To us, the traditional sales job resume always seemed like kind of a dopey idea, but employers have to use something to winnow the pile of applications down to a manageable number so, by default, the sales resume has been and continues to be that tool. The light bulb over the head moment is when you realize that just because a traditional resume is what every other applicant for the position turns in, it doesn’t mean you have to follow that herd of zombies.
What you’ve got to do is make yourself stand out in the hiring manager’s eyes, and that doesn’t mean by taping cash to the top of your resume. Headhunter and best-selling author, Nick Corcodilos, claims the resume is “wildly over-rated” as a marketing tool to land you that much longed for sales job. Nick goes on to say that an employer spends no more than thirty seconds looking at your resume, and if he’s not interested by the time he reads the top half of the first page, you’re not going to get an interview.
Ponder all those hours you spent tweaking each word and punctuation mark in the document. How you agonized over font, color, and the like, just so some guy could whiz through the first few lines and make a snap judgment affecting your entire future on that basis. We’ll wait while you find the nearest trash can and quietly throw up in it.
Are you ready to proceed? Here’s what you shouldn’t list on your resume:
- companies you’ve worked for
- job titles
- work you’ve done
- accomplishments
- “key” words
- almost everything else you’ve learned about a “good” resume since high school
You should toss it all out, according to Mr. Corcodilo, and focus on one thing: Describe the specific problems and challenges that single employee faces and how you would profitably solve them. Think about it. Why would an employer really care where you’ve been, what you’ve done, or who you are? They’re trying to fill a sales job. No more. No less. The fact that it’s vacant is a very big problem for them. Solve the problem and land the job.
Don’t be afraid to step outside the box – just do it. Oh yeah, remember to include contact information.
The AIPIS Team
Flickr / SOCIALisBETTER