A generic resume competes against versions written for that exact posting. Tailoring means surface the experience, tools, and outcomes the job description names—while keeping the file parseable and true.
What “tailored” actually means
Mirror the posting’s language for titles, tools, and responsibilities you really have.
Reorder or emphasize bullets so the strongest matches appear first.
Keep standard section headings so ATS parsers and recruiters can scan quickly.
Drop or de-emphasize experience that is irrelevant to this role.
A practical order of work
Read the full job description once for must-haves vs. nice-to-haves.
Highlight exact phrases that match your background (tools, methods, scope).
Rewrite 3–6 bullets under the most relevant roles to lead with those matches.
Update Skills so the highest-signal terms from the JD appear in plain text.
Export a clean single-column DOCX or text-based PDF for the portal.
What to avoid
Copy-pasting the entire job description into your resume.
Claiming tools or scope you have not used.
Keyword stuffing or white-text tricks—still risky and often visible in previews.
Two-column or heavily designed layouts for portal uploads; keep a linear version for ATS.
Athena’s role
Athena ATS scores your resume against the job description you paste and rewrites for that posting.
First rewrite is free. Founding Beta is $8/mo or $59/yr. No interview guarantee.