How to match your resume to a job description, and why it matters

Matching your resume to every different job description you apply for sounds like a lot of work, and it can be. But it's worth the extra effort to make sure you're surfacing as much of your relevant work experience as possible for the role, and it doesn't have to be a huge lift. Here's how to approach the process, step by step.

Why it matters

Before we dive into the process, let's take a moment to address why you need to do this in the first place. For better or worse, many companies rely on ATS (applicant tracking system) software to do a first pass on applicants' resumes. ATS takes a very straightforward approach to parsing resumes and comparing them with the relevant JD: it scans for keywords and specific skills and qualifications. In fact, according to Jobscan, 97.8% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of ATS.

Since ATS software is quite literal, you want to make your resume as obvious a fit for the role you're applying to as possible. That doesn't mean lying; it just means taking a step back to see how your resume could better be positioned to match the job in question.

How to match your resume to a job description, step by step

Read the job posting like a human

It's tempting to slip right into "robot mode" and try to decode the job description like an ATS would see it. But first, take a step back and actually absorb the meaning of the job description you're looking at.

Not only will this help you get a better understanding of what the key skills and types of experience this role requires, but it will also help you decide whether this job is something you're truly interested in the first place.

If you're human (which you are), you probably noticed that you started jumping to conclusions about whether or not you're even a good candidate for the role when you gave the job description your first read-through. But try not to dismiss the opportunity outright if you're actually interested in applying now that you have the full scoop on what the role entails. The next step is how you start to strategically bridge the gap.

To keep yourself focused on the bigger picture, focus on asking and answering these three things for any job description you read:

If the role isn't exciting after this read, skip tailoring and move on to another job.

Read the job description like a (pseudo) machine

If you've given the job description a thorough read-through and you're still interested in applying, now it's time to evaluate how you stack up.

Go through the job description again and read it through the lens of the ATS software. Remember, it's pretty literal. That doesn't mean it's out to get you; it just means it's not necessarily going to put two and two together if it's looking for proficiency in CMS tools like WordPress and your resume only refers obliquely to "Web Publishing."

So, pretend you're a very literal robot by parsing and sorting the key information in the JD with a keyword map exercise.

Break the job description down into the following:

Next, group these words into several (4-6) "buckets" that represent the job's core themes.

For example, a job description for an editor role might include these buckets:

Finally, take those "buckets" and make a two-column table.

On the left, list what the JD asks for with each bucket. On the right, list your closest matching proof. That could be a phrase or a bullet from your resume; whatever you have that demonstrates the skill in question.

For example, let's say the job description mentions that a role will "own daily publishing cadence," and in your resume, you list this as a responsibility for a previous role: "Coordinated daily deadlines across 4 writers." That's your proof that you can meet that requirement!

JD asks for Your proof
"Own daily publishing cadence" "Coordinated daily deadlines across 4 writers"
"CMS production (WordPress)" "Published features in WordPress"
"Collaborate with marketing and design teams" "Partnered with design and SEO teams to publish weekly features"

Spot the gaps

As you go about this process, you might notice that there are certain requirements in the JD where your resume doesn't surface anything relevant. Don't panic, but do note it. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, especially if you have similar, bridgeable experience that you can mention, but you should think about how ATS software will analyze this "gap."

At the very least, you'll want to address this requirement in your cover letter by pointing out any analogous skills or experience you bring to the table — such as if the job calls for experience editing medical texts, but you have experience editing science or legal texts that operate in a similarly high-compliance environment.

Important: There's a difference between ethically mirroring the language of a job description to tweak your accomplishments to fit the listing's language (ex: changing "worked with freelancers to publish ~10 stories a week" to "managed a team of writers and owned daily publishing workflow") and outright inventing tasks you didn't actually do. It's in your best interest to stick to the former; you want everything in your resume and cover letter to be interview-defensible, so you're as confident as possible when you move forward in the hiring process.

Tailor your resume content strategically

Now that you have both a high-level view of what the job entails and a nitty-gritty understanding of the exact skills, competencies, and outcomes performance in the role will be judged on, you can strategically adjust your resume to prove that you're a fit.

Start with those "buckets" you surfaced in Step 2. Since they represent the core duties and requirements of the role, you want to echo them in your resume, starting right at your summary/headline at the top of the page.

Optimize your resume summary/headline

Let's stick with the example of an editor role for this step. Here's what your revised headline could look like in your resume if you're submitting for a role that requires daily publishing, line-editing, and managerial duties:

Editor with daily publishing ops, developmental + line editing, and WordPress production; partners with freelance contributors; tracks quality and deadlines.

Rewrite your experience bullets

Now you'll apply that same approach at the level of each job you list on your resume.

Go bullet by bullet and make sure each line connects back to the job description buckets you identified earlier.

Quick tip: This is where Notch Resume comes in handy. When you paste your resume and a job description into Notch, you'll get three rewrite variants for the most important summary bullets. For each bullet, you'll get a conservative, keyword-match, and bold version — you pick the best one based on what fits your experience best. Notch also flags any risky language in the bullets (such as over-claiming ownership of a task) so you can double-check that the rewrites stay truthful.

Adjust your skills section

Reworking your resume bullets is the heaviest lift; once you've done that, you can move on to tweaking your skills and tools section to make it as ATS-friendly as possible.

Go back to the original job description and make sure your skills section addresses all the main requirements listed there. Use the exact terms from the JD; that means swapping in "WordPress" for "content management systems" if the JD references WP.

Once you have your updated skills list together, take another look at the job description and make sure your skills are ordered for relevance. That means the ones listed most prominently in the JD should be at the top of your list.

Optimize your resume format for ATS

As you finalize your resume for application, make sure you're sticking to the following best practices:

Do one last audit before submitting

Before hitting "Apply," run through this checklist to ensure your resume is as optimized as possible:

Don't despair if your resume still doesn't feel like a perfect match. The Notch Overall Match score gives you a good sense of how you stack up, with anything 75% and above indicating you have a decent chance. But remember; ATS doesn't spend much time on each resume — just a few seconds. So even tailoring just the top third of your page can make a difference.

Tailoring your resume isn't about reinventing yourself and your story; it's about making sure the right parts of it are front and center so they stand out for each role. Even small tweaks can make a measurable difference in how far your application goes.

Want to speed up this process?

Get instant rewrite suggestions, match scores, and gap analysis for any job description.

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Frequently asked questions about matching your resume

How many versions of my resume should I keep?

You should keep one master version of your resume and then tailor individual copies for each role you apply to. However, if you're applying for a variety of roles with various focuses — such as editorial, marketing, and content strategy — it could be worth keeping a master version for each.

What is the 7-second resume rule?

The 7-second rule refers to a study cited by TheLadders that claims that recruiters look at your resume for an average of 7.4 seconds before deciding whether or not you fit a given position. The takeaway for those searching for a job? Your resume should make it immediately clear that you're a fit for the role, by surfacing the key skills and experience as listed in the job description.

Is a cover letter still useful?

Yes, a cover letter is still useful. Not only is it often a required component of a job application, but a cover letter provides a great opportunity to sell yourself in language that goes beyond a keyword-heavy resume. The cover letter is also a great opportunity to explain how you bridge any key gaps between your experience and the job description requirements.

Is there a free match resume to job description tool?

There are several free tools that will take your resume and match it to a given job description. Notch Resume, for example, lets you upload a job description along with your resume and will deliver rewritten bullets that best fit the job. Notch also provides an Overall Match Score, flags key areas where you may need to bridge your experience, and gives you the main talking points to include in your cover letter.

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