Whether you’re drafting your first résumé or are looking to spruce up an existing copy, use these tips to tailor your résumé to match a job posting’s requirements.
Defining “Tailoring”
When you “tailor” a résumé, you edit its content to demonstrate how each listed position has given you the experience you need to do this new job well.
Basically, your résumé shouldn’t just be a list of skills, job experiences, and educational achievements—it needs to show the hiring team why you’re the best fit for this job in particular.
We suggest having a résumé on hand for each category of job that you apply to.
In the healthcare field, that may mean having different résumés for administrative, patient care, and lab support roles.
In the healthcare field, that may mean having different résumés for administrative, patient care, and lab support roles.
Choose the Right Job Title
If you’ve previously worked odd jobs, held various unrelated positions, or spent time freelancing, you might be wondering whether to include these roles on a professional résumé.
If the work you did in those positions relates to the job to which you’re now applying, then yes, you should include these roles on your résumé! You just need to frame them in a way that showcases relevant skills and responsibilities.
To contextualize your work experience for a hiring manager, choose a common job title, then let your unique experience shine through in the description.
For example, if you worked as a babysitter, you may choose the job title “Caregiver” or “Childcare Professional.”
Here are some other examples of job titles you might use:
- Instead of “babysitter,” say: Childcare Provider, Caregiver, Childcare Professional, Daycare Provider
- Instead of “cashier,” say: Store Clerk, Customer Service Associate, Retail Sales Associate
- Instead of “janitor,” say: Custodian, Housekeeper, Custodial Aide, Maintenance Worker, Commercial Cleaner
- Instead of “landscaper,” say: Equipment Operator, Lawn Care Technician, Landscape Technician
- Instead of “warehouse worker,” say: Machine Operator, Warehouse Technician, Shipping and Receiving Associate, or Warehouse Picker
Highlight Transferable Skills
Transferable skills bridge the gap between what you've done and what you want to do.
Whether you’re moving into a completely new industry or simply shifting to a different role, transferable skills show potential employers how you can be valuable in their workplace, even if you haven’t done this exact job before.
These can be broken down into two main categories: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills typically include specific, quantifiable knowledge gained through training or education, while soft skills are subjective traits that impact how you work with others and complete your assigned tasks.
Examples of hard skills include:
- Language skills: Competency in different languages, including coding and programming languages
- Familiarity with specific platforms: The ability to effectively work on different platforms (ex.: Microsoft Office, accounting software like QuickBooks, graphic design software like Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud, electronic health record software like Epic, etc.)
- Certifications: Skills gained through formal training programs (ex.: Basic Life Support, Certified Nursing Assistant, project management, computer science, etc.)
Examples of soft skills include:
- Organization: Effective time management, cash handling, prioritization of duties, etc.
- Problem-solving: Identifying issues, brainstorming solutions, implementing changes
- Leadership: Managing teams, projects, or responsibilities
The key is to identify and frame your skills in a way that makes them relevant to the position for which you're applying.
Take a good look at the job description for which you’re applying and find common ground between what they’re looking for and what you’ve already done. Then, emphasize that overlap, both in your list of skills and descriptions of previous roles.
Use Detailed Descriptions
Next, it’s important to include an accurate, detailed description for each position that you include on your résumé.
To do so, make a list of all of the tasks you performed in your role, then think about how those duties relate to the job to which you are applying. If you received any awards or achieved notable metrics throughout your tenure at a company, this is where you should list them.
These descriptions are most commonly formatted in bullet points beneath each job title, so it’s important to maximize their impact by using clear, concise language. To emphasize your achievements and effectively use your limited space, you should maintain an active voice.
Active voice is when the subject of a sentence performs the action, making writing clear, direct, and strong—perfect for a résumé. It helps you sound confident about your accomplishments and responsibilities.
Here’s the basic structure of an active voice sentence:
Subject (who is doing the action) + Verb (what they’re doing) + Object (what’s being acted on).
Here are some examples of active voice:
- Active Voice: "I managed a team of 10 employees." In this sentence, you are the subject performing the action (managed), and the team is the object being acted on.
- Passive Voice: "A team of 10 employees was managed by me." Here, the focus shifts to the object (team), and the subject (me) comes after the action. It feels less direct and a bit clunky.
When using active voice on your résumé, it’s appropriate to eliminate the “I” and instead, begin each bullet point with a strong action verb (ex.: achieved, designed, led, organized, developed).
On a résumé, active voice may look like:
- Maintained a clean work environment by performing daily housekeeping tasks.
- Organized weekly team meetings to improve communication.
- Created monthly schedules and approved timesheets.
- Accurately processed transactions and issued receipts to customers.
While it may seem like a small detail, using this structure allows hiring managers to easily skim through your job descriptions, making it easier for them to identify the experiences that make you right for the job!
Final Thoughts
Although it may seem time-consuming at first, crafting a descriptive, easy-to-read résumé can be the difference between scoring your dream role or returning to the job hunt.
In our experience as career counselors, many job-seekers are more qualified than they believe themselves to be. Don’t discount your previous employment experiences just because they don’t share the same job title as the position for which you’re now applying!
Demonstrate that you’re the right candidate for the job by choosing simple titles, highlighting transferable skills, and describing your duties in detail.
By taking these steps to create an effective résumé, you’ll be well on your way to landing a new job!
