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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

5 Sales Resume Errors

Posted Thursday, June 14, 2012, at 6:39 PM

When going for a sales interview, it is imperative that you have a striking resume. A sales resume, sales experts state, often decides whether you get a nod or a thumbs down from the interviewer. Here are 5 sales resume mistakes that you must avoid.

1. An ambiguous career objective

Your career statement tells the interviewer what you expect from your next job, what your long-term goals are, and if your current career move is aligned with your long-term goals. That is why it is imperative that you spell out your career objective clearly and unambiguously. For instance, if you are someone who excels in finding a new business, state this in your career objective. You can find more advice on this subject at sales-resume.org. This will send a message to the interviewer that you know what your strengths are and what you expect from your next job.

2. Incomplete or missing personal information at the top of your sales resume

Sometimes, hiring experts state, small things such as lack of personal information at the top of the sales resume can make a world of difference. You not only need to impress your interviewers, but also need to help them find you after you've convinced them that you're the best person for the job. Personal information at the top of your resume may not seem like a big deal to you, but ask any interviewer, and he/she will tell you how important it is.

3. Listing skills and experience without any point of reference

Many interviewees make the mistake of giving a detailed account of their skills, qualifications, and experience on the first page of their resume followed by just a brief account of the jobs they have held.

A brief account of your qualifications and skills in the beginning of the resume is indeed important, but a detailed account can be counterproductive- especially if you say nothing in this regard under the different positions you have held.

The right strategy is to provide a brief outline of your skills, qualifications, and experience in the start and then expand on them while describing the jobs you have held so far.

4. No description of previous employers

Another common mistake, hiring experts state, that interviewees do is not provide a brief outline of each company for which they've worked for. You should take care to not do this mistake as it may affect your chances of getting the desired job.

Interviewees must give a brief description--one or two lines--of their past recruiters. You must provide the following information about each company you've worked for:

* The type of industry a company belongs to

* What is its standing in the industry

* Who are its main customers

5. Absence of figures in the resume

In sales, numbers are paramount and usually reveal all there is to know. For instance, favorable figures irrefutably convey your ability as a sales professional. That is why it is important that you list you sales number along with respective targets for each year. For instance, if you have met targets consistently in the last 5 years, mention the figure for each year. This will have a more profound impact than a simple statement such as, "Overachieving targets continuously for past 5 years". It is also important that you mention any awards or accolades that you received from your previous employers. Pay attention to details when preparing your sales resume. It will convey your worth more forcefully to your prospective employers.


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Thank you. We have so many people who come through our door who do not even know how many weeks that there are in a year.

I enjoy your thoughts and tips.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Thu, Jun 14, 2012, at 7:28 PM


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I am a master's level career counselor. I am internationally certified as a Career Management Practitioner (CMP) by the Institute for Career Certification International and has been recognized as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors.