Is This on Your Resume?

One of the most common errors while writing a resume is failure to properly describe companies with which you have been associated. Your instant response to this allegation would be that I do mention the names of companies with whom I have worked, otherwise how can I create my resume. Well, if you happen to have worked for Microsoft, Apple or Chevron, the mere mention of the name would suffice. But if the company is not renowned, then name alone is not enough. Remember, company name doesn’t indicate everything about your work experience. Sometimes it indicates nothing.

Most applicants fail to understand this subtle point and think that by default HR department knows about their past employers. Sometimes seasoned, professional resume writers even commit this mistake and provide inadequate descriptions about the past employers of their clients. This creates a plethora of questions and this is the last thing an interviewer wants and leaves him uncertain about your work experience.

If you have worked in a high profile, specialized sector, perhaps each company knows the others. If you’re applying in local market, your prospective employer may know about your previous company. But this is a risk laden approach and is based on assumptions. You should apprise about all details of your previous employer.

You may still get an interview if you fail in this regard, as it is not a cardinal sin compared to other blunders in resume writing. But you have to demonstrate your uniqueness and this requires you to isolate yourself from the crowd. Average standards rarely work and competitiveness in today’s world has made mediocrity redundant. Amongst the scores of applicants who fail to provide details about their employers, you should capitalize and provide details about your previous employers. A prospective employer will acknowledge this and this strategy will provide you with a head start in capturing an interview, since your resume will provide more answers than the rest.

Once you get an interview on the this basis, your interviewer wont delve deep into your work history and seek clarifications-hence finishing the interview on a positive theme and increasing your probability of getting the job.

A company’s description should read something like any of the below given examples:

Leading supplier/ distributor of surgical equipment to over 500 hospitals nation- wide with annual sales amounting to $ 20 m. Exporter of meat (mutton/beef) to Gulf and European markets with exports over 100,000 tons annually

Local department store with 5 branches across the city, serving since 1970. Ironically, a resume is very rarely completely screened. The resume initially gets browsed, then the next time it gets scanned, and finally it gets a detailed reading. But there has to be a genuine reason for the reader to reread it. Otherwise most resumes falter at the browsing phase.

Fact: Hiring personnel get so devastated by the huge response they receive, that they normally reject majority of resumes.

This implies: if your resume needs to be understood or explained, or doesn’t represent all requisite information, most probably you won’t be considered.

If you’re transiting from say public to private sector, state this in your objective and briefly explain in your covering letter. Remove confusion before it arises with positivity and objectiveness.

Describing your previous employers is only one of dozen tactics to ensure your resume gets heard. Remember, your resume is the only advocate for your cause and it needs to be heard, so leave no excuse. It is the key to unlock the door to your prosperity.

Author Bio: Bryan Goldberg is a professional resume writer and is highly passionate about writing instructive articles about resume writing. He is a widely renowned career expert, having worked with industry leaders in progressive positions in the human resources department.For more information about resume writing services, be sure to visit http://www.resumedocket.com

Category: Jobs
Keywords: resume, resume writing, resume writing services

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