Tailoring your resume to match the job description can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview. Despite its importance, 54% of candidates don't, which can considerably lowers their odds of getting an interview (1). This is not surprising - it takes the average job candidate 20 minutes per job opening to customize their profile to a specific job. With an average response rate of 2%, one would have to spend 50 hours of straight job submission time just to get 3 interviews (2).
Here are some insights and statistics that highlight why you should expend resource to tailor every resume submission:
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): Most companies use an ATS to filter resumes. A study from Harvard Business Review found that 88% of employers felt that qualified, high-skilled candidates were vetted out of the process by an ATS because they “did not match the exact criteria established by the job description,” and that number rose to 94% for middle-skilled candidates (3). Tailoring your resume by including relevant keywords from the job description can help it pass through these systems and reach a human recruiter.
Recruiter Preferences: About 55% of recruiters identify the failure to tailor resumes as the biggest mistake job seekers make (4).
Increased Interview Chances: Once your resume floats to the top, a recruiter is much more likely to call you for an interview because they will be presented with a very targeted resume.
Professional Services: Utilizing professional resume submission services will boost your job search efforts because a large number of resumes need to be submitted to ultimately land a job, and it needs to be done the day the job is posted to get the best results. The average job seeker is better off spending their time networking and increasing their skills and knowledge for their next job, not submitting their resume to an online job post.
Overall, tailoring your resume for a specific job is a crucial step for landing a job. It not only increases the chances of passing through automated systems, but also aligns your qualifications with the employer's needs, making you a more attractive candidate.
References
(1) CareerBuilder. "Survey from CareerBuilder Reveals Half of Employees Feel They Have Just a Job Amid Heightened Career Expectations." CareerBuilder Press Room, 23 July 2019, press.careerbuilder.com/2019-07-23-Survey-from-CareerBuilder-Reveals-Half-of-Employees-Feel-They-Have-Just-a-Job-Amid-Heightened-Career-Expectations. |
(2) RocketJob. "RocketJob Operational Statistics." RocketJob, 2024, www.rocketjob.com. |
(3) Fuller, Joseph B., et al. "Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent." Harvard Business School Project on Managing the Future of Work and Accenture, Sept. 2021, www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Documents/research/hiddenworkers09032021.pdf. |
(4) Zippia. "40+ Awesome Resume Statistics [2023]: What Job Seekers Need To Know" Zippia.com. Feb. 2, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/resume-statistics/ |
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