You’ve handed out hundreds of resumes and cover letters and have not answered your bejewelled cell once to hear an invitation to an interview. What is going on??? Are you targeting your promotional documents (resume, cover letter, etc.) to the jobs for which you are applying? Targeting your documents is time consuming, I know; however, isn’t it better to take a day or two to target your documents and find quicker results than create lacklustre general documents that the employer will likely yawn at?
Here is an analogy to help you learn how to target your documents: A DJ has hundreds, maybe thousands of songs, but is she going to play all of her songs at each gig she receives? Put her playlist on random and hope the crowd dances? Likely not. The DJ is going to put together playlists based on the type of gig obtained: wedding, night club, graduation, etc. You, ladies, are the DJ; the event, is the job; and the playlist, is your skills.
Say you are applying for a position as a Food and Beverage Server. Are you, Miss DJ, going to talk about that time you worked in a warehouse folding boxes all day? Or that job landscaping one summer? Do you think the employer will be interested to know what is not relevant to the position? Probably not. Employers are getting dozens of resumes each day and they do not have time to read what is not relevant to the job; therefore, like the DJ who chooses her music based on the type of gig, you choose your skills to showcase based on the type of job. So, maybe instead of promoting your physical aptitudes, ability to work outside in all weather conditions, or capacity to do repetitive tasks for eight hours, you can advertise your approachability, salesmanship, professionalism, great memory, proven ability to work with a sense of urgency, and cash handling skills—to name a few. So, if I am the employer and you are applying for a job within my company, please Miss DJ, play my song!
