Trash Your "One Size Fits All" Resumes

The Wall Street Journal has a great blog "Laid Off And Looking" that I suggest you start reading.  Today's entry was titled: Managing the Imperfect Resume.

I decided to post a comment and wanted to share it with you:

"While the resume is a vital part of the job search, I also think it might be one of the most over-rated.  The reason?  It's a piece of personal marketing collateral.  And good marketing collateral is tailored to specific audiences. 

Most job seekers create "one size fits all" resumes.  These are the equivalent of spam email or mass mailings.

I'd recommend that your readers seek informational interviews first (without even sending a resume) and ask questions like:
* What is the profile of someone who has been successful in this department?
* What skill set is necessary to succeed?
* What are your areas of pain?
* What required skills or experiences are specific to this role and are likely not transferable?

Based on answers to these (and similar) questions, job seekers can tailor their resumes to meet the specific gaps and areas of pain to their target organizations.  You want to appear to be as close to "round peg, round hole" as possible."