How many resumes do I need?

The simple answer to this question may surprise you. You only need ONE!

BUT you DO need to have multiple variations of your resume that are customized for EACH AND EVERY job you apply for.

On most professional resumes, you start with a basic palette that has 5 main components: 1) Objective, 2) Basic Skills, 3) Key Accomplishments, 4) Work History, and 5) Education.

Your base resume (most of the time) won’t change too drastically no matter what job you apply for. In this basic palette, be sure to include ALL of your detailed past history and quantifiable successes. Create a resume folder in “My Documents” and save this resume as “BaseResume.doc”. In most circumstances, this will be your basic canvas.

When applying for a job, start by opening your base resume and saving it to Title.CompanyName.Date (example: ProjectEngineer.ABCInc.Sept92011.doc). This creates a new document, while at the same time keeping it organized. Tip: Take this time to copy and save the job description to a Word document so you can refer to it in the future, like following up or preparing for an interview.

Now comes customization to create a resume that fits the job. The top third of the page is where a key decision maker looks first. The crucial concentration must be focused on this area. Don’t do the KDM digging to find out if it fits your needs. Chances are if they have to dig, your resume will end up in the circular file never to be seen again.

Open the resume and job description you just saved. Review the job description and modify your goal to fit your experience relevant to the job title being advertised. Similarly, customize the Core Skills section for your talents that the job description indicates are needed by using specific job or industry-related terms to capture keyword filters. Please review the Education area to include any specialized training you may have that is relevant to this position.

A considerable amount of weight in a resume review is influenced by your key accomplishments. Take the time to make sure this area really relates to the job description and highlights your successful and relevant accomplishments. Devote several bullet points to this section. Read between lines. If the job description mentions the ability to work under pressure, you can almost bet there is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Instead of writing “ability to work under stress,” write about your experience during a specific stressful situation, what you did to control the situation, and the quantifiable end results. Paint the picture with your words so they can visualize how you can bring the same talent to this new position.

Now for the final touch. Review your work history on your new resume and remove any bullet points that don’t apply, or at least rearrange the bullet points so that the most important items relevant to your needs are at the top. You can even spice it up and highlight key areas you don’t want the KDM to miss. And of course, remove outdated information that is no longer relevant.

Since an artist needs only one palette, he only needs a base resume. But from this resume (or canvas) he must paint the detailed picture of each job. The extra time he spends matching your qualifications and successes to the job description will pay off when the phone starts ringing.

How many resumes do you have?