What's the best way to tailor my resume for each job application?

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Accepted Answer

Tailoring your resume for each application dramatically increases your success rate, but doing it from scratch is exhausting. Here's a practical system: Create 2-4 'base' resumes targeting different types of roles or industries you're interested in. For each base resume, develop strong bullet points and a core structure. When applying to a specific job, review the job description and identify 5-10 key requirements or keywords. Then adjust your base resume by: reordering your bullet points to put the most relevant ones first, incorporating exact phrases and keywords from the job posting, adjusting your professional summary to address their specific needs, and potentially adding or removing skills to match their requirements. This selective editing takes 10-15 minutes per application instead of 45+ minutes rewriting from scratch. Focus especially on the top third of your resume - that's what gets read first. Use a job description comparison tool or simply copy key phrases that appear multiple times in the posting. Don't lie or add skills you don't have, but do emphasize and prioritize what's most relevant. Save each tailored version with the company name so you remember what you sent if you get an interview.

What’s the best way to tailor my resume for each job application?