match up. So if you sent many resumes that had been changed up, and even if you changed your linkedin profile for each one, who knows when one of the places you applied may see your profile, which had already been change again for a different job. Also, I understand what you mean by being a “jack of all trades and master of none” on your resume and profile. But what should you do if you have 2 totally different jobs skills and experiences and have these jobs or freelance business listed on your resume. How can you take one or more jobs totally off of your resume or profile so you don’t look like that, especially if the job you are applyng to matches a least recent job. Please advise, thank you

Hi .. I wanted to understand while I try to tailor my resume for different jobs , should I also modify my Role? For example if my role is an E&I Engineer but am also applying for Document controller position or Drafter position.. what current role should I mention in my cv?

Hi, I work in the Banking – Customer Service field, but wish to transfer to the Superannuation – Customer Service field. I am looking at a current job vacancy and the responsibilities aren’t what I have done before. The impression I get from your article is, you need to include examples of doing similar responsibilities in the duties section of your previous roles. If you haven’t exactly done them. How do you impress the Hiring Manager you can still do them?

Does the format of my resume matter? Mine is formatted nontraditionally where I have my skills, education, etc. listed in a column on the left, side by side with my professional summary & experience to the right of that. I have broken down my relevant experience up top and remaining “professional experience” below that into two separate sections. When I upload my resume onto websites or job sites (eg, Indeed), it either previews incorrectly (where the formatting looks all messed up) or doesn’t upload correctly to the relevant sections. Should I remove the side column and use a traditional resume format?

It definitely matters, not just for online application systems but for the person reading, too. I know as a recruiter I HATED “functional” resumes, and any format that didn’t show employment history in chronological order. If you’re not getting interviews, then it’s worth trying something new, and I’d recommend testing a traditional resume format.

Here’s the thing… I understand that hiring managers want to see applicants that have all of the desired skills mentioned in the job description. What I don’t understand is the fact that hiring managers don’t think that a person is interested if they aren’t 100% qualified (this may not be case, but the article makes it sound like it is). I mean, come on! People can be interested in a job despite the fact that their resume may not perfectly match the job description. I may not be qualified, but that shouldn’t make you question my interest. “Hm, I wonder why this person thought to apply here?” they say. Because it seems like a good job–that’s why.

You’re right – those are two different things.

I wasn’t implying that interest and qualifications are the same thing.

Not sure where you thought I said that. But it’s very possible for a hiring manager to think you’re interested but decide you’re not qualified.

You need to show both. Tailoring your resume is more about showing you’re qualified.

Hi Biron, I have a background in sales and management with a degree in education. I am seeking opportunities in new areas such as Project Management and People Operations. My current title is Director of Sales and Operations, therefore when I scan my resume via ATS a recommendation is to change my job title to fit the job listing. I don’t want to lie, what other alternatives do I have to get past the ATS and get the interview?

I would love to apply for a job recently posted and know I could learn the ins and outs although I have never had this position before… how do I get them to see that I am a self starter, and willing to learn ? I have independantly set up and run departments before, enjoy reaching out and working with people and have the administrative background – just not the details for the job

My problem is that I have been a school crossing guard in Miami,fla. for 10 years now. I was employed at another hospital prior to this which closed its doors permanently on account of mismanagement problems. On a recent job interview for a hospital I was asked why I have been a crossing guard for so long. I have been interview countless times and I always get emailed with rejected.

If you’re getting interviews, your resume is fine, and you should start focusing on how you answer the interview questions you keep hearing. Just mentioning this to make sure you know – since this article is about improving your resume. The resume has one job: to get you interviews. If it’s doing that, it did its job.

I am in between jobs and looking into a few different career paths. I plan to tailor my resume to each path / job, but wondering what to do about my LinkedIn. Do I make it private so the various employers cannot see the differences between what I submitted and what is online?

Hi Laura, good question. “Tailoring” is fine-tuning, usually. Re-ordering bullet points within a job. Changing the wording a bit. I’d leave your LinkedIn public, but maybe just put a little bit less info there. For example maybe each job title, and 1-2 bullets. (Whereas on your resume, you might have each job title, a 2-sentence description of the role, and 6 bullets).

Maybe I am not tailoring my resume enough. The skill set is about the same and most of the jobs ask for the same thing basically, so I move info around and try to use their worlds when possible. I usually already have what they ask for in my bullet points. Still can’t get a career job. Any thoughts?

Yes. Please answer this. Me too face the same problem

Hi Bridgett,

It sounds like you’re doing things the right way. You don’t need to make huge adjustments on each resume you send out, if the jobs are similar. That’s why tailoring is great. It’s not as time-consuming as people think.

Try putting more facts/metrics on your resume. Real numbers/results of past accomplishments. That could help you stand out further.

It could also be an issue of the order things appear on your resume. Your recent work experience (with tailored bullet points) should appear on the top half of page 1. Don’t make the hiring manager dig and search for it.

Are you doing this?

I’ve seen some resumes where they put a big intro paragraph, a big “Skills” section, etc… all before their recent experience. Big mistake.

Hope this helps!

Do you offer any resume coaching?

At the moment, no. Sorry.

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