Writing a resume can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure how to showcase your skills or tailor your application for a specific role. The good news? You don’t have to start from scratch or guess what employers want. By leveraging job descriptions and LinkedIn profiles, you can find all the clues you need to craft a resume that hits the mark.
Here’s how to use these tools to unlock the insights that will make your resume impossible to ignore.
1. Job Descriptions: Your Resume Blueprint
Job descriptions are a goldmine of information about what employers value. They often outline the skills, experiences, and qualities that are essential for success in the role. When you’re stuck, this should be your first stop.
How to Break It Down:
- Focus on Keywords
- Look for recurring terms like “collaboration,” “data analysis,” “leadership,” or “problem-solving.” These are often skills or traits they’re emphasizing.
- Add these keywords naturally to your resume, especially in your Skills, Summary, and Experience sections.
- Identify Core Responsibilities
- Pay attention to the specific tasks or results the role involves (e.g., “Develop and implement marketing strategies” or “Improve operational efficiency”).
- Tailor your experience to highlight how you’ve done similar work or achieved comparable results.
- Spot Soft Skills
- Many job descriptions list soft skills like “team player,” “strong communicator,” or “detail-oriented.”
- Showcase these qualities in your bullet points or professional summary by giving examples (e.g., “Collaborated with cross-functional teams to execute projects on time and within budget”).
- Look for Priorities
- The first few bullet points or the qualifications listed at the top of the job description often indicate the employer’s top priorities.
- Make sure your resume addresses these directly with relevant experience or achievements.
Pro Tip:
If you’re applying for multiple jobs in similar industries or roles, compare a few descriptions to spot patterns. This helps you identify industry-specific keywords and recurring themes to incorporate into your resume.
2. LinkedIn Profiles: Reverse-Engineering Success
LinkedIn is like a window into the professional world of the job you want. By looking at profiles of people who already have the role you’re targeting, you can learn what experiences, skills, and achievements employers value.
How to Use LinkedIn to Your Advantage:
- Search for the Job Title
- Type the role you’re aspiring to (e.g., “Marketing Manager” or “Customer Success Director”) into the LinkedIn search bar.
- Narrow results to professionals in your industry or location to get more relevant insights.
- Analyze the Profiles
- Review several profiles to look for patterns:
- What skills do they list? Pay attention to both technical (e.g., CRM tools, data analysis) and soft skills.
- What job titles and experiences do they highlight? Note the types of roles they held before their current position.
- What achievements stand out? Look for phrases like “increased revenue by 30%,” “led a team of 15,” or “improved operational efficiency.”
- Review several profiles to look for patterns:
- Study Their Language
- Notice the words and phrases they use to describe their work. This can help you craft impactful bullet points that resonate with hiring managers.
- Check Certifications and Education
- Note any certifications, courses, or degrees they’ve included. This could guide you toward additional qualifications to boost your resume.
- Look at Recommendations
- If they have recommendations, read them to understand what others value about their work. This can give you ideas for how to describe yourself.
Pro Tip:
When looking at profiles, pay extra attention to the Skills & Endorsements and About sections. These often highlight key capabilities and professional narratives.
3. Put It All Together: Tailor Your Resume
Once you’ve gathered insights from job descriptions and LinkedIn profiles, it’s time to put them to work.
Steps to Apply What You’ve Learned:
- Build a Skills Section Based on Keywords
- Use the skills you’ve identified from job descriptions and LinkedIn profiles to create a targeted Skills section.
Skills: Data Analysis, CRM Tools (Salesforce, HubSpot), Team Leadership, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Strategic Planning - Revamp Your Bullet Points
- Incorporate the language and metrics you found.
Example Before: - Managed team schedules and workflows.
Example After: - Led a team of 8, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity by 20% over six months.
- Incorporate the language and metrics you found.
- Highlight the Right Tools and Tech
- If specific tools, software, or methodologies are mentioned frequently, make sure to include them (assuming you have experience with them).
Example: - Added proficiency in Tableau or Google Analytics to align with data-heavy roles.
- If specific tools, software, or methodologies are mentioned frequently, make sure to include them (assuming you have experience with them).
- Tailor Your Summary
- Use insights to craft a professional summary that aligns with the role you’re targeting.
Example: - “Results-driven leader with expertise in team management, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. Skilled in [insert relevant tools] with a proven track record of exceeding performance goals.”
- Use insights to craft a professional summary that aligns with the role you’re targeting.
4. Additional Tools and Hacks
- Google the Company: Visit their website or news mentions to learn about their current projects, priorities, and challenges. Use this knowledge to frame your achievements as solutions to their needs.
- LinkedIn Job Posts: Many job postings on LinkedIn show how many applicants have specific skills. Use this data to prioritize which skills to emphasize on your resume.
- Job Scan Tools: Use tools like Jobscan to analyze your resume against a job description and see if it includes the right keywords and structure.
5. Stay Authentic and Strategic
While it’s essential to tailor your resume, don’t fabricate skills or experiences you don’t have. Instead, focus on bridging the gap between your current experience and the role you want by emphasizing transferable skills and showcasing your ability to learn and adapt.
Example:
If the job requires expertise in a specific tool you’re just learning:
- Include it in a “Currently Learning” Section or add a line like:
- “Currently completing a certification in Salesforce to expand CRM expertise.”
Your Resume Is a Work in Progress
Creating a standout resume is a process, not a one-and-done task. By leveraging job descriptions and LinkedIn profiles, you’ll gain the clarity and direction needed to tailor your resume for the roles you’re targeting. With this approach, you’re not just applying for jobs—you’re positioning yourself as the ideal candidate who understands the role and can deliver results.
Your dream job is out there, and now you have the tools to make your resume the key to unlocking it.