Customizing Your Resume for Each Application

And so here we have some advice for you that you can use to ease the stress of the application process and increase your chances of success.

To customize or not to customize?

As we’ve already mentioned, each job position requires the applicant to present a resume that more or less matches the expectations set in the job description’s employee profile. However, since the structure of the CV is consistent – whether you change the order of the sections or not – having a master resume where you add or alter any information specific to whichever job you’re applying for is a huge asset. This way you can just delete any unnecessary data, make minor modifications regarding the content or even the appearance, and then you can send your piece to the recruiter without remorse.

Problems start surfacing when the company requires a special resume from you or when you find an open position that resembles one you already applied for. In that case it is best to start from scratch, this time taking into consideration the requirements of the desired job. The same applies to cover letters, too: you should aim to create new letters for each position and only use those panels from previous documents or the master document that are obligatory.

With regards to the above, we recommend that you create unique resumes or cover letters for each job position you apply for and keep a master document on LinkedIn. Since your profile will be checked, often without your realization, this is the best place to include everything – especially since the LinkedIn profile serves to detail extra information that the length of a resume couldn’t handle.

Customization with resume builders

If you use online resume creators, the customization of already existing documents is even easier. Firstly, here you can use your master resume as a base for your future CVs thanks to the option of uploading in PDF, DOC, TXT format and so on. Secondly, almost every resume builder can copy documents created with the software as many times as you like. With both ways you can modify the new resume to your liking: replacing and moving sections and information around, using different wording with the help of pre-written phrases or keywords and even creating a new look by changing the CV template, fonts, margins, spacing and so on.

You can also create different cover letters with an online resume builder: in fact, cover letters can be built using phrases offered by the software, but they also exist in a pre-written format too. However, it is recommended to use pre-written letters as a base and add your own words to make it more unique and appealing to employers.