Article4c

So you've now learned that you really need a different resume for every job you apply
to. If you're struggling to find work, this extra workload is not a pleasant thought. But
let me show you why it's really not that tough.

Once you've got a single, perfect, prototype resume, making little changes here or
there is no big deal. Delete a line here, change a line there. Add a few lines for the
specific job your applying to. Then you save that document. And if you find a similar
job you want to apply to, you might decide to use that document as your starting point.
The more resumes you have, the easier it is to find one that doesn't require too many
changes.

So if you have applied for 5 jobs, you will have 6 variations on your resume; you will
have the original, plus the 5 modified versions. That original version that never got sent
out, that's important too. In fact, it may be the most important of all. That's the resume
that you print out and keep with you. It's the resume you might hand to someone that
you luck out and happen to meet. It's also the resume you hand to someone who
says, "I'm looking to hire someone, but don't have any formal job posting or anything
like that."

When you don't know the requirements of the job, or are networking, that's when you
use the original resume. In some ways, it's the most powerful because job postings
don't hire people. People hire people. When you hand someone a paper resume, it
comes with a handshake, or is delivered by someone who is vouching for you as they
drop it off or forward it on via email. In short, that resume has the best chance of
landing you the best job.

Consider though, do you need more than one original resume? If you are looking for
jobs in multiple fields, then you probably do. Someone with a science degree looking
to work in a laboratory, but also with some background in publishing, may be
considering two different fields. And certainly, each resume would look very different.
Each field deserves it's own original resume. You might even consider having a third
"catch all" resume which isn't aimed at any field in particular, just in case you happen
to find a completely off-the-wall job that happens to pique your interest.

Here at OJNJ, we realize how important the resume is. To help you out, we're now
offering a reasonably-priced resume service. Of course, we do cover letters and can
provide other guidance as well. More information is available here.