Resume Design: Creating the Right Resume for the Right Job

Whether you're a new college grad with little or no experience or a seasoned veteran with years under your belt, you might reach a time in your career when you need to specifically create a resume for the job you want.

Maybe you want to try something new. Or perhaps you've gained a lot of experience in a variety of areas and now you would like to focus on one specific area. Maybe you've just graduated with a degree in a field you enjoyed studying, but really don't want to turn it into a career. How can you adapt your resume to show you have the educational background and work experience that is ideally suited to the position you want?

Here are five tips on what you can do.

Identify the hard skills required for the position.

When you review a job posting, you should carefully note exactly what skills the company is seeking. Consider this job ad:

All it takes is your four-year degree and one year general office experience to jump-start a career as a Claims Evaluator. Ideal candidates will be highly self-directed with strong multi-tasking, communication and organization skills and the ability to build superior relationships with both internal and external customers. Must be an innovative problem solve and computer literate.

What immediately gets your attention? It should be that you need a college degree along with a year of office experience and computer skills. These are the hard skills required for this position. Hard skills are learned skills and include abilities you have gained through education, training, and on the job experience.

Identify the soft skills required for the position.