Is it possible to have a great resume, but not get called in for an interview? Sure, happens all the time.

Many people write a generic resume, one that shows their qualifications for a number of different positions — like marketing, advertising, and technical writing. Resumes are difficult to write (even for writers and HR professional), and many people would rather not have to create one at all. So, creating three can seem overwhelming. Even if you are a good writer and can do-it-all, you’ll do better to create separate three separate resumes.

Here’s how you can customize your resume and triple your chances for an interview, with less work:

1. Customize based on job and industry combinations. You don’t need to customize your resume for each position, but rather for each group of positions based on the industry and job function. These groups are called “targets” or “target positions.” So if you’re interested in marketing and technical writing, in both the insurance and banking industries, you need four versions of your resume.

2. The smallest change is the most powerful. Use the objective statement to tell your next boss that you want a job in their department and industry AND what your biggest qualification is: “A _____ position in the _____ industry, using my _____ qualification.” Many applicants get interviews based on this alone.

3. Tweak your career summary. Change your career summary by highlighting skills, experience, and accomplishments that are most relevant for your target position. Use words like “creative” for a marketing position, and “analytical” for a technical writer job. List accomplishments from jobs that are similar to the target job.

4. Your job experience section will mostly remain the same. You don’t need to change much in your job experience. You obviously won’t delete any jobs (which creates gaps). Once you are seen as qualified for the target position, the rest of your background will make you look well rounded.

Ready to learn more about how to get more interviews for each resume you send out?

Download my FREE 12-page report, “Anatomy of a Perfect Resume,” at http://www.magneticresume.com so you can learn:

* The 4 most common deadly mistakes that people make and how to fix them!
* How to create the perfect Career Objective & Career Summary sections
* How to maximize your resume so you’re the candidate your next boss wants to meet!

Scott Shane Holt has seen it all while hiring over 100 people on Wall Street, in good times and bad, and as an executive coach helping managers and other professionals accelerate their careers.

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