Do you have a question?

Please write to dearsam@dispatch.com. Samantha Nolan is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer with a graduate degree in Marketing and Communication and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing firm.

For more information, call 614-570-3442 or 1-888-9-LADYBUG or visit www.ladybug-design.com.

Dear Sam: I enjoy reading your weekly résumé advice columns. You provide very useful insights. In a recent column, you mentioned that the job seeker should create a targeted résumé for a specific position. Could you provide an example to illustrate your point? – John

Dear John: You don't have to develop an entirely new résumé for each job posting; however, a one-size-fits-all résumé rarely is effective because the information provided to each hiring manager is diluted and doesn't "speak their language."

A one-size-fits-all résumé does not position the candidate for one type of opportunity; it more so highlights soft skills and a person's ability to perform a multitude of jobs. Although in fact this might be true, a résumé has to be a more strategic document that positions the candidate for what they want to do. Think of a résumé as a brochure for a product. It should position clearly the product (you!) as appealing to the buyer (the hiring manager) and tout the features and benefits (your experience and skills) that are of interest to your target audience (the hiring authorities in the industry/field in which you are interested). It is only when you have an idea of what you want to do that you can develop an effective positioning strategy to attract the "right" interest in your candidacy. This doesn't mean you have to develop an entirely new résumé for each posting, it just means you have to be more targeted about your communication.

I've presented an example here to illustrate that you can leave your options open while developing a targeted marketing piece. Charlotte was interested in opportunities aligned with her experience in retail management in addition possibly to branching out into a merchandising role, so her résumé was developed with both objectives in mind. You'll notice I split the qualifications summary between the two objectives, highlighting merchandising related achievements first. I also used a creative design to engage the hiring manager and reinforce Charlotte's orientation towards design. As her objectives were in the same general field, one résumé could accomplish these objectives effectively; however, for a candidate with more diverse objectives, two distinct résumés would be more effective.