Why Make Multiple Versions of a Resume?

Having a polished resume highlighting your professional attributes is job hunting 101, but Jim’s question for the WorkInSports Podcast takes it a bit further this week.

“Hey Brian, big fan of your podcast. I have a professor who is advising us to have multiple versions of our resume. I’m a junior in college. He gave us this advice, but he couldn’t explain why. I pressed him on why and he said he heard you talk about it on one of your podcasts. I would like to ask, why should we have multiple (versions) of our resume?”

Your resume is the most important document you will ever create, and therefore, it has to measure up to the highest possible standard. For that very reason, we have gone over resume writing tips before on the WorkInSports Podcast.

Resumes are extremely subjective, so it is difficult to pin down an exact way to put one together. There’s no perfect resume; there are simply best practices to follow when putting yours together. One of the most important traits of a good resume is its ability to get you through automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

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Because WorkInSports is a job board platform geared toward sports career matchmaking between aspiring employees and hiring organizations, WorkInSports Podcast Host Brian Clapp naturally dives into a football reference regarding his resume writing tips: Football teams have a basic scheme for how they want to play (your base resume). However, they tweak their game plans based on what they see in their upcoming opponent each week to maximize their odds for success (highlight different skills based on the job posting).

Fundamentally, you want a basic (maybe even boring) resume that won’t trip up the Applicant Tracking Systems where you apply, along with a visually appealing version of your resume that will entice a human being to look at it.

Catch the full episode to learn the best resume practices tips that give you the best chance of building a sports career, and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast wherever you listen. If you want some visuals, check out and subscribe to the WorkInSports YouTube Channel!