Aug 11
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Tailor-make your Job Search Resume to Match each specific job you apply for
Job search is said to be a job in itself and that it should be treated as a project- this is so true. Once you have your career search plan in place, start preparing a “Master Resume.” What is a “Master Resume?” It is your comprehensive resume, a master document where all your qualifications, skills, experiences, achievements, competencies, attributes and other qualities and characteristics are described and defined. I regard this resume as a working document or a resource from which you have to extract, pick, revise and adjust information for the specific job you have applied for. Within the Human Resources there are various functions such as Organizational Development, HR Strategic Planning, Recruitment, Selection and Placement, Compensation and Benefits, Training and Development, Job Evaluation, Business Process Re-engineering, Performance Management and Health and Wellness among others. Say you are a Human Resources generalist, in other words, you have working experience of most of the functions in Human Resources, you cannot include in your CV all your working experiences, if the post advertised is a specialist position. When an advertisement wants a Job Evaluation Officer for instance, and you have experience in this line of work, why try to impress the hiring manager with your long list of experiences by providing information about the Strategic Planning or Business Process Re-engineering – the hiring manager does not want to know all about that, she wants a person who knows something about job analysis and job evaluation, the core requirements for a Job Evaluation Officer. She wants someone with relevant skills that complements the job as advertised such as analytical skills, ability to work independently without supervision, advance presentation skills, computer skills such as PowerPoint and Excel. When applying for a specific post go to your “Master Resume” and cut out all information which is not a requirement for the post.
Other organizations have application forms which require information specific to the position advertised and also make provision for other experiences. This helps the hiring manager to focus on the relevant experiences first, which is the minimum requirement of the job before focusing on the rest of your career history. There is no doubt that jobs within HR are related as in many other work streams and job fields and the skills are transferable and sometimes overlap. But this is no reason for inclusion of everything that you know about HR. Show of your in depth knowledge and experience during interviews when responding to questions, by making references to other related functions that a Job Evaluation Officer need to have knowledge of, e.g. Organizational Design or Staff Establishment. As you prepare your CV ensure that you need to pick on the relevant skills, achievements and the appropriate qualifications. For instance, if you are applying for a post of Job Evaluation Officer why should you send your Training and Development short course Certificate and your Health & Wellness Certificate? Maybe in your cover letter you could indicate that other than, the experience that you have in Job Evaluation, you also have a working knowledge of the Organizational Structure , Staff Establishment and Compensation and Benefits, because these functions are relevant to the post of Job a Evaluation Officer.
You have to pick the most appropriate skills for the job you are applying for. How will your skills in managing people help you, if in your post you will be working alone and reporting to one person, why highlight your people management skills because this skill is not a requirement for the post you have applied for. Why not highlight the fact that you have knowledge of managing large projects and that you can design a yearly plan and schedule for job evaluation process. This will emphasis your ability to plan, organize and coordinate projects – abilities which are critical for a Job Evaluation Officer. This applies to your achievements as well; always highlight achievements which are relevant and those that will add value and convince the hiring manager to shortlist you for the post you are applying for. Similarly, your qualifications, formal and informal and short courses should be relevant to the job applied for. Select and pick your most appropriate skills, competencies, attributes and achievements for a specific job, do not include irrelevant information that will at best distract the hiring manager’s focus and not enhance your chances of being shortlisted. Any achievements, competencies and qualifications which do not have any parallel to the job you have applied for are only a waste of time.
Before you send out that resume remember to highlight the following in your cover letter; 1) your most strong skills in relation to the advertised post; 2) relevant achievements that will enhance your future employer’s performance and effectiveness and; 3) why you are the most suitable candidate for the job – your attributes. Mention how your skills, achievements and attributes will translate or enable the hiring manager to draw parallels between your skills and the requirements of the job. In addition illustrate how your skills have helped you in your current or previous job and how they will contribute to your new organization. Keep your cover letter within one page.
Read more at: http://www.mystudent4life.com
Justice Mandhla is the author of four books on career planning and interviews. See his complete biography at : http://www.mystudent4life.com
