
Look very closely at the job description of your desired position for hints about what they want. In other words, no matter how great a camp counselor you were in high school, that probably won’t seem relevant when you’re applying to business school. It’s also important to focus on skills that you’ll be using if you get the job you’re applying for. Obviously, you wouldn’t throw in the phrase “user experience” if you’re applying to be a teacher. Showcase Résumé Power Words Related to the Job Use some of their words-without copying language verbatim-and you’re more likely to get your foot in the door. In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to read the company description or the “About us” page on their website and go from there. That doesn’t cover every job out there, but it shows how you can shape your résumé based on what you’re applying to. If you’re applying to a job involving customer service (whether in a store or UX research), use words like reached, served, communicated, aided, and experience.If you’re applying for a job at a startup, use words like innovated, disrupted, spearheaded.Any specific numbers on gains or savings you’ve produced for previous employers will also give you a boost. If you’re applying for a job in finance or business, use words like enhanced, expanded, developed, yielded.If you’re applying for a job in education or one that involves helping people, use words like mentored, trained, cultivated, or facilitated.If possible, include page views, social shares, or the circulation of your pieces. If you’re applying for a job involving writing, don’t just write “wrote.” Use words like published, reported, investigated.Some companies automate the hiring process with applicant tracking systems, which screen for résumés that use specific keywords-and if you don’t have the keywords, you don’t get the interview.īut whether the company uses an applicant tracking system or has a human reading résumés, including words related to the company’s mission shows that you did your homework and would be a good fit for the team.

This is important not just to get the attention of the person reading your résumé, but also to ensure that a person does read your résumé.

First things first: whether you’re applying to be a CEO or an intern, tailor your résumé and your cover letter to the company you’re applying to.
