Have you ever made a ‘perfect’ resume and a cover letter and sent it to all the companies you wanted to apply for a position there? Or, have you heard of someone who made one version of the application and sent it to hundreds of companies? I am sure you have.

I want to tell you all, why it is so important to prepare a customized application and to increase your job searching success rate. I highlighted three main reasons for customized application and I hope you will be convinced from now on.

1. It proves you are the perfect candidate for the job, not just a qualified candidate

When you write your resume, highlight your past experiences and educations which are specifically adding points to the job you apply for. You need to read the job description carefully and imagine what kind of person they are looking for. Having this ‘person’ in your mind, and write your resume to describe yourself with the backgrounds that fit into this profile. Even though companies post the same job positions, the requirements are not 100% the same. The same job positions will cover slightly different responsibilities in different companies. The differences are where you need to pay attention to, and craft your resume to show you have the qualifications for it. Let’s say you have done 10 big projects in your past job, now you are applying for a job which requires the skills and experiences from the past 5 projects you have done. So, highlight the 5 projects in your work experiences, describe what you have done, and what you have achieved (better in numbers). Going back to read the job description again, try to use similar verbs and terms in your resume. It will help you to stand out from the HR keywords search system.

Instead of trying hard to figure out if you are the right candidate for this position, the recruitment manager will immediately identify that you have all the right skills and experiences for THIS position.

Write your resume to help the recruitment manager find out you are a perfect candidate in the shortest time possible. Leave the additional non-position relevant experiences to the interview session, if those can be your bonus points.

2. It shows your strong interests in the job and the company

Coverletter tells a lot if the candidate has done enough research and is eager to get this job. If you switch position with recruitment manager, would you most likely to keep the candidate who wrote a cover letter to you, for this position, in this company? or would you most likely to choose the candidate whose cover letter is well written but so general that it shows nothing about how he or she is interested in your company and this position? You know the answer yourself. If you really want the job, I suggest you do extensive research on the company, the position, and talk to someone who works there. You will gain more insights about the job and company. Maybe you know more about their culture, their performance, and their business. During this process, you will either be more convinced and more eager to work there or the contrary. Whichever it is, you will have more clarity on finding the most suitable job for you. When you start to write a cover letter, you are telling a personal story of why you want the position and why you are a perfect candidate for it. In the cover letter, you could also add a bit of information about the company, that you are inspired about. It could be a CSR program or employee cultural activities. It really shows that you have done your research and you are eager to work there. Companies are rather to hire someone who wants to work there, rather than someone who just want a job.

3. It helps you to find your dream job

When you go through the process of reading the job description carefully, imaging what kind of person they are looking for, doing research on the company, talking to people who work there, you will find a great amount of information. By then, you will have an idea or let’s say, a feeling, or if you want to work there or not. One exercise I do is to imaging that I receive the job. Would I feel excited about it, or just soso, or even worse that I don’t want this offer? If the answer is EXCITEMENT, I will spend time and energy on making the customized resume, write a personal (I mean tailor to this company and position) cover letter, gather the information that I can use either in my application letters or in the interview. And I keep doing this with all the jobs I want to apply.

“Looking for a job is a full-time job.” Use your time wisely and it will greatly increase the chance of getting the right job for you.

In short, you need to think from the recruiter’s point of view and do things that make you stand out from other candidates. If you keep doing this, I am sure you are getting closer and closer to your dream job, and finally, you will find the right one for you. Good luck and don’t give up!