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Resume Q&A: How Do I Target My Resume for The Job I Want?

Q. I recently graduated with a bachelor of science degree in biology, with a minor in finance, and I could go anywhere with that combination. I could be a research assistant, technical writer, benefits manager in a pharmaceutical company—the job opportunities are wonderful. Right now, I do not have a clue where I will be applying for a job. So how can I possibly target my resume for the job I want?

A. The answer to your question is right in the question itself: you need to figure out what job you want before you can write a resume for it. You list three out of many career paths open to you. Which has the most appeal? The companies you apply to will not look at your resume and figure out where to place you in their organization. Instead, they want to know where you want to be placed.

So before you target your resume, you have to target your career path. Ask yourself these five questions:

  • What courses did you enjoy the most or excel at? Maybe you excelled more in finance or biology or an entirely different field. Most of us choose careers based on our strengths.
  • What do you want out of a career? What is most important: a chance to progress, high salary, specific location (not all jobs are available in all locations), or something else?
  • Which careers appeal most to you? Research specific job opportunities in biology and finance, read advertisements and job postings, and talk to people in the field. Does the reality match your idea of the right career?
  • What further education, licenses, or certifications would you need for the career? Do you have the financial resources, time, and interest to meet those criteria?
  • What types of companies appeal to you most? Are you committed, for example, to environmentally sensitive companies or developing new drugs or showing a company how to become financially sound? Do you prefer large companies or small ones?

When you have a handle on what you want, you will be able to target your resume for positions that meet as many of your criteria as possible. You might need two resumes: one for your science-focused preferences and one for your financial-focused preferences. But having more than two resumes is a clue that you have not really answered the five questions.

Robin’s Resumes® provides career coaching as well as professional written, targeted resumes. If you need help in focusing both your career and your resume, please contact us.

5 Ways to Launch Your Job Search on Vacation

August is a big month for vacations, and vacation weeks are a great time to start launching your job search. You have the freedom from your daily responsibilities and the different perspective that only a vacation brings.

So take a little time from relaxing to perform these top 5 tasks before launching your job search:

  1. Set up a system for keeping track of the positions, companies, and individuals you apply to. This system can be paper or online based, but you should have easy access to it when you receive that phone call out of the blue asking you to interview for a job. You never want to start a conversation by asking “what company is this and what job opening are you talking about?”
  2. Make sure your online pictures and profiles are all professional. Now is the time to clean up anything on your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles that could be detrimental to your professional image. If you do not have a recent professional photograph, set up an appointment with a photographer.
  3. Make sure that, when people phone or email you, they will receive a professional response. Set up a non-work phone number and email address for your job search—you want to be free to speak with recruiters and hiring managers when they call, and you do not want some random “helpful” individual to respond in your stead at the wrong time. During your job search, make sure that the message on your cell phone or answering machine, your email address, and all of your communications with potential employers are professional.
  4. Begin to research companies you are interested in. You should prepare yourself ahead of time with information about companies that have posted job opportunities. In addition, let’s say that you are an HR professional, for example, and notice that a local company is growing but does not have a full-time HR department. You can make a note to reach out to them to see if they are interested in your skills.
  5. Make a to-do list. We all know how satisfying it is to cross an item off a to-do list. Summer vacation is the perfect opportunity to write down what you need to make your job search successful, from hiring a professional photographer and resume writer to networking once a week at a professional organization or calling a recruiter you worked with before to announce your availability.

When you are ready to start your job search, Robin’s Resumes® is ready with career coaching and resume writing. Contact us today.

Adaptive Skills: What Do They Add to a Resume?

For job hunters, adaptive skills are those general skills necessary to transition to, acquire, keep and succeed at any job. They might include dependability, familiarity with technology, ability to work independently and ability to work with others.

These skills are valuable to employers but it is not enough to state that you have them. The best way to highlight your adaptive skills is to show how you used them in your previous jobs and volunteer positions.

In periods of full employment, employers know they may not find someone with the exact technical, mechanical or scientific skills they want. They are more likely to select folks who have strong adaptive skills, which allow the company to train the employee for the position. In a period of high unemployment (such as now), companies feel their most economical solution is to wait for the perfect employee who doesn’t need training. However, companies still want but employees with the adaptive skills to fit the company culture and contribute to the company’s bottom line.

Thus, it is always important to mention your adaptive skills in the context of your achievements. Your resume should assure a company that they are hiring someone who not only has the specific skills the company needs now but also has the adaptive skills to grow in the future.

You may need career coaching to identify and recognize your adaptive skill set. You may need help in translating that knowledge into a strong resume. Contact Robin’s Resumes® today and we can begin working on a stronger resume for you.

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