Like a great artist sculpting a masterpiece, the time you spend on your resume is with one thought in mind: perfection.
But unlike Michelangelo, who took more than two years to create the statue of David, you probably only have days or weeks when crafting your masterpiece. Perhaps even less.
If you’re applying for multiple positions, this becomes a major issue. You know you have to make each and every resume personalized so it resonates with the reader. In reality, you only have two options: spend less time on each resume or work on fewer resumes.
If you’re in serious need for a job, it may not be feasible to work on fewer resumes because that means you are applying to fewer opportunities. But by spending less time on each resume, you risk not highlighting the specific strengths you bring to the position — submitting a resume not personalized to the extent it should be.
If you think you don’t have time to create a customized resume, I hope to radically change your view. Today, you are going to learn how to not only spend less time crafting the perfect resume, but to be prepared to do it at a moment’s notice whenever the need arises. All of this by using the same (perhaps overly simplified) process the great Michelangelo used when creating the statue of David.
In fact, you’re probably creating your masterpiece in the same condition Michelangelo did: from something that has already been partially started.
Start With a Solid Block
Michelangelo was actually the third artist to work on the statue of David. Two other artists had been commissioned for the project, but it was Michelangelo who finished it, after starting with a block of marble with big chunks missing.
You are going to do the very same thing. The first step to creating a masterpiece at a
moment’s notice is to create your “block.” This is called your Career Management Guide. This document is the culmination of everything you have done professionally. All your jobs, titles, accomplishments, wins, projects and anything else you can think of.
If you don’t already have such a guide created, simply take your most recent resume and start adding to it. Go back as far as you can remember and write down anything you think is of importance.
Keep in mind that this is a living document. It is never finished. Revisit it as often as you can and add anything you remember. A project today may remind you of a time you faced a similar challenge 10 years ago.
This guide is your canvas and is all-encompassing of your professional experience. Like a marble masterpiece starts as a solid block, so too does a quickly customizable resume.
Take Off the Big Chunks
Now that you have your master document created, it’s time to start taking out large chunks. At first you take out the big pieces, the chunks that have no place on your masterpiece.
As an example, let’s say you are applying for an outside sales position. Your past jobs include retail sales, marketing intern, administrative assistant, busboy and lifeguard.
Removing a big chunk would be taking out the positions of lifeguard, busboy and maybe even administrative assistant. They are much less relevant to the outside sales role than your other two positions. Take them out so the meat of your resume is focused on the skills that are most applicable to your new opportunity.
The space on your resume is valuable real estate. Don’t waste it on duties and achievements that will not move you closer to your dream job. They are important, but not for this job. (Tweet this thought.)
Start Chipping Away
Now that you’ve eliminated the non-relevant jobs, you’ll want to next focus on the achievements in the ones left.
You might want to take out that you were the top graphic designer as a marketing intern because the new outside sales role doesn’t require graphic design skills. Or maybe take out from the retail experience that you redesigned the floor layout of the retail space since the new position will not require anything like that.
Only include the achievements, wins and projects that are relevant to the new position you’re interested in.
Polish
The statue of David is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of its time (if not all time), in many respects because of the detail and craftsmanship involved.
Your resume needs the same polish and attention to detail. Once you’ve removed the parts that have no bearing on the job you’re applying for, it’s time to refine your masterpiece.
At this point you will focus on every word in every sentence to make sure it coincides as best as possible to the position you’re applying for. Change a word here or there or a number to a percentage.
Maybe adjust your title to better reflect the company you’re applying with. (I’m talking about “Account Representative” to “Sales Representative,” not “Manager” to “Vice President.”)
Instead of “customer,” use “partner” or “client.” Use the job posting and company website to see what keywords they use. Add or delete words where necessary. What are they hoping to see when interviewing candidates? Tailor every word to them.
This is how the masterpiece of David came alive — in the curls of his hair and the definition of his muscles.
The Time to Start Is Now
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to start your career management guide. It’s as simple as using your most recent resume and adding to it with as much information as you can.
From there, simply take out the positions and skills that aren’t relevant to the job you’re applying for. Remove the achievements that don’t fit and adjust it to match the position and company.
And with that, you will be able to craft a masterpiece resume in hours (if not minutes) instead of spending the two years it took Michelangelo to create the statue of David.
How have you handled the need to customize resumes when there’s not a lot of time to do so? Share in the comments!
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