Avoiding the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all résumé

Dear Sam: I’m not exactly sure what I want to do in my career and I’m having a difficult time figuring out what to include on my résumé. I have a background in sales, customer service, and management, but I’m now open to many opportunities. How do I handle this on my résumé? ­– Jo in Lancaster

Dear Jo: A common mistake many job seekers make is trying to create a one-size-fits-all résumé. While in today’s highly competitive market job seekers have to keep their options open, it is imperative to present a targeted résumé to each hiring manager. This doesn’t mean that you have to write a completely different résumé for each job you apply to, but it does mean that you need to tailor your résumé to be sure it presents your most related skills for each type of opportunity you are pursuing. Trying to develop a résumé that suits every opportunity when you have diverse goals is a very ineffective strategy. Doing so will only present diluted content to any given hiring manager, and when competing with other skilled candidates will likely not secure interviews. Instead, assess your goals, identify your related skills, and tailor your résumé to suit the requirements of each type of position. Only then will your résumé produce the results you want.