All too often when I first begin working with a client, I receive job descriptions and am told to make the resume match the job requirements. While it’s great that clients have a focus in mind, there is a fine line between aligning your resume to the specific job requirements, and turning your resume into a representation of someone you are not.

Be careful to recognize the difference and don’t fall into this trap. If you’re a smooth talker on paper and off, you might schmooze enough to get the dream job you want. But if you’re not truly a fit for the skills and the organizational culture, they’ll know it – and you’ll know it – very quickly. And with today’s furiously paced companies, there is not going to be a lot of hand holding – if you get an orientation at all.

While there is a learning curve to every job, you must make sure that your resume highlights your true core strengths, and not things that are a stretch that you really aren’t experienced in. Hiring managers can and do pick up on this right away (perhaps they’re part bloodhound). If you did quantitative analysis with SQL all day in your previous job, that’s a core strength. But if you observed with your manager while he demonstrated SQL, and you never directly used it, that’s not a core strength. See the difference?

What you should do, what you need to do, is have a very honest talk with yourself about where you’ve been and where you’re going. A good professional resume service, like Spring Forward Resumes, will use a targeted assessment form designed to ask you those questions – it’s not a test, or an interrogation; instead, it’s designed to make you think realistically about your dream job and whether you are a fit or not.

DO’S AND DO NOT’S OF JOB TARGETING:
DO objectively identify the skill sets required in the job posting. If you match at least 80% of them, go ahead and tailor the resume and cover letter, and apply. Employers will work with you to some extent; but it’s sink or swim in most cases.
DO NOT apply if you don’t have the core skill sets required. If you lack the “preferred” qualifications, you can still apply as long as you meet the main requirements. Most job postings list requirements and preferred qualifications.
DO tailor your cover letter to explain why the job is perfect for you, not why you are perfect for the job. In other words, if you’re a born wordsmith and the job is advertising a born wordsmith, tell the employer that this is a dream job for you. Explain with enthusiasm that you’ve been waiting for a job like this. Then tell them why by offering your core skills as to what makes you the best wordsmith around. The idea is to present your best strengths and ask for the interview in a bold, not rude, and unique way that shows you want THIS job, and that you CAN do THIS job.
DO NOT used a canned or recycled cover letter for every job you apply for, or one that has a generic objective statement. It will be tossed in the trash.

If you take the time now to be brutally honest with yourself, you will save yourself time, money, and frustration in the long run for both you and the employer. While I know desperate times can call for desperate measures, and being unemployed really stinks, applying to anything and everything without soul searching is a bad move that can get you blacklisted by companies and recruiters. Follow the tips above, be patient, and you’ll be well on your way to a new career.