History Reports: When Your Resume Equals, "I did this, I did this, I did this"

When you read your resume out loud, does it sound like a history report? Even with many adjectives the theme can surprisingly sound repetitive.

Do these sound familiar?

“I worked for…”
“My responsibilities were…”
“My duties included…”

Does a prospective employer care about what you “did for other companies”? Of course they do, but that doesn’t mean that’s what they really want to know. Conducting a job search is a marketing campaign, moreover, a sales process, not your personal history lesson.

Do you consider obtaining a position a sales process? If not, you should. There are many ways to make a sale but all of them include a marketing campaign. Your resume is your marketing tool. It is your most important marketing tool. Make sure your marketing tools reflect what you bring to a company, not what you once brought to other companies.

Does a hiring manager care about what your duties were in a position you had 10 years ago? Maybe, if they are associated with a position you are seeking.

Is a hiring manager more concerned with your abilities to handle the duties of their open position? You betcha! Any professional marketer or salesman will tell you that “building value” is key when conducting a sale.

“How do I build value in a resume?”, you may be asking. When it comes to a resume, there are several ways. Certainly you want to include prior responsibilities, but you may also want to expound on them as well (assuming that they are applicable to the position you are applying for).

•List the duties and responsibilities of applicable positions

•Showcase successes with each of these duties. Because of your efforts, did revenue increase? Did profitability? Did your efforts result in streamlining costs? Did you save your prior company money?

•Articulate an ability to continue these successes with your next company.

Show your next employer that you will excel at the position before they determine if you will.

Remember, you are marketing yourself to these hiring managers, not just telling them what you have done. The concept of an effective resume is to look at it from a reader’s point of view, not a writer’s point of view. Does a prospective employer care about what you’ve done for others? Or what you can do for them?

About the Author

Steven Bristow is a senior consultant for R.L. Stevens & Associates Inc. http://interviewing.com/
, a career marketing firm and organization celebrating over 24 years of providing strategic marketing solutions for its clients’ career transitioning needs.

Written by: Steven Bristow