How to Customize Your Résumé

Take a look at the description of the role of Field Marketing Coordinator at Publix, a supermarket chain based in Florida. Think about how you would describe your skills and experience to align with this role.

Show Off Transferable Skills and Experience

Suppose that you are interested in this marketing job but you have never worked in marketing before. Your most significant job experience has been working as a Sales Associate at a Gap clothing store. You also have the skills and experience that you have accumulated from attending school. Looking at the bullet points above, how could you connect your retail experience at the Gap with this job description? A good first step is to go through and highlight key words and think about how your experiences could be used to explain that you have transferable skills.

1. Retail operations
   
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   Even though Gap sells clothing and not groceries, it’s still a retailer and you should describe what your responsibilities were in the “retail operations.”

   • Retail operations experience includes daily customer interactions while providing a high level of personalized service, familiarity with inventory controls, creating product displays, and processing transactions.
2. Computer skills
   
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   You definitely use the computer as a student. If you are a business major, it’s very likely that you will have used at least Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You might also be familiar with using Google tools. Make sure to specifically list “computer skills” in the skills section of your resume and name the software that you have used.

   • • Computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Canva, point-of-sale system.
3. Knowledge of marketing and advertising
   
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   While you may not have been making decisions about marketing and advertising, you certainly have knowledge about the Gap’s marketing and promotions. Combined with what you have learned about in your marketing classes, you have both academic and practical knowledge and can probably give some good examples.

   • Knowledge of marketing and advertising including understanding of customer needs and preferences; extensive knowledge of product offerings; and familiarity with planning and execution of promotional activities such as sales, discounts, and special events.
4. Strong written and verbal communication skills
   
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   You probably interacted with customers whenever you worked at the Gap by using verbal communication. If you ever needed to message your boss or co-workers about work, that’s written communication. When you describe these experiences, make sure to use the wording that appears in the job description.

   • Strong written and verbal communication skills developed through daily interactions with customers and collaborating with teammates.
5. Ability to work well with others and to be an effective team player
   
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   You probably had co-workers and a manager in the store with you at the Gap. Use this wording to describe your interactions and how they contributed to the “retail operations.”

   • Ability to work well with others and be an effective team player in a fast-paced retail operation with high customer and sales volume.
6. Obvious enthusiasm, initiative, and pride
   
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   Again, use these words to describe your work experience.

   • Team player contributing enthusiasm, initiative, and pride in customer interactions to increase sales volume by establishing personal connections and demonstrating attention to detail in responding to customer needs.

Highlight Relevant Knowledge

The bullet points above also list different areas of knowledge that Publix is looking for such as marketing and advertising functions, demographic influences on customer shopping patterns, and advertising options. When you are seeking your first job after college, you may not have job experience that used this knowledge but you may have learned about them in school. In that case, highlight that knowledge in the education section of your résumé with bullet points. For example:

• Coursework includes: marketing and advertising functions, demographic influences on customer shopping patterns, and advertising options
• Capstone project examined project management within large retail organizations
• Senior thesis examined how strategic communication efforts influenced customer shopping patterns

Remember, be honest but carefully reflect on how your experiences can be described to align with the skills the employer is seeking.