How to Tweak Your Resume to Prove you Are the Right Fit

Tweak your resume to show you are a fit for the job

Many job seekers understand the importance of customizing their resume for each job application, but it is also important to tweak the language used in your resume to prove you are the right choice. You can do this by not only matching keywords but also by quantifying your expertise to impress the reader.

Here are some good strategies to prove you’re the perfect fit for the job.

1. If they’re looking for someone who’s creative

Point out the projects and ideas you personally developed for your past employers. Always quantify where possible and start sentences with past tense verb.

Examples include:

Boosted lead generation by 41% by collecting 1,000 emails from potential leads

Saved 5% on costs by implementing new, efficient merchandising solutions for the company

Alternative keywords: introduced, generated, solved, created, proposed, designed, pioneered, launched

2. If they’re looking for a leader

A job description that contains this keyword signals that they want someone who can motivate, teach, and inspire others. It is important that you highlight the times you have demonstrated leadership skills.

This can be referenced like this:

Recruited, trained and oversaw 3 new employees in the marketing department

Taught and guided 10 employees on how to use the new time management software system

Alternative keywords: delegated, arbitrated, coached, mediated, influenced, directed, managed, motivated

3. If they’re looking for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment

If you’ve ever juggled multiple tasks at once, now’s your opportunity to bring up all the times you remained calm and were efficient when you had multiple projects on the go.

Here are two examples:

Answered 50+ calls per day while researching and resolving payment discrepancies

Supervised 6 direct reports while planning 3 simultaneous employee programs

Alternative keywords: prioritized, expedited, multi-tasked, enhanced, organized

4. If they’re looking for a team player

Most companies want to be sure you are able to collaborate and work with others to achieve goals.

Here are some ways you can highlight your achievements:

Increased email click-through rate by 16% by working closely with other members of the copywriting team

Collaborated with 8 other employees to plan and execute a 200-person corporate retreat

Alternative keywords: worked, partnered, merged, contributed, participated, collaborated

5. If they’re looking for a strong communicator

In this instance, you need to discuss the times where you spoke or wrote in a way that really mattered. Your goal is to show that you can communicate clearly with other employees, management and/or clients.

Examples:

Negotiated partnerships with 6 new clients, helping the company to increase market share

Motivated a 10-member sales team to remain focused by giving a weekly presentation on new, innovative selling techniques

Alternative keywords: Composed, negotiated, wrote, interviewed, persuaded, clarified, articulated, presented, pitched

Conclusion

If you’re looking to land your next job, you need to ensure that your resume includes keywords from the job description. It is not enough to just list the keywords in your resume – should show the reader how you have demonstrated these skills in the workplace. Incorporating keywords in your resume and quantifying your examples will help hiring managers understand the scope of work you have done and see that you are the right choice for the position.

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