The job search can be a long and exhausting process if it does not lead to a satisfactory result. To succeed in this step, you must follow some essential steps. Among them, you must build a strong and original CV that will undoubtedly convince the recruiter. But sometimes the daily routine does not allow us to have the time to create a new CV for every occasion. So how can you make your CV fit every job offer? Our advice.
Valuing one’s most relevant experiences and skills
The first thing to do in order to adapt your CV to each job offer is to emphasize your experience and skills. Keep in mind that recruiters receive several hundred applications for each job posting they publish. And if yours is not convincing enough, they will move on to the next one.
Generally, a recruiter allows about 7 seconds to read a CV. In order not to waste these precious seconds of your job search, you must put forward your experiences and skills that are the most relevant to the position you are applying for. You should therefore not mention all your skills but only the most important ones that are related to the position in the offer.
On that note, you can also take inspiration from the industry-specific resume examples online if you want to create a specific resume. The types of skills that are most in demand do indeed vary depending on the companies that are hiring. But to ensure that the skills you list are appropriate for any employer, make a logical and direct connection between your background and the position you are applying for.
And don’t forget your “soft skills” or your behavioral skills, which are very important in setting you apart from other candidates with the same level as you.
Adopt an adapted and professional vocabulary
Yes, speaking the same language as the recruiter can very well help you get their attention and may even lead you to land the job. To do this, read the job offer carefully and find all the key words to include in your CV. Identify the sector in which the hiring company works and find out what terminology is appropriate for that sector to fit your resume.
Recruiters nowadays use automatic application sorting software such as ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) that checks that every application they receive includes these keywords in the ad. This way, only applications that use the right keywords are read. You can also vary these words to broaden its semantic field. And in the title, use exactly the title stated in the ad.
Provide quantified and verifiable results
Far from what you might think, recruiters like numbers and detailed reports. These data allow them to get an accurate picture of your background and past accomplishments and then judge whether or not you are a good fit for the job.
When citing your experiences, back them up with specific, verifiable numbers to emphasize them. These are important performance indicators. This can be a turnover you have generated for the company you used to work for, or a number of guests at an event you have organized, or a number of projects you have completed so far.
You already know that every company has its own values. And to improve your chances to be part of it, you must be ready for the competition. Recruiting is like a competition to all interested candidates.
Align with the values of the recruiting company.
To stand out from the rest, emphasize your strengths by using positive words such as “reinforce,” “optimize”, “coach”, etc. And also value your creativity by using more specific terms such as “discover,” “personalize”, “create”, etc.
Create personalized sections.
To make your resume suitable for all job offers, all the things that are related to the position in question or the hiring company should be mentioned. These may be small details but they can effectively add to your resume.
To personalize your CV, you can, for example, mention if you have ever been around the world or worked or studied abroad. These will be your assets.
Mistakes to avoid
In order to make your CV a success and to ensure that it is suitable for all offers, you must avoid certain common mistakes in CV writing.
Avoid a CV that is too long. No recruiter likes a CV that is too long, unless it is for an executive candidate or one with several professional experiences. One to two pages should be enough.
And then there are the spelling mistakes. Even if your CV is short and has a good structure, if it contains spelling mistakes, it may not be read. Spelling mistakes are intolerable for recruiters. To avoid them, use a spell checker and proofread your resume several times before printing or sending it.