Having a polished and tailored resume helps you stand out to potential employers. However, customizing your resume for each job application can be time-consuming. That’s where a master resume comes in. A master resume is a comprehensive document that contains all your work experiences, skills, education, certifications, and accomplishments. This document lets you easily pull the relevant information to create a targeted resume for each job application. Here’s how you can create a master resume in five simple steps.

How Can You Create a Master Resume?

Step 1: Gather All Relevant Information

The first step in creating a master resume is to compile all the information you might need for any job application. This includes:

• Work Experience: List all your previous jobs, including internships, part-time positions, freelance work, and volunteer experiences. Include the company name, job title, location, and dates of employment.
• Education: List your degrees, certifications, training courses, and other educational achievements. Include the institution’s name, degree or certification earned, and dates attended.
• Skills: Create a comprehensive list of your skills, both hard and soft. Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities like computer programming, data analysis, or foreign languages. Soft skills are more about personality traits, including communication, leadership, and time management.
• Accomplishments: List your achievements in each role, such as awards, recognitions, successful projects, and any quantifiable metrics highlighting your contributions.
• Professional Development: Include any workshops, seminars, webinars, or conferences you’ve attended that are relevant to your field.

By compiling all this information, you ensure that nothing is overlooked when it comes time to tailor your resume for specific job applications.

Step 2: Organize Your Information

Once you have gathered all the necessary information, the next step is to organize it logically. The best way to do this is to divide your master resume into sections, such as:

• Contact Information
• Summary/Objective Statement
• Work Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Certifications and Licenses
• Professional Development
• Accomplishments

Each section should be clearly labeled, and the information within each section should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent items appearing first.

Step 3: Highlight Key Achievements

While your master resume will be comprehensive, it’s important to ensure that your key achievements stand out. Under each job entry, highlight specific accomplishments that showcase your skills and contributions. Use action verbs to describe your role and quantify your achievements where possible. For example, instead of saying, “Managed a team,” you could say, “Managed a team of 10, increasing productivity by 20% over six months.”

These highlighted achievements will be the sections you’ll most likely include in tailored resumes, so make sure they’re easy to identify.

Step 4: Update Regularly

A master resume is a living document that should be updated regularly. When you complete a new project, gain a new skill, or receive a new certification, add it to your master resume. Regular updates ensure that your master resume is always current, making it easier to pull relevant information when applying for new roles.

Remember to review and update your master resume at least every six months or whenever you experience a significant career milestone.

Step 5: Tailor for Each Job Application

The final step is to use your master resume to create targeted resumes for each job application. Carefully review the job description and identify the most relevant skills and experiences. Then, select the appropriate sections from your master resume to create a tailored version that aligns with the job requirements.

By customizing your resume for each job application, you increase your chances of catching the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

Step 6: Send Your Resume to CPS

Creating a master resume is an efficient way to manage your job search process. CPS can help. Our full-service recruiting team helps professionals find the perfect job to fit their career goals. Check out our job board and send us a resume to start the conversation.