The Best Approach in Resume Tips?

Resume Tips
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Still not sure which approach is best? Recruiters recommend playing it safe by positioning yourself as a “specialist, with breadth.” To do this:

  • Research a [job listingto find out exactly [what skills are needed and what other skills might be useful.

  • Emphasize the depth of your expertise in the most necessary job skills – the ones that actually match the job description – and add your compatible skills at the bottom of the resume.

  • Don’t send out a hodgepodge resume. You’re more likely to confuse the recruiter or the hiring manager, who may think of you as a dabbler without depth.

This tactic, recruiters say, will cover your bases by showing the breadth and depth of your skills, and that could be a winning combination in a tight job market.

“When more people are vying for the same jobs, it’s even more important to show your skills fit well,” says Lindsay Olson, partner and recruiter at Paradigm Staffing. “If you are a generalist, then you should be able to tweak your resume to fit the position. A resume should show me how you fit the requirements, not make me guess.”

Cross-Wilson agrees. “If you possess the ‘nice to have’ skills, then show them, but not at the expense of the ‘must have’ skills,” she says. “In most cases, if you are not competitive on the must-haves, you will not get the job.”