Here are a few areas that will need to be tailored:
Function
It’s critical to target your resume to the functional role for which you are submitting your resume. Recruiters are looking for a very specific candidate and presenting yourself too broadly can be confusing or send a message that you are desperate.
While broad and diverse functional experience across all phases of the business can be an asset, it is important to target each resume for the opportunity you are pursuing.
If you are pursuing multiple job titles (for example, chief operations executive, chief financial officer, chief information technology officer, and/or general manager), you need more than one version of your resume. In these competitive times, you actually need one resume for each function unless the position description specifically asks for a combination of two functions (for example, CFO/COO). While you should not eliminate all the information about your other functional areas of expertise, you should showcase one function more prevalently than the others.
If you have extensive experience in one function only, focus on the depth and breadth of your experience. Within the top one or two lines of your resume, position yourself as an expert in your function.
Industry
Executive search firms and recruiters look for candidates with experience in their industry. Within the top three to five lines of your resume, you should list your industry experience as it relates to a specific opportunity.
If you need to change industries, research each industry in which you have an interest and create a resume for each industry. Research each industry to familiarize yourself with their collection of buzzwords, jargon and terminology, as well as their unique issues, challenges and trends. Explore the industry’s trade associations, publications and conferences. Take note of the topics being addressed as these will be related to the challenges and issues the industry is facing as well as the trends and direction in which the industry is headed. Translate your experience and qualifications to fit the target industry.
If you have industry experience, focus on depth and breadth of your experience.
Size of company
Executive search firms and recruiters look for candidates who have worked in a company comparable to the size of the company they are representing. If your resume does not clearly define how the companies you have worked for compare to the size of the company with the opportunity, then consider adding or revising that information.
If you have worked in companies that are considerably larger than the target company, consider omitting the size of the entire company and focus on the size of a division or business unit that would be more relevant to the target company.
If you have worked in companies that are considerably smaller than the target company, you could include information about the size of the parent company if applicable. If that’s not an option, you may want to focus more on their industry ranking, competitive intelligence, pioneering efforts, or other areas that may be appealing to the target company.
Profit & Loss or Budget Size
Recruiters look for candidates who have held financial responsibility similar to that of the position they are filling. If you have not defined the size of the profit and loss responsibility you have held or the size of the budget you have managed, consider adding that information.
If you have managed P&Ls and budgets much larger than the recruiter’s company, consider omitting the size of the financials for the entire company and instead focus on the financials of a division, business unit, group or project.
If you have managed P&Ls and budgets smaller than the recruiter’s company, consider focusing on how the P&L and budget has grown during your tenure or focusing on your participation in the parent company’s budget.
Team Size
Recruiters look for candidates who have led and managed teams similar to that which would be required in the open position.
If you have led and managed teams much larger than the company is requiring, you may just want to mention your number of direct reports versus the entire team.
If you have not managed teams of a similar size, you could include the number of people impacted by your role or the number of people you influence despite the fact that they don’t directly report to you. This can be an even greater demonstration of your leadership skills.
Local, National, International Experience
Recruiters scan your resume to see if you have worked at companies with similar geographical focus to theirs.
If the recruiter is representing a regional or national company, you may need to adjust your resume to reflect the same type of geographical situation.
If your resume frequently references international experience, you may want to eliminate a few of those references, unless of course, you know for a fact that the company is looking to expand into the international arena.
Other similarities recruiters look for include, the company’s business model, industry ranking, products and services, and company culture.
The goal is to align your resume with as many of these points as you can. In some cases you may need to tone down the resume so you don’t appear over qualified and in other cases you may need to up-level your resume to fit the requirements.
While this is a lot of work initially, you will soon develop a portfolio of resumes that you can use repeatedly for similar types of positions.
The Bottom Line:
You will improve your response rate.
-------------------------
© Copyright, 2009, Beverly Harvey. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Beverly Harvey has been coaching senior-level and C-level executives in job search, career transition and career management for over 17 years. She has helped thousands of executives land their next position quickly. Beverly is the founder of HarveyCareers.com and holds eight certifications in resume writing, branding, job search, career transition and career management. She is a resume expert for six executive job boards; contributor to more than 20 career books; Director of the Job Search Academy; and is the author of Career News & Trends. She can be reached at 386-749-3111 or 888-775-0916.
