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September 15, 2006

Focus Your Resume

This week brought evidence of the value of a clear resume focus.

I worked with a client who wanted to leave one industry and move into a very different one. The work would be the same and the two industries actually have a lot in common once you understand how they work, but you wouldn't know that on the surface.

Luckily for me, this client knew not only the field he wanted to work in, but also the specific company he was targeting. He gave me the website URL and links to to some of their media coverage.

Once I understood their strategy and their organizational values, it was easy to position my client effectively, and show them why they should pay attention to him.

Yesterday, he dropped me a note to let me know that the President of the company contacted him within 2 hours of receiving his resume, and he has a series of interviews scheduled for next week.

Of course, it's not always possible to focus quite this intently on just one company, but the lesson is clear - if you understand your target audience, you have a very good shot at crafting a message that resonates with them. And if you're applying for a specific position, there's no reason not to adjust your resume to appeal to that company.

Posted by Louise at September 15, 2006 09:39 AM