Different Job, Different Resume

Is it true that a smart job applicant will adjust their resume for every position to which they apply?  Absolutely yes. Your experiences may not change, but the elements you stress in your resume will certainly change from one job application to the next.

If Company A is looking for a self-starter who is comfortable initiating and designing projects, then your experience setting up a cross-departmental team to tackle the problem of how to reduce electricity consumption by 25% last summer is more relevant.

If Company B is looking for someone with a strong academic background, you'd probably add a bit more detail to the extra-curricular activities you were involved in at university to ensure that 3.7 GPA looks as good as it possibly can.

If Company C wants someone with international experience, then you'd be better off cutting 1-2 domestic M&A deals and highlighting the international ones instead.

One size does not fit all when it comes to showing how your background might suit a particular job.  So don't be afraid to tailor your resume to fit every single job you apply for.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Constantly Build your Resume

As I neared graduation from the University of Toronto, I remember talking with a good friend of mine who had just started work at a new job that week, a job he had spent a good deal of time getting. As far as I was concerned, being in such a position would be an ideal time to be satisfied with your career, as you work hard to master that new job. But my friend was looking in the classifieds.  

I asked him why he was looking for work, when he had just started this new position.  He looked up and told me that you should always be looking for something better.

He was right. Since that time, this experience has stayed with me. It is always important to focus on what you are doing right now, while having an eye firmly focused on the next opportunity.  In my friend's case, even though he had just started a great job, it was no time to stop looking for a better one.  

It is because of the inspiration I have gained from this attitude that I have started this blog.  There is no ideal - there is only better and worse, and as you progress through your career it is important that you continually take stock, reflect on what you have accomplished, and where this may lead you in the future.  I think the best way for you to do this is through reworking and constantly building your resume.  

I am to contribute to this blog tips, hints and snapshots of what separates great resumes from weak ones.  I hope you the reader uses them to craft your own resume into something that will help you take that next step towards something better. 

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com