Resume Customization Part 1 of 3 - Why customize?

We hear this advice often "customize your resume to the jobs you're applying!". But what exactly is customizing resumes?

Isn't resume supposed to be factual, as in there's only 1 version of me, the candidate, what else does employers want? [a common rebuttal from some of my clients].

Before answering the question, lets try to see first why the needs to customize your resume; then in later parts we will go into the "how to" part to customize the resume.

Above is a screenshot grab from Singapore's JobsBank website (myskillsfuture.sg)

As you could see, even for an admin job, there's varied requirements in its job title, number of years in experience required and different skills & competencies needed.

Some admin jobs require the workers to perform basic accounting functions, like payable, invoicing, receivables similar to the "Accounts and Admin Executive".

Others requires you to help out in HR side of administrative work such as vetting time sheets, payroll processing, interviewing etc.

The key here is to illustrate the different operation processes and work that each organization does, and correspondingly each role in these different organizations. At times, candidates may felt that they have those competencies and could even elaborate them confidently but when you look into the resume, often these information aren't even there. Clients may then said "oh I've done those before, when I am interviewed I will share then"

My question is, if you did not even show those competencies in your resume, how do you expect to be shortlisted for interview in the first place?

The value of career coaching is that you have someone to look into these blindspots & highlight to you areas of improvements, with the ultimate aim of increasing the response rates to your applications then eventually the interviews, the offers and the dream job you desired!

In part 2, I will share on "3 levels to customize your resume", stay tuned ;)