Have you ever applied for a sales position you feel you are qualified for only to receive a notice that you will not be considered for the role...or worse, you didn't get a response at all? More often than not, the problem is likely your resume. Like it or not, the content and layout of your sales resume could mean the difference between getting an interview or not. Creating a great sales resume is a critical first step for a successful job search. Your resume is how you sell yourself - which gets your foot in the door and differentiates you from the other candidates.
Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes a year and they are looking for anything that will either include or eliminate resumes and narrow down the list. Your background could be perfect for a sales position but if your resume doesn't reflect what the company is looking for your resume will be eliminated. The main reason is often people submit the same resume for every sales job they apply for. To do this, most people make their sales resume generic which makes their resume easy to overlook. Targeting your resume for each role will help you avoid this mistake. While proper formatting and clearly outlining your past experience will always be important, the use of "Key Words" in your sales resume is becoming more and more critical.
Most companies today use some type of recruitment software to track, store and manage resume submissions. The use of these types of programs allow companies to quickly search their database using key word searches that match the specific criteria required for a particular role. Doing research about the company, the role and its responsibilities will help you target your resume. Make notes of particular key words like hunter, account manager or territory management in the job description and be sure to include these in the body of your resume.
Your resume should also include key words that identify the:
Names of companies you have worked in or sold to;
Dollar amount of size of the sales you have closed;
Dollar value of sales targets and whether you consistently met or exceeded them;
Industry sectors you have experience selling in;
Top sales and business development skills you possess;
State if you have experience selling products, services or both;
Sales Management experience including number of direct reports;
Sales Awards or recognition you have received;
Years of sales experience (important for senior sales roles);
Education or sales certification you possess;
State whether you are more of a "hunter" or "farmer" and provide examples to back it up
Sales training or other professional development programs you have taken
Like them or not, sales resumes are an important step in the job search process. It may be difficult to summarize years of selling experience into two pages which makes in more important to include information companies are looking for Including key words that describe these parts of your background will get your resume noticed and bring you one step closer to landing your next great job in sales. The next step is selling yourself!
Good luck with your search!
