
How to Explain Gaps in Employment (Resume & Cover Letter)
An employment gap is a period of time (months of years) when a job seeker didn't have a job. While out of work, employees use their time to have children, travel or go to school full time.
You’re up against 200 other applicants. You look as generic as a no-name can of soup. Stand out in 3 billion colors with this guide for how to write a targeted resume to every job.
Did you know that, according to more than half of all recruiters, failure to target a resume can get you rejected instantly?
How do you not let it happen? What is a targeted resume, and how do you write one? So many questions and so little time. Don’t waste another minute, read our guide on creating a targeted resume to match a specific job opening, and don’t let opportunities slip!
This guide will show you:
Need a targeted resume sample? Check out: 500+ Sample Resumes for Any Job
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.
Why target every resume?
Because you want the job.
Picture this:
You apply to 150 jobs in a week. Wow! What a sense of accomplishment!
But—
Crickets.
You don’t hear back from any.
What went wrong?
You didn’t write a targeted resume.
The hiring teams assumed you were spamming them. (Spoiler alert: you were!)
That’s why each and every resume should be customized.
Sounds agonizing?
It’s not. Scroll down to see how to do it once. Then see how to do it fast.
Pro Tip: You’ll send less resumes when you target. But one targeted resume is worth ten cookie-cutter resumes. Slowing down saves time and gets more calls.
Want more tips to write a targeted resume? See our guide: How to Make a Resume for a Job [from Application to Interview in 24h]
“I’m pulling out my hair.”
Slow down.
It’s not hard.
You can target a resume in two steps.
Put targeted accomplishments in your resume summary (or career objective), experience section, education, and other resume sections.
For specifics, see the targeted resume samples below.
Pro Tip: The most important parts of a targeted resume are the company name and job title. Match those, and at least they’ll read your resume.
Now, here’s how to target your resume, section-by-section:
1
To target a resume—
Know the target.
Hint: It’s the job description.
Check out this real-world job posting. We’ll highlight the important parts.
LLJ construction is seeking a full-time construction project manager.
There’s our target.
It’s the skills, duties, job title, and company name.
We know what they want.
Now let’s hit it like Robin Hood.
Pro Tip: There’s a lot more to the above job description, but the most important skills and duties are near the top. Writing a targeted resume starts with priorities.
The job posting is packed with resume keywords. Use them in your targeted resume to impress a human hiring manager. See our guide: Resume Keywords To Use: Step-by-Step Guide
2
Uh-oh.
The hiring manager lost interest.
Why?
You didn’t target your resume summary.
You need to hit the target in the first six seconds or they’re gone like Kaizer Soze.
See how that works in these targeted resume examples:
Pretend you’re targeting a graphic designer job that needs 2+ years of experience. It’s for a company called Passalaqua Media.
They want skills in layout, production, infographics, brochures, logos, and advertisements.
Right |
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Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience. Seeking position as designer for Passalaqua Media. Skilled in layout and production. At XYZ designs, worked on an infographic project that received the 2018 BigCommerce Design award. Developed 250+ graphic design projects (brochures, infographics, logos, advertisements) that raised client transactions by 20%. |
Bullseye.
That’s a targeted resume sample because it mentions everything the job ad wants.
But watch how you can botch it:
Wrong |
---|
Highly-skilled graphic design professional seeking full-time designer position. Experienced in web design, creating print work, and laying out design jobs for client work. Received the 2018 BigCommerce Design award. Handled regular graphic design projects, including websites, marketing materials, and client artwork. |
Oops.
Still an impressive resume summary, right? But not targeted.
Items in blue missed the mark.
Pro Tip: See those numbers like 20% and 250+? They add a yardstick to your targeted skills. They say, “not only do I have what you want, but it’s huge.”
How do you write a resume summary? See our guide: Resume Summary Examples (30+ Professional Summary Statements)
3
“Wow, she’s already done this job!”
Aim for that reaction.
These targeted resume examples show how:
This targeted resume experience section is for a manufacturing engineer position.
Duties and skills are develop and implement manufacturing process improvements, Lean manufacturing, work with cross-functional teams, determine requirements, and Pokayoke.
Right |
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Manufacturing Engineer Baratheon NISDC 2014 - 2019
|
Dead center.
That targeted resume experience section hits the right spots. The percents and other metrics drive the point home.
But here’s a wide shot:
Wrong |
---|
Mechanical Engineer Baratheon NISDC 2014 - 2019
|
Whiff.
You seem like a competent engineer. But—
“He’s just not a good fit.”
None of those skills are in the job description. And it’s missing achievement.
Pro Tip: You don’t just write a targeted resume to use the right resume keywords. Yes, you want to impress the hiring software. But your real goal is to convince a human being.
How do you write a great targeted resume experience section? See our guide: Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Bullet Points Samples
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
4
Should you target your education?
Yes.
Even schooling can help in a targeted resume.
Do it like the other sections—with tailored achievements.
Let’s say the job needs a marketing specialist skilled in e-marketing, podcasts, and sporting goods marketing.
Right |
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2012-2015 MBA University of Arizona
|
But don’t do it like this:
Wrong |
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2012-2015 MBA University of Arizona
|
Swing and a miss!
Pro Tip: When is a targeted resume not advantageous? When you’ve got a mind-blowing work history that doesn’t fit the job you’re applying for at all.
Want more help targeting your resume education section? See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume
5
Target almost everything.
If it’s in your resume, it should fit the job.
Tailor your resume’s extra sections like this:
These targeted resume “bonus” sections are for a medical assistant job. Required skills are patient education and physical fitness.
Right |
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Additional Activities
Physical Fitness
|
He shoots, he scores!
But here’s a fail:
Wrong |
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Additional Activities
|
Nice try.
Again, it isn’t awful. But it’s not targeted.
Does all this tailoring feel like too much effort?
Let’s see how to speed it up.
Pro Tip: You don’t have to customize every part of a targeted resume. They didn’t say you had to be an AMSA member, but it helps!
How should you list volunteer work in a targeted resume? See our guide: How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume
6
“Wow! He has every skill we need!”
Your skills should reflect the job ad.
So—
Don’t list every single skill. They won’t read them all.
Just list the first 4–6 they mention.
Then add a couple so you’re not pandering.
Let’s say the job ad wants skills in account reconciliation, financial statements, IT, asset management. It also wants soft skills like communication and time management.
Right |
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Skills: account reconciliation, IT, financial statements, payroll, asset management, P&L
Soft Skills: communication, interpersonal skills, time management, critical thinking |
Touchdown!
But avoid this:
Wrong |
---|
Skills: Payroll, P&L, GAAP, month-end close, financial statements, tax accounting
Soft Skills: Interpersonal skills, critical thinking, business knowledge, attention to detail |
Maybe next time.
Pro Tip: You don’t have to tailor every single skill. Leave a few untargeted, like “payroll” and “interpersonal skills” above. Otherwise they may smell something fishy.
Need a list of resume skills for brainstorming? See our guide: 99 Key Skills for a Resume (Best List of Examples for All Types of Jobs)
7
“This will take forever!”
Nope.
After you lay the groundwork, you’ll do it lightning-fast.
The first step? Write a generic, non-targeted resume.
Get these things right:
Store that as a resume template.
When you apply for a job, swap out parts from your “master list.”
Don’t have a master list?
That’s next.
Pro Tip: Whenever you apply to a job, make a copy of your generic resume. Replace all the targeted parts in the new copy and leave your targeted resume template intact.
8
“What’s a master list?”
It’s a list of all your skills and achievements.
It can be 4–6 pages long.
Take some time to brainstorm it. Add every skill and everything impressive in your career.
But here’s the trick:
Match your generic resume to the job ad by adding bullets from your master list.
After the first few times, you’ll write a targeted resume in 10 minutes.
Want to check your work? After you tailor your resume, check it in the Jobscan resume scanner. It’s a free ATS resume scan that shows your tailored resume score.
Pro Tip: Once you’ve got a targeted resume template, you should be able to apply to a new job every hour. That’s eight jobs a day or 160 a month in full-time job search mode.
Want more tips to tailor your resume to the job description? See our guide: 6 Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description
You need to target your cover letter too. See our guide: How to Write a Cover Letter for a Resume
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Summary: How to write a targeted resume:
What’s your best career achievement? Do you still have questions about how to write a targeted resume? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!
An employment gap is a period of time (months of years) when a job seeker didn't have a job. While out of work, employees use their time to have children, travel or go to school full time.
How to write a general cover letter? Copy our sample generic cover letter template, adjust and use it to land an interview. Read more!
Check out the best blank resume templates. Pick a resume form, fill in the blanks. Have your resume ready in 5 minutes. Download your resume as PDF.