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Target Your Resume
Example of How to Target
I picked an entry-level job as an example, but I could have selected a job requiring graduate training or one between the two. The concepts are the same. You want to show that you are qualified and that you will be an excellent employee. As best as your experience permits, you match your experience with the qualifications needed for the job. When you write your targeted resume, incorporate the descriptions--in an accomplishments-oriented way; that is, by showing how you have made a difference in other jobs and experiences.
For a customer service position, a veterinary practice sought (an actual description):
Veterinary animal experience: 1 year
Customer service: 1 year
Veterinary receptionist: 1 year
That's all they listed. What might those criteria mean? Let's take an educated guess and break them down. By doing that, you can figure out what experience the employer wants.
Veterinary animal experience: Hold animals, assist vets and vet techs, clean cages and messes and get meds; maybe perform nail trims. What animals? Cats, dogs, exotics; perhaps it is a large animal practice with horses and cattle. (Research the practice to learn about it.)
Customer service: Answer the phones, follow-up to ensure patient needs are met, get answers to pet parents' questions from vets and others, use judgment, stay calm, go the extra mile...schedule appointments, do ten things at once, work well under pressure. You can assume the practice will have moments of chaos.
Veterinary receptionist: Warmly greet patients and their parents/handlers/owners. Always be calm, pleasant and make people feel welcome. Have at least basic computer skills. Order supplies, handle billing and answer questions about the practice. Work as part of a team. Triage emergencies. Stay late when needed.
Do you have those skills? If so, are they evident from your resume? Add anything of which you are particularly proud--an hysterical pet parent you calmed; a cat whose life you saved; a training manual you wrote; that you hadn't missed a day of work for three years (this works for front-line jobs where attendance and punctuality are critical.)
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Other: Research the employer. What might be important to him/her? For example, the practice might only work with cats. Perhaps they might have a mission statement hinting as to the qualities they seek in employees. You can also mention a detail about the practice in your cover letter.
What if you don't have experience in a veterinary setting? Show that you have relevant experience although it may not have been paid or with animals. For example, bartending includes many of the same skills. (It may be tempting to write about working with drunken "animals" at the bar, but don't do it.) Having a sense of humor is good, but it's risky on a resume--make sure it is funny and also not discriminatory. I am all for originality, but if so tempted, sleep on it first and show it to someone you trust before including.
In addition, discuss your interest in working in an animal-related position in a cover letter and on a resume. You are positioning yourself: You may not have the animal expertise that other candidates have, BUT you excel at working with humans under all conditions. Also consider the phrase (if true), "Ability to hit the ground running." It sounds cliche, but employers like seeing this--it means that you learn fast. You can write it in a skills section if you have it or in a description of a previous job.
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What additional skills might set you apart and be helpful to an employer? Here's a few: Foreign languages; writing; social media (to help market the practice); computer skills--and the ability to handle multiple priorities (that shows you understand the job).
Exercise: How To Target Your Resume
It is said that the resume gets you the interview; the interview gets you the job.
This section is for those whose resumes aren't working.
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Grab a job description of interest. Use an actual job description or make one up. It doesn't have to be in your geographic area--you are using it to craft your resume.
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Read the description and highlight or underline the qualifications that you have. (You don't need to be an expert in those areas.)
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Incorporate those qualifications in your resume (for example, in a Relevant Experience or Skills section). You may need to change the language so it isn't verbatim (if you are applying for that position). This is still a draft, so the text will change.
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Go back to that job description. Note the qualifications you do NOT have. Use your best judgment to determine which ones might be essential (without which candidates won't be considered). See if there is a way to include those items that isn't a stretch. Don't include them if it is too much of a stretch or you feel uncomfortable--otherwise you will lose credibility.
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For example, suppose Spanish was a requirement. You aren't a native speaker; you studied it for three years in high school and haven't spoken it since you graduated several years ago. You can't say you are fluent, proficient or even conversational.
But you might say "coursework in,"studied," or "rusty." A former student once used "taxicab fluent." You can learn foreign languages online for free on Duolingo.com and other sites. One could then write, "Currently learning Spanish." This won't help if the employer wants fluency, but it may be useful for other jobs. Again, if you are uncomfortable writing that, don't do it. And, don't embellish or lie. That will come back and bite you.
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Another example: Suppose you are a career changer seeking a paid job working with pets. You have no paid experience with animals. You might have a pet or volunteer at a shelter walking dogs. A job of interest asks for experience handling animals being boarded, maintaining feeding schedules and administering medication. Things you can consider on a resume include: 1) Under Skills and/or in a Summary, list that you have experience taking care of pets, including feeding and administering medications (if true with your own pet). Under those headings, you do not have to say where you use the skill. You can even say, for example, "5 years experience caring for dogs. Includes..." Include any relevant volunteer experience on your resume using a choice of headings such as Relevant Experience (Experience can be paid or unpaid; Employment is paid only); Animal Experience; or Volunteer. Under those headings, you would list the dates, employer and the work you did (include your title if it is not evident from the heading.) In a previous blog, I discussed how to get free online training, which you can use as a resume builder.
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You have just written a targeted draft.
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