Resume Writing Tips for Technology Sales Professionals
- Numbers—Include the quota you carried, and your % of quota obtainment, sales rankings, club numbers, etc...
- Action Verbs—Start each bullet with an action! Power pack your resume with action verbs that describe your accomplishments.
- Resist the temptation to stretch it—Most people feel a little pressure to over polish and exaggerate their achievements. Don’t fall into the temptation. If you don’t have a degree, its ok—don’t make things up. If you failed to hit your numbers, don’t say you did. If you are unemployed, don’t write 2009-present.
- Keep it chronological—Traditional works best. Keep things in chronological order, otherwise your resume is more likely to be deleted right out of the gate.
- Crisp and Clear—Now more than ever, written communication is important. If you can’t write clearly, it appears that you can’t think clearly. Make sure to keep it crisp and not too wordy.
- Formatting—Your resume makes or breaks your first impression. Like it or not, the reality is people do read resumes and make snap judgments. They use your resume to determine if you are crazy, eccentric, disorganized, flaky, unlucky, etc... Make sure your resume is making the right first impression.
- Strike the Right Balance—Resumes can be overworked or sparse. Overworked says you are overcompensating for poor performance and lack of proper credentials, under-worked says you don’t know how to use a computer and/or lack polish. The key here is to strike the right balance.
- Just the Truth—Don’t stretch dates and turn your resume into a fiction novel. This point is listed twice because more than 80% of resumes are said to have some elements of fiction.
- Give the Details—Providing pertinent details will increase your odds of interview selection. Be sure to include names of blue-chip clients, titles of prospects, average deal size, quota, products and quantifiable results.
- The Goal is to Keep it Sharp—Your resume should reflect sharp and concise communication. Keep it brief, relevant and devoid of fluff. Sales resumes that are power packed with high content in an easy to read format will make the strongest first impressions.
