In the latter, you are pursing
a known specific job opening.
Not exact matches
When you
know exactly who your audience is and can be very, very
specific, it
opens the minds of your networking partners and makes their
job of referring people to you much easier.
A resume with a profile statement (also
known as a resume summary statement) includes a summary of your skills, experiences, and goals as they relate to a
specific job opening.
For example, there are traditional cover letters (also
known as application letters), which are written to apply for
specific job openings.
If you don't
know of a
job opening but are interested in working for a
specific company, go through the process above anyway.
A letter of interest, also
known as a letter of inquiry or a prospecting letter, is sent to companies that may be hiring, but haven't listed a
specific job opening to apply for.
Customization is also key, so I advise my clients to target their resumes for
specific job openings; you don't want to lie about any skill set you don't have, but you do want to highlight key areas that you
know are going to be searched for.
If you're targeting a
specific job or position, a resume objective statement can help reinforce that idea as well as ensure that the hiring manager
knows EXACTLY what you're after... not just the generic «I wan na work for your company because I think it'll be cool so I'll take any
job you happen to have
open.»
Being as
specific as you can (
job titles and target employers) reminds people of
jobs they
know that might be
open and who else they
know who might be able to help you.
Just because you
know that you would be a perfect fit for a
specific opening doesn't mean you will get the
job.
You must
know what companies want when they advertise for a
specific job opening so that your resume covers those basics or bridges any gap between what you offer and the
job demands.