The Real Reasons You Need a Custom Resume for Every Job

Published by

Jennifer Sethre

Creating a customized version of your resume for every single job you apply to can be a painstaking process. It can take hours to do, and you have probably already spent a considerable amount of time updating your resume just to start applying. So why is it worth it?

According to a CareerBuilder study, 36% of hiring managers will simply toss resumes that do not seem personalized for the role. What’s more, it takes a hiring manager or recruiter an average of six to seven seconds to decide whether your resume should stay in the “keep” pile or be thrown out.

An increasing number of employers are using applicant tracking systems (ATS) as part of their hiring processes, as well. Approximately 75% of large companies and almost one-third of smaller companies now use applicant tracking software to gather data from job applicants and to automate many steps of the hiring process.

The problem is, if your resume doesn’t have the specific keywords or formatting these systems are looking for, it’s likely to fall into a black hole of applications. Therefore, even if you thought you were a perfect match for a role, chances are not customizing your resume using the specific language, terms, or checking the right boxes that a recruiter or these systems want to see will likely cause your application to slip through the cracks.

A customized resume makes you stand out

For every open position, companies receive an average of 250 applications. That’s a lot of competition. However, when it’s clear that you made an effort to custom your resume to the opportunity, it’s instantly notable. Some studies that show job seekers spend an average of 80 seconds reading a job posting before hitting the “Apply” button. Recruiters can quickly identify which applicants are blasting out a generic resume to every company, and which took the time to understand the role and to submit relevant information.

Not only does a custom resume communicate your excitement about the company, but it also suggests that you will bring the same level of excitement and attention to the job.

A customized resume helps you beat the applicant tracking systems

As we mentioned above, an increasing number of companies are using ATS to automate their hiring process, filtering out applicants who don’t meet their predefined criteria.

When you are applying for a job through one of these systems, customizing your resume is crucial for the system to give you the green light and put your resume in front of an actual person. On average, applicant tracking software screens out more than 75% of all submitted applications without any human review.

So how do you do actually customize your resume for each job?

Now that the importance of customizing your resume for each job is clear, how can you do it without spending hours rewriting role descriptions and researching keywords to include? Especially if you are responding to dozens of job listings at a time?

There’s no need to commit hours to each and every resume you create if you are using Intry’s ATS Resume Generator™ tool, which helps to make sure your resume matches the right skills for each job application.

ATS Resume Generator™ allows you to copy and paste any job description you find, and then automatically matches the important details and keywords from the job description into your personal resume and profile. Not only does this give you the ability to create a custom resume for each and every job you apply to, but it frees up a ton of time for you to spend on more important matters.

ATS Resume Generator™ identifies anything your resume might be missing automatically, such as important keywords. It then allows you to choose which information you want to add to improve your resume's chances of getting passed the applicant tracking systems. Using ATS Resume Generator™, you can increase your chances of getting hired by 240%, getting your resume passed the initial ATS screening systems and in front of hiring managers who toss most resumes in the bin.

Customizing your resume for every opportunity you apply to is essential, and we’ve created a faster and more strategic way to do so. Learn more about ATS Resume Generator™ and improve your resume today!