How Can We Improve Our Resume Based On A Given Job Description

Indeed it is unfair that all the hard work that you have put in for years altogether comes down to a single sheet of paper. But this is how life is, and if you want to stand out from the crowd, there is no other option than to make your resume special.

Now, we understand that a resume is an official document and you need to be professional about it. This leaves you with very little scope for showing off your creativity. However, there is one part of your resume that is always open for customisation.

We are talking about your job description here. If you can write this to your benefit, you will be able to not just cast a lasting impression on your interviewer, but will also be able to secure your place in the company. This article talks about how you can improve your job prospects by improving the job description section in your resume.

1. Identifying The Role

Very often it is difficult to understand what is expected of you from the mere designation itself. In such a situation, the only way you can understand the responsibilities and duties associated with a position would be by reading in between the lines of a job description.

That will ensure that you are aware of whether you are in a supervisory role, the amount of customer contact that is expected, the amount and type of interaction with other teams and other details as such. Based on this you can make the decision of whether you should apply for the said job or not.

If the type of job is not really based on your liking, there is no point in you wasting your time applying for the job and preparing for the interview.

2. Focus On Your Skills And Achievements

We understand that there are a lot of things you have achieved during the course of your education. However, not all of them will be relevant to the job that you are applying for. Make sure that you remove all the unnecessary details and provide only sufficient details to support your premises.

The job description is what will shout out to you about what is expected from the job. Use this to your benefit and tailor your resume based on all the information that you can garner from the job description. If you can do this well, nothing can stop you from bagging the job of your dreams.

3. Appropriate Usage Of Keywords

In today's digital world, most organisations use computer databases for the initial scanning of resumes. To get past this, the trick is to use as many industry and job-specific keywords. This will increase your chances of making it through such scanning processes. You will find the keywords you need to use in your resume in the job description itself.

However, while doing so, you must remember that at the next level of the interview there will be some human being scanning your resume (and most organisations do not offer you a chance of changing your resume once it is submitted). Thus, if you have randomly sprinkled your resume with keywords, chances of it being rejected are very high. Thus, it is important for you to know how to strike a balance and use keywords appropriately.

4. Be Selective About What You Project

As a prospective employee it is important for you to understand what it is that the hiring manager is looking for. Before you make it to the interview, the job description issued on their part and your response to that (in the form of your resume) is what is going to decide whether you will be called for the interview in the first place.

Sometimes a small and irrelevant detail in your resume may well cost you the job. Thus, take time to read the job description to ensure that such a thing does not happen and that your resume meets the requirement of the hiring manager.

5. Try To Deduce The Compensation

It is a fact that no job description will talk about the salary package upfront. However, this is something that you can deduce from the tone of the job description. For example, if the job description speaks about the company being in the start-up stages or the perks and incentives that are on offer, it may be well because of the fact that the salary is lesser than that of industry standards.

Since talking about your prospective salary is not the best way to open a conversation with a prospective employer, it is a good idea to gather as much information about the same from the job description itself.