When Should You Rewrite Your Resume?

It should come as no surprise that when you start looking for jobs, you need to start by freshening up your resume.

And if you’re always keeping an eye out for the next big opportunity in your career, you may even update it more frequently. Maybe after every promotion, or big achievement at your job.

But whether you’re actively looking for work, or just keeping an eye out, there are a number of times that you’ll need more than one resume on deck.

Today, we’re going to discuss how many resume rewrites you should have, and what situations you’ll need them for! Let’s take a look!

Same role, different employers

When you have a specific job type in mind, in a certain industry, then you may not need a completely different copy of your resume on hand.

When you’re applying to jobs that have the same title, or an interchangeable title — for instance “line cook” and “station chef” — then your resume should stay the same. You will still want to show off the same experience, since it is the same experience required for all positions.

That said, you may want to reword some of your descriptions to use the exact language described in the job posting. For instance, if you have “management experience” from a previous job, but they specifically want someone with “leadership experience”, you should use their phrasing on your resume.

And most importantly, make sure every cover letter is unique. It should be addressed to the specific employer or hiring manager, and speak to their business specifically.

Similar roles, neighbouring industries

“Similar” is not the same as “same”.

Your experience likely qualifies you for an abundance of jobs, across multiple industries. But a single resume might not be qualified to represent you well to each employer.

As an example, there are thousands of jobs that focus on customer service. But the exact requirements for working as a food server are not the same as a hotel front desk worker.

But they are similar.

And so, you should have a few similar copies of your resume ready to go. The easiest way to do this, in this case, is to simply create a “master resume”. This master resume doesn’t actually get sent out, but it should contain a number of variations of each job description, and all your relevant experience despite the length.

With a master resume, to create a unique copy all you have to do is make a copy of the original and delete the least relevant information. Within minutes, you’ll have a fresh and focused resume to impress recruiters!

New role, new industry

Are you a Jack- or Jill-of-all-trades? Do you want to cast the widest net possible for work? Then it’s time to get busy with your resume writing!

There are plenty of shortcuts when it comes to applying to multiple jobs with overlapping requirements. But if you’re going to be applying to very different positions, then you’ll want to build your resume from the ground up each time.

Take a look online at resume examples for people in the different industries or lines of work that you’re interested in. Take note of what trends you see. Are they more formal or personal? Are they a resume or CV? How long are they? What keywords do they use most often?

In some industries, your resume may not even be the most important thing to prepare. If you’re an artist, your portfolio and artist statements could be what matters most.

In any case, the most important thing you can do is to customize your resume to meet the expectations of the industry!

Job fairs & networking events

If you’re headed out to a job/career fair or some type of industry meetup, then you’ll want to pre-print some resumes to hand out.

This means that you won’t have time to rewrite your resume on the fly, or borrow from your master resume.

Instead, you’ll want to do some research ahead of time so you can rewrite your resume in advance!

Start by looking at the list of employers or industry leaders who will be in attendance. Take a look at job boards and their company websites to see if they have any existing job postings, so you can get a better idea of what type of worker they’re looking for.

Decide in advance who you’d most like to connect with, and craft a few custom resumes that speaks to their business mindset.

The good news is you don’t need to worry about custom cover letters for in-person applications and networking, because meeting with them is the cover letter!

Not getting interviews

If you aren’t getting any responses when you send out your resume, it’s time for another rewrite.

Start by going over your document with a fine-toothed comb. Look for spelling errors and other typos that can give recruiters pause.

Then take a step back and look at the format. Is your document too “loud”, with too many different fonts and a significant lack of white/empty space? Or is it too “quiet”, with barely any information and a structure that doesn’t draw the eye to the right spots?

Once you’ve given it a look, get someone else to look it over too!

META offers free resume writing and review services. We can help you edit your existing resume, or help you design a brand new one from scratch!

Plus, once your resume is ready, we know plenty of employers that want to see it — and actually want to get in touch with you!

Conclusion

There are nearly as many types of resumes out there as there are jobs.

But with a bit of know-how, you can easily figure out the most efficient way to rewrite your resume, so you can get it right every time!

When Should You Rewrite Your Resume?