For example a job advertisement for a manager at software store may state that a candidate must have a college degree and customer service experience. An applicant with a degree in business management may not be as qualified as say, someone with a degree in Anthropology, depending work history, experience, and special talents. Let's say both candidates have relatively equal amounts of customer service experience. The applicant with a business degree may not have much experience with computers or software. The applicant with the anthropology degree may have made computers her hobby. A retail management job probably also requires good organizational skills, a thorough understanding of the products sold, and leadership abilities.
In this instance, the Business major may highlight his or her management experience and training while simply omitting or downplaying her lack of experience with software. On the other hand, the Anthropology major may highlight his knowledge of computers and software while downplaying his lack of business training.
Read between the lines with considering job advertisements to determine what skills are most important to an individual employer, then spend time tailoring your resume to match those skills. Use this information to determine the vocabulary used in the document, which skills to highlight in the document, and how to structure the document.
