Vague resumes are costing you interviews. Here is how to fix it.

The age old saying is if you can’t be everything to everybody, you have to be something to someone.

This applies to resume writing too. If you have followed my blog content or LinkedIn content about this subject you know that I talk a lot about using keywords to your advantage in your resume.

This does not mean you need to write a resume specific to each company that you are applying for. Candidates can apply for hundreds of position just to get a hand full of offers and no one simply has the time for that.

But what you can do is create a handful of resumes that are tailored to specific industries.

Companies all fall into different categories of industries.

Healthcare, SaaS (Software as a Service), Start Ups, Construction, Logistics, Technology, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing, Apparel, Real Estate, Aerospace, etc…

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Here is an exercise, take out a legal pad and write down your work experience and see how many commonalities there are in the companies and projects you have worked on.

The goal?

To find the common keywords you can use in your resume.

For example…

You might be a Construction Project Manager who has worked across a wide variety of projects and clients. Here are some words you might use…

Construction, Real Estate, Public Sector, Government, Hospitals, Budget, Hospitality, Hotels…

You could be a Information Technology Professional who has worked in very specific environments including corporate offices, managed service providers, manufacturing facilities, or even banking/financial institutions. All of which have their own challenges and specific needs.

You can be a Business Development Professional or Account Manager who has specific industry knowledge in certain industries including logistics, construction, healthcare facilities/hospitals, digital marketing/advertisement, information technology, websites.

You could also be a graphic designer or copywriter who’s experience is mainly focused on finance, eCommerce, Retail, or education.

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The point is is to find the common thread in your experience that speaks to the company’s focus and potential need and emphasize those experiences first. Finding as many keywords that speak to that industry as possible.

From this you can create a healthcare and technology focused resume.

You can create a logistics and analytics focused resume.

You can create an information technology and manufacturing focused resume.

You can create a startup focused and back-end engineering focused resume.

The combinations are endless.

Companies are trying to find as much of themselves in the potential candidates as possible and they want to see value-add specific to THEM. This means they spend less time training, and less resources to bring someone up to speed.

Ultimately…you are seen as less risky and the obvious choice.

Remember, you are hired to solve a problem. Your resume and how you present yourself should give them the reassurance to schedule that interview with you.