Steve Burdan, CPRW

If you feel the training interview is going a bit off course, ask a question that can bring you back to the talking points in your Resume. Since the interview is an exercise in role-playing, you can tinker and test the transition process with your partner.

In a properly created Resume, the Objective Title, Branding paragraph and Core Competencies basket are the flexible sections that can be changed as needed for different job specs. The Job Description will highlight the key words or concepts that will determine what needs to be mirrored in the Resume's Profile area. Don't get sidetracked or stressed out about being original or letting your personality shine! Save it for the interview. Instead make sure you have lots of keywords and specific achievements that pop!

It is crucial for the jobseeker to connect the relevant dots for potential employers, and not assume they'll do it on their own! Be prepared to customize and modify your Resume - so make sure you have a flexible Profile section that allows you tweak quickly without rewriting the entire Resume.

Your main focus should be on the specific job description. What key words is the company looking for? Are these words woven into your Resume, esp. in the Profile area? Don't stress out about predicting or guessing what "industry trends" are - it's far too big and general a target to nail down. Recruiters and contacts can guide you in customizing your Resume if they have particular info about the opportunity.

The Cover Letter should be a "tiny version" of the Resume - as in, if the Resume is the film trailer to your career, the Letter should be the film trailer to your Resume. The Letter should be light and flexible for quick modifying - but be aware, there is literally no way to guarantee that it will "resonate" with every potential reader! Bottom-line, your Letter and Resume will eventually attract the right attention from potential employers. Don't get into a negative spiral of trying to be all things to all people - this is impossible and causes lots of stress anyway!

The goal in applying to any position at any level is to align with the actual job posting, instead of so-called "industry trends." It's very straightforward as long as the Cover Letter is not overwritten!