Your Resume is Not Your Job Description

By Rhonda Werner, Recruiting Consultant

If you are looking to bore those who are reviewing your resume in consideration of hiring you, be sure to write it just as you would see your job description listed in a job ad. Seriously, nothing is less exciting to review in a resume than the long litany of “responsibilities” as they are listed in your job description.

What does that tell me as someone looking to hire you?  I see what you are SUPPOSED to do.

I am looking to hire someone who has had SUCCESS doing X, Y and Z.

There is a huge difference in a resume that lists their job duties verses what they have accomplished.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

Measurables are the items that we want to see listed in your resume.  Yes, there more than likely will be some “job duties” listed that don’t necessarily have a measurable attached to it, but if your job was a salesman in a territory for the last 4 years and you don’t list any of your successes or growth numbers, sales volume, etc., that leads me to believe you’ve had little to no success in that role. I understand that people sometimes don’t like to brag on themselves, that’s what they see this as, but at the end of the day, if you are seriously looking to make a career change, you must leverage your success.

Details are also important.  I always tell people to write their resumes as if the person reading it has no idea what the company you work for does, nor is even from your industry.  I want specifics!  Give me the details. What is your specific territory? What customers are you working with? If it’s not proprietary information and it could catch the eye of a potential employer, we want to know.

The only similarity your resume should have with a job description is the use of bullet points.  That is about it.  Make yours stand out. Give us the details and successes, because if they are not listed, we will just believe they don’t exist and move on to the next candidate. To learn more about our recruiting process, visit our page for job seekers here.