Your resume should show that your skills & experience "match" the job posting requirements →

Resumes are important tools to use in applying for a job and evaluating those that apply. The LinkedIn resume’s summary statement is a general overview of your past career and doesn’t need to change, but the summary statement at the top of your paper resume or what you upload with your application should have a summary statement crafted separately for each job you apply for. This is of course a lot of work but that is just the reality of what it takes to search for jobs. The search itself has many needs that influence the reasons why it is a lot of work.

Job postings reveal what is wanted in a job applicant. The company wants certain skills and specific types of experience. When you prepare a resume to submit with your application your goal should be to show the potential employer that your experience and skills are the best match for what they are looking.

It seems obvious that awards and innovations that an applicant may be responsible for in other industries or jobs that have no relevance to what in the posting is what is being asked for should be left off. Sometimes it is personal pride that causes an applicant to include such unrelated items. Remember that resume writing matters and giving the potential employer what they are looking for is how you get hired and that is why it matters.

What is the name of the Job your applying for? →

Before you apply, try to learn the job name they are looking to fill. It will show that you took some interest and make you sound much better than trying to ask about the vacant job without a name. Wait a minute! Do companies have listings like this? Yes, sometimes they do, and the company may assume the job is obvious, but it would still have a correct name.

Vocabulary is always essential. A job may be called one name in one industry and another in a different sector even though it could be the same.

Another critical point is that you need to know the job name and description. Which departments does that job work with, and what does the company itself do. Researching before you make your first call or even try to use the right words on your application is essential.

Present Soft Skills that are Transferable and Portable on Your Job Searching Resume and Interview →

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Soft and transferable or portable skills can be challenging to capture on a resume or even in an interview, but they can be the difference that gets you the job. First, you have to know enough about the job and company you want to talk with to be able to identify the skills from these categories that will be important (good focus for your informational interview) and then be able to present these verbally as you answer questions and talk about yourself in the hiring interview and process.

Some skills will be significant enough that you will want to make them part of your career path story. Some of these skills should be included in your “About” section on LinkedIn. Some may fit into the skills section of your resume, but of course, these skills need to match where you want to do the skills you want in the company posting. Cover letters can be the best place to present your career path story and show that your soft and transferable skills will bring value to the organization.

Your “Me, in 30 seconds” or your elevator pitch, even though often tailored and memorized, should consider the opportunity that the particular networking opportunity represents and weave some of these skills into the message that will be meaningful to the target audience you are speaking to.

In the interview, when asked questions often, you can demonstrate how you got results and reference the transferable skills you have to get the desired results. Just as you would identify the skills you’d like in a posting to present on your written resume, you will want to match those keywords to your verbal responses. If the post asks for someone who gives attention to detail, use those words in your verbal exchanges in the interview. Show that you understand and did your homework by identifying what the potential employer went to some effort to communicate.