“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my ax”

~ Abraham Lincoln
Spend time sharpening your resume!

Misconceptions verses Reality About Resumes

Misconception #1:

Resumes should only be one page.

Reality:

This is not true.  Your resume should contain all the information that sells you and your abilities to an employer.  Rule of thumb is one page for every ten years of experience.

Misconception #2:

Fancy resumes get noticed more than plain ones.

Reality:

This is also not true.  Resumes that contain many lines or unique spacing often cannot be imported correctly into company databases.  While they may be good to view as a hard copy in today’s world computer searching capability is vital.  The most widely used format by sales professionals is typically done in Microsoft Word utilizing .doc or .rtf format.

Misconception #3:

Someone will read my resume and determine if I have the skills necessary for the job.

Reality:

Candidates are plentiful in today’s market.  What will make you stand out amongst your competition is being a “superstar” or an overachiever with a winning attitude.  A sales manager will view your resume and make a determination of your abilities in a matter of seconds.  You have only those few seconds to make your impression.  Keep in mind they are seeking someone to sell their product.  Show them you can!

Misconception #4:

If I add an objective statement to the top of my resume, the employer will know I am interested in the position.

Reality:

Keep this in mind:  An objective statement is a statement about what you want, not what the employer wants.  Start your resume with a sales statement about what you offer as an employee.  View an example.