15Octproject@projectArticles by Lima Sehgal, Resume Writing, Resume Writing Tips, Resumesolutions

WHAT YOUR CV SHOULD CONTAIN & LOOK LIKE IN 2022

Jobseekers must ensure that their CV is constantly updated as per emerging market trends and standards and should effectively say to recruiters/ hiring managers -“Hey, I am the best candidate for the job“. Here is what your CV should broadly contain and look like in 2022 to ensure that it gets you noticed by recruiters:

OVERVIEW/ SUMMARY

Your CV must begin with a synopsis of a) who you are, b) how much experience you have and c) what sort of work you are primarily handling.
This should come right on top – it is a glimpse of what your CV contains. The recruiter should read the overview and say – “This candidate fits the profile”.
Do NOT include a career objective – it has fallen out of use. Including one reflects poorly on your ability to understand job-market trends.
Tailor your overview/summary according to the vacancy you are applying to as much as possible.
Understand what the role entails – and ensure you emphasize those attributes that show that you will fit the role.

JOB SECTION

Your CV must contain a brief history of your employment in reverse chronological order.
Avoid listing routine job functions in too much detail.
Focus of the functions you have handled that match the job that you are currently applying for.
Don’t let you CV exceed 3 pages. It should ideally be two pages.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Routine job responsibilities you manage are not what employers look for. The employer wants to know what you accomplished. Employers like to see quantifiable achievements on resumes – use facts and numbers to show how you positively contributed to a company.
Don’t list all your achievements together – each job mentioned in your experience section should also have a corresponding achievements section showing what you achieved at that particular job.

DESIGN

Your CV should be simple and sober.
Don’t use more than one colour (other than black and white) on your CV. The colour you use should not be too loud and bright.
Make sure the formatting is consistent.
Do not try to insert fancy designs and graphics which distracts attention from the text.
Decide what you wish to show in your resume and find a brief way to say it. Use brief sentences that describe your roles and responsibilities. Lengthy sentences are boring to read and the recruiters may lose interest or patience while reading it.
Simple language is easier for the recruiters to comprehend – fancy words which force the recruiter to reach for a dictionary are not going to take your candidature very far.
Minimize the use of industry specific jargon that a recruiter may not be familiar with.
Use a simple font such as Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. These are fonts that are available on most computers, so are easy to open. Also they look near and tidy.
Use a font size that’s readable – 10 to 12 points works best. Use bold and italics only to highlight job titles.

CONTACT DETAILS

Your CV must list your phone number and e-mail details at the very top. This allows recruiters to contact you easily if they think you are right for the job.
Your Address and your LinkedIn can be listed at the bottom of your CV.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Don’t include marital status, exact place of residence, photograph, hobbies and religion . It might lead to unconscious discrimination – and it is unnecessary for the hiring process.

FORMAT – USE PDF

Save your resume as a PDF, so you won’t have to worry about the formatting of your word documents getting distorted or the recruiter seeing blanks.
Unless the employer requires a different format, send a PDF so your resume opens exactly as you want it to look – on any system.

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If you want to know the strengths and weaknesses of your CV you can send it to me for a FREE professional evaluation and feedback to my email Id: limasehgal@gmail.com

Also feel free to FOLLOW me on Linkedin now (and let me know so I can follow you back!) to my join network and also for regular CV tips, vacancies, interview guidelines, and advice on how to conduct a successful job search.

Don’t forget to hit the “LIKE” button and also “SHARE” this article so others can benefit!!!! #resumetips #jobhunt #hired #cvtips

11Novproject@projectResume Writing, Resume Writing Tips, Resumesolutions

Looking for a Job? Make sure your resume is ahead of the curve! GET A FREE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION OF YOUR CV NOW

To know how effective your CV is and what changes you need to make Mail it to limasehgal@gmail.com and I will give you feedback on how to optimize it

If you want regular updates and tips on how to perfect your CV and improve your job search Please follow me on LinkedIn – and let me know so I can follow you back: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limasehgal/

23Octproject@projectResume Writing, Resume Writing Tips, Resumesolutions

Looking for a Job? Make sure your resume is ahead of the curve! GET A FREE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION OF YOUR CV NOW

To know how effective your CV is and what changes you need to make Mail it to limasehgal@gmail.com and I will give you feedback on how to optimize it

20Octproject@projectResume Writing, Resume Writing Tipsresume advice, resume tips, Resume Writing

Lima’s Resume Tips – Recap # 207

Quantify all the achievements on your CV

Give actual facts and figures

Not vague and generalized statements

02Julproject@projectResume Writing, Resume Writing Tips

5 Hidden Defects That You Must Remove From Your CV

The job seeker today has the advantage of easy access to information and advice on how to make a good CV. This however only covers basics and obvious mistakes to watch out for.

What job seekers also have to do is to watch out for is the little errors that creep into a CV and can cause it to get rejected. Here are 5 hidden flaws on your CV that must be identified and removed immediately:-

Defect 1: Not showing that you are fit for the next level of seniority.

Whenever you search for a job, you are looking for a better job, more responsibilities with a better salary – but does your CV show that you deserve it?

You must express and word your achievements in the current role to prove to recruiters that you are capable of handling a more complex role with more responsibilities.

You can show this by highlighting your ability to handle a certain volume of work or your ability to manage resources and people.

For example- saying that you managed a sales team and sales operations does not project anything. But saying that you manage a team of 10 sales executives and 30 channel sales partners will show your leadership and managerial abilities.

Defect 2: Revealing personal information that may be misinterpreted

Be careful about giving personal data that can lead a recruiter to arrive at the wrong conclusions. This is because certain facts may make recruiters think that the candidate is a potential problem case.

For Example, giving details about your marital status, kids and dependents may give recruiters the feeling you maybe unwilling to relocate or that your work may suffer due to frequent family demands.

Also, personal data may open you up to unconscious biases which the recruiters may have. Instead, keep your CV focused on your professional skills and achievements – not your personal or family life.

Defect 3: Labeling yourself by stating the kind of job and position you are seeking.

Avoid putting an objective or mentioning what kind of job or position you want on your CV. It is dangerous. A recruiter or a hiring manager will tend to look at specific factors for short listing. If your objective does not match their requirements, you will get rejected.

Give a short summary of your experience instead on the top of your CV highlighting your professional profile.

Defect 4: Including justifications and explanations on the CV

Do not give unnecessary justifications and explanations on your CV.

For Example saying, “I have a gap because I was on maternity leave”, “I got retrenched”, “The company closed down”, “I got a much better job offer”, “I took a sabbatical” – is not necessary. It points to a problem in your career record.

Avoid doing this as it shifts the focus unnecessarily. A working professional does not need to make excuses or justify anything.

Focus instead on strengthening your current job and the one previous to that. Companies will hire you if you are useful to them, not just on the basis of a great continuity record.

Defect 5: Listing Too Many Achievements

Job seekers tend to make never ending lists of achievements that span their career.

This is counter-productive. Listing too many achievements distracts from your core message and strengths. Recruiters will get bored and skip through the section. Instead, focus on your most important achievements only.

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It is the small defects and bugs that we overlook in our CV that can cause serious harm.

If you want to know the strengths and weaknesses of your CV, you can email your CV for a professional feedback and evaluation, absolutely without any cost involved, to my email: limasehgal@gmail.com

Also feel free to follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/limasehgal/ for regular CV tips, vacancies, interview tips and advice on how to conduct a successful job search (and let me know so I can follow you back)

Looking for vacancies? Go to our jobs section at www.jobnetonline.com/jobs for more

28Junproject@projectResume Writing Tips, UncategorizedJob Hunting Tips, resume tips, Resume Writing

7 Critical CV Design & Format Tips To Help You Create A Powerful CV

A weak and poorly laid out CV is equivalent to wearing a shabby dress for an interview. First impressions count. Does your CV look disorganized and illogical? Or is it easy to navigate and pleasant to look at?

Here are 7 critical design and format fundamentals to help you create an effective CV that will create an impact with recruiters:-

1. General Lay-out and design

A good design enhances the text. You can use a vertical double column format or a horizontal one, depending on the text. The important thing is that recruiters should not have to hunt for information. When using a double column format do not fill up the side panels with general lists – put meaningful text.

There are thousands of free CV templates available on the internet. Choose one that accommodates the text well.

2. Margins and spacing

Ideally your CV should not be more than 2 pages. One way of increasing the space you have to work with is by reducing the margins. Large margins waste space and don’t look aesthetic. 0.5 inches is suitable. Any more than that is wasteful.

Make sure there is enough white space on your CV. White space is open space between design elements (between a header and a paragraph, or different paragraphs, or line spacing). White Space ensures that the text does not look jammed and crowded – a CV without open spaces is difficult to read.

3. Bullet points

Recruiters have a short time to go through your CV and will skip long drawn out paragraphs.

Use bullet points instead. Each point shouldn’t be longer than 2 lines. This allows the recruiter to quickly skim through the CV and still be able to identify why you are right for the job.

4. Font and font size

Use simple fonts. Often older versions of word may not have the fancier fonts and this can lead to problems when opening the file. Times New Roman or Calibri are good – I personally prefer sans serif fonts, they are easier to read.

Font Size : Too small and the recruiter will have trouble reading it. Too large and you’re wasting precious space. A font size of 11 is most appropriate.

Also, multiple fonts and sizes makes your CV look immature. Ensure your text has a uniform font and font size throughout.

5. Colour

Colour is an advantage – It catches attention and makes a CV stand out briefly. Black and white documents can be bland.

Use only a single colour on your CV. A multi-coloured CV can be distracting and look tacky. Avoid dark colours – Use light and pleasant colours.

Never use a full coloured background. The CV text must always be on a clear white background.

6. Bold and Highlights

Ideally everything on your CV is important – and there is no need to use bold to say something is important.

Also, You can’t know exactly what recruiters are looking for and drawing attention to words or phrases that they are not looking for may confuse them and get you rejected for no fault of your own.

Keep the recruiter‘s focus on the headers and your achievements instead of highlighted words. The impact is better that way.

7. Organized Sections

Organize your CV into sections. It helps the recruiter find the relevant data in an easy manner. Organize all information under the following headers:

Contact details: At the top quarter of your CV, you must have your contact details. Just your name, phone number, and email. If you need to include more put them towards the end of the CV.

Summary:The first section, right on top of your CV should be your summary. A short snippet of your experience with just 3-4 bullet points that tells the recruiter what your area of expertise is.

Experience: This is the most important aspect of any CV. Recruiters primarily check whether what you have handled will make you suitable for their own requirement. Your current job must be the strongest and should be on the first page.

Keep it brief – include only the important details on what you have managed. Do not include generic roles which do not set you apart or routine tasks that every employee handles.

There is advice out there on the internet that a functional CV is appropriate and when your job-experience doesn’t match the requirement just list functions that match the requirement. This is a bad approach and will get you rejected. The recruiter wants to see your actual work experience; under no circumstances should you compromise on this.

Achievements: Do not club all your achievements. This will make it difficult for recruiters to figure out which achievement belongs to which job. Each job in your experience must have a corresponding achievement section.

Education:This section should come last. Although, if the job requirement specifies a certain educational qualification you may include it in your summary as well. Keep this section short as there is no need to include your 6th grade results. Separate your school, college, technical trainings under separate headers.

What to exclude: There is no need to include your hobbies or references. It just adds length to your CV without adding value. And the recruiter doesn’t care. ==========================================================A good CV is primarily about highlighting your suitability and personality and making it easier for the recruiter to take a decision. Ensure it is well organized, logical and the text points out to your expertise.

If you want to know the strengths and weaknesses of your CV you can send it to me for a FREE professional evaluation and feedback to my email Id: limasehgal@gmail.com

Looking for vacancies? Go to our jobs section at www.jobnetonline.com/jobs for more

26Junproject@projectResume Writing Tips, UncategorizedJob Hunting Tips, resume tips, Resume Writing

5 Simple Yet Potent Ways To Effectively Show Achievements On Your CV

It is important that you show your achievements effectively – it is what recruiters look for in a CV. This is what brings out your capabilities and makes your real expertise visible. Why you are good at your job is displayed through your achievements.

Here a 5 tips on how to show your achievements effectively on your résumé-

1) Define your Achievements

What are your achievements?

Most job-seekers make the mistake of only focusing on their roles and responsibilities. But these cover only your area of knowledge and experience and do not point to why you are good at your job.

Anything that benefited the company, process or client is an achievement. For example – If you did some cost saving, or launched a new product or completed a project on time then it is an achievement.

It is surprising that so many job-seekers omit including achievements saying that they have no achievements. This is a fatal mistake. Never think that the work you did was not special enough to qualify as achievements. You don’t need proof like a recommendation letter or a promotion to show something as an achievement.

2) Quantify your achievements

Your achievements cannot be your opinion. They have to be factual and clearly show the benefit you have created for the company.

So it is not enough to say I reduced transportation costs by re-negotiating the contract with the vendor. You need to quantify it, e.g. reduced cost by 30% .Or saying I negotiated a deal for setting up a 25 acre warehousing unit is an achievement. Or I improved the component inventory monitoring system resulting in savings of over $90,000!

Also make sure your achievements that were rewarded by the company are explained. For example, ‘Won the award for best salesman of the year’, does not effectively show your achievement, but ‘received award for achieving the highest sales of 1 crore INR in my territory’ shows it.

# Numbers, facts, figures are needed for expressing your achievements effectively

3) Choose your achievements carefully

What achievements to show is a very important factor.

When you show achievements relating to your current job make sure it also reflects your level of seniority. For example, if you are a sales executive then saying that I achieved my target of 1 million USD and won a trip to Singapore is good.

But as a Vice President or CEO it may not sound like a great achievement because managerial roles require handling a team of executives or distributors, or resource handling, so the achievement has to reflect an achievement of a corporate goal rather than an individual goal. For example since I joined, I expanded operations to the Far East market resulting in an organizational growth of 40%.

4) Balance the visibility of your achievements on your resume

It is very important that your current job shows achievements, because recruiters are interested in what you are doing now rather than your past.

What you achieved as a Trainee or as a junior executive is really not that important if you have packed in 10 years experience after that.

# The current and two prior jobs must reflect achievements

5) Present your Achievements effectively

Your achievements must connect with the company to which they belong. So do not make a combined list. Put your achievements alongside the company to which it belongs.

Use simple, precise English. Use bullet points.

And remember that achievements generally have to be in the past tense even if you mention that it is a continuing benefit. For example – Set up new offices in 4 countries in a record time of 6 months, is your achievement even though it may have spinoffs of benefits for the company on a continuous basis but it must be stated in the past tense.

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Is your resume reflecting your achievements effectively? Does it contain any fatal errors? How can you improve the impact of your CV? To know, send your CV for a FREE professional evaluation and feedback to my email id: limasehgal@gmail.com

Looking for vacancies? Go to our jobs section at www.jobnetonline.com/jobs for more

24Junproject@projectResume Writing Tips, Uncategorized

36-Point Checklist To Follow For A Successful Résumé

Creating a successful résumé involves a lot of hard work and attention to detail. Small errors could have a big impact – and create a negative impression! It also requires a strong understanding of how recruiters search for candidates. Make sure you use this checklist before you circulate your CV.

Logical Structure and Flow

1. Make sure your CV is well organized.

2. Each section must have a header like – summary, work experience, personal data, skills, publications, research, etc.

3. For the text, use short bullet points only – avoid long paragraphs.

Updated Contact Information

4. The top of your CV should contain your basic contact information – your mobile number, email.

5. Don’t give multiple contact details as it gets confusing to choose from. LinkedIn, address and other links can be put in elsewhere on the CV, towards the end.

6. Check that all contact details are updated.

Title/Header

7. There is no need for a header or title to your CV. If you have a title saying “Resume/CV” – remove it now. It is stating the obvious, and takes up precious space.

8. Don’t say I am seeking a job or position.

9. And avoid putting a prominent block label on top – like Award Winning Sales Manager or Creative Designer.

Overview / Summary

10. The content of your CV must begin with a brief overview/summary of your areas of expertise and your industry background to give recruiters a glimpse of who you are.

11. Don’t put an objective on top to state what you desire – no one cares!

What work you handle – the ‘Work Experience’ section

12. Don’t lay emphasis on routine job-functions common to everyone in your field. Instead, focus on what sets you apart. For example, if you are in sales, focus on the products you deal with and the territory you handle and not on routine sales functions like client interaction or liaison with dealers, which is understood.

13. Clearly show which areas you specialize in and what are the areas that you actually handle for the company.

14. Make sure your work experience is in reverse chronological order.

Achievements

15. Clearly spell out your expertise through your accomplishments. Ensure you have separate “Achievements” sections corresponding to each job you have included in your work experience Do Not create one huge section with all your achievements all put together.

16. Quantify your achievements. Show figures! It’s not enough to say ‘Increased sales substantially’ instead you should say ‘Increased sales by 25%’

17. Numbers must be mentioned in numerical form- not text form – ’70’ instead of ‘seventy’.

Skills Section

18. Make sure your “Skills” section only includes specific details: Like for example, knowledge of a professional software, or a particular type of machinery or handling some specific tool or equipment or a type of surgery or research area.

19. Avoid listing soft skills, such as leadership skills, communication skills. Instead, weave your soft skills into your job description itself by using examples that show that you posses these skills. For example, led a team of 10 people shows your leadership and team management skills.

Education

20. This section should be included after your work experience section. Only include relevant education.

21. Remove your early education as it is understood that you have passed school if you have done a Ph.D.

22. If you are applying for a job that asks for a specific education qualification, also mention that qualification in your summary at the start of your CV.

Personal information Must Be Brief

23. Avoid putting your photograph on your CV unless it is specifically asked for.

24. No need to put in hobbies and interests.

25. Remove marital status, parents names, details of your family background or dependents.

26. Date of birth, passport, details, nationality can be used.

Reference Section / Declaration

27. Remove these sections. Again, there is no need to state the obvious.

28. Also don’t write references on request – all employers know quite well that if they want your references, you will definitely provide it.

Length

29. After you have finished with the above, make sure your CV fits into 2 pages. If it is longer, trim trim, trim. Anything beyond that gets boring. Employers are more interested in your current level of seniority rather than your role as a trainee 10 years back.

Neat Appearance and Professional Finish

30. Keep your CV well-spaced out, grammatically correct and without too much clutter of heavy text. There must be enough white space between the different sections and elements of the CV.

31. Use black text on white background and do not use more than one colour.

32. Avoid graphics pie charts or bars, flow charts, symbols and pictures. It is distracting.

33. Use a single font. Font size 11 preferably.

34. PROOFREAD extensively. You cannot afford any spelling or grammatical mistakes. It gives the impression you lack attention to detail.

PDF & Subject Line of Emails

35. When applying for a job unless directed otherwise – send your CV in the .pdf format. It preserves the format of your CV.

36. Check the subject line of your email – don’t leave it blank or just say CV or job application in the subject line. Instead – Your Name – Job you are applying for – and reference code if any, should be mentioned

================================================================Will your CV get you noticed by hiring managers? Does it contain any fatal mistakes? How can you improve the impact of your CV? To know, send your CV for a FREE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK to my email id: limasehgal@gmail.com

Looking for vacancies? Go to our jobs section at www.jobnetonline.com/jobs for more

18Junproject@projectResume Writing Tips, UncategorizedJob Hunting Tips, Resume Writing

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Résumé Writing – Tips On How To Write An Interview Winning Résumé

Your CV is the most important document of your career. It must be flawless and must also effectively tell recruiters why you deserve to get hired. Even the smallest omissions or the slightest mistakes will hurt your career progression.

I do a lot of resume evaluations and have seen a pattern of mistakes that job-seekers make. ( you can send your CV too for a free professional evaluation and feedback to limasehgal@gmail.com ). As a result, I felt the need to create this list of do’s and don’ts of CV writing as an easy reference so that job-seekers can draft a great CV and so that no one gets rejected because of their CV.

DO’s

1 # do start your CV with a summary of your professional career – 5 bullet points maximum

2 # do list your work experience in reverse chronological order

3 # do tailor your skills and responsibilities based on the job you are applying for – ensure your CV is optimized for the ATS system.

4 # do weave your soft skills into your work experience and achievements.

5 # do list your achievements holistically alongside the job in which you made the achievement.

6 # do quantify your CV – wherever you can, use facts and figures – use digits not words (for example write ‘4 million ‘ not ‘four million’).

7 # do make sure your contact details are clearly listed on top of your CV.

8# do mention which country and city you have worked in/are working in.

9 # do list the industry specific hard skills you possess.

10 # do proofread your CV before sending it out – ask a friend to also proofread for you.

11 # do send your CV as a PDF document – so that the formatting is retained.

DON’TS

1 # don’t use a career objective – it is no longer relevant.

2 # don’t use long paragraphs – one thought should be in one line – use bullet points.

3 # don’t flood your CV with keywords and jargon – it should flow naturally.

4 # don’t include personal information such as religion or marital status. Also don’t include a photo unless specifically asked for.

5 # don’t let your CV go beyond 2 pages.

6 # don’t include hobbies and interests.

7 # don’t use too much colour – use no more than one light color and use black text with a white background.

8 # don’t use tables, graphics, or links – it is distracting.

9 # don’t use an unprofessional sounding email ID.

10 # don’t list routine job functions that every employee would have.

11 # don’t include salary details.

12 # don’t use fancy fonts – use a simple font and a uniform font size.

13 # don’t underline or use bold for anything except headers.

14 # don’t lie or embellish any details –you will get caught.

15 # don’t include the phrase“references on request” – it is understood.

16 # don’t put a declaration as to the true nature of the contents of your CV – it is not a legal document and it is assumed that the contents are true.

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Stay clear and concise on what you want to show on your resume. There is so much competition out there, you cannot afford to make mistakes in what you communicate to others through your CV.

For a FREE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK on the strengths and weaknesses of your CV, mail your CV to limasehgal@gmail.com and get tips and advice on how you can improve the impact of your CV and boost your job search.

Looking for vacancies? Go to our jobs section at www.jobnetonline.com/jobs for more

30Sepproject@projectJob Hunting Tips, Resume Writing, Resume Writing Tipsresume, resume advice, resume tips, Resume Writing

The Winning Sales Pitch! – How to Create An Effective Sales Resumé

Finding a suitable candidate for a sales position is a tough job! Ask any hiring manager and you will get the same feedback. “We get a lot of applications but taking a decision on a candidate’s potential for revenue generation is very difficult.”

Here is a list of essentials that every sales professional must show on their resume. The following is a perspective from a hiring and employer’s point of view.

1) Consistency In Revenue Generation.

Consistency in revenue generation is very important for all companies.The common mistake that most job seekers make is that they think that highlighting their key achievements or brilliant breakthroughs only is good enough. It is not enough.

Your CV must also communicate your ability to consistently bring in revenue for the company and contribute towards the growth of the company.

Let’s say you signed a million dollar contract or got a high value sale. That shows that you are competent and successful. But the question that arises is whether that is a fluke or can you do it again and again and again?

# The most effective way to show consistency in revenue generation is through your achievements in all the companies you have worked for. Your current job is important but to show consistency you need to show your achievements and contributions in all the posts you held from the beginning of your career till now.

2) Specialization Of Product Or Services

Sales and marketing is a highly specialized function. Whether you are a junior person or at a senior management level, your knowledge of the market and the product is important to a company. This helps in reducing the training period and also ensures that you have the potential to reduce the gestation period to produce results that everyone has when they join a new company.

The truth is that most companies are usually very clear about what they want – They want to know what your expertise and contacts are.

Most job seekers presume that the ability to successfully sell a product is all that’s important and if they manage to show that then a company will believe you have the ability to sell anything. This is not true. Success in sales has a basis in your experience in handling a product, territory or clientele. This is your background and specialization and this is what one looks for while screening a CV.

# Make sure you are very clear about showing your specialization.

You can show it in the following ways:

I) Product

The products that you have managed are very important. Most job seekers make the mistake of generalizing too much. For example, saying you sell generators is not enough, they come with various capacities which also determines the end user- Eg. household, cement plant or airfield.

Or for example only mentioning that you sell insurance is vague because insurance is also of various types. Do not make the person who is reading your CV have to guess the nature of the job you were performing. Spell it out and clearly explain what products you have handled.

I have also noticed that often very senior professionals make the mistake of presuming that because they are so senior and have good experience, that they need not spell out the product – since they only need to handle a managerial function of directing a sales team, and that their job is directing and not frontline selling. This is counterproductive as hiring managers will most definitely want senior managers with relevant work experience.

Look at it like this. If I am a hiring manager then I will be looking for specific experience with a specific product. So if my company is selling paints to builders and construction companies then I would prefer someone who has done this job over someone who is selling telecom services to builders and construction companies. I would also reject the CV if it just says I sell paints because I cannot figure out if you are doing direct sales to builders or just to your dealer network and stockists.

And never presume that just because the company you are working for is famous that everyone can guess the product you handle. ITC is into FMCG, hotels, paperboards,packaging, agro-business & information technology. So if your CV says I am working for ITC, I still don’t know what you are selling. If your CV says I am working for Rolls Royce without mentioning that you sell Aero Engines, I might think that you are selling motor cars because that is what I know. Be clear and specific about information. Nobody will do an internet search or call you to ask.

II) Sales Channels.

If you are selling a product then a company wants to know to whom you sell it to? Most job seekers never bother to explain this.

For example FMCG, automobiles, paint, financial services, IT products, security equipment, all have specific channels of sale either through dealer networks, retail outlets, direct sales, networking…

If you say you are the General Manager Sales or a Sales Executive then I would like to know what channel of sales you can develop for my company. This is your real expertise and it also reflects your contacts. If you have experience in selling property, thermal power plants, insurance or toothpaste then how you developed, managed and generated revenue out of the sales channel is extremely important.

Also show what you have developed. For example- I developed a network of stockists in Europe to sell Herbal shampoos. Or I developed contacts in the Ministry of Power / Energy to sell high voltage power transmission products. Or I sold health insurance to the existing account holders of our bank.

What must show clearly in your CV is your knowledge, experience and success in the relevant sales and marketing channel.

III) Territory

What you sell and where you sell it is the core of any sales and marketing resume, however junior or senior you are in your job.

Did you manage sales in a particular city, region, country, and continent? Be specific about showing this. It is highly important.

If I am looking for a Territory Manager for a particular region and you have handled that region only then you may be suitable. If I want a Country Head in Europe and you have only worked in African markets then you are definitely not suitable.

But if you do not mention anything in the hope that the company will be confused enough to call you for an interview, it will not work. They will just move on to the next CV.

3) Achievements:

Many job-seekers tend to isolate their achievements and put them in a list on top of the resume. You must ensure your achievements are listed along side your experience as well, so that it gives hiring managers a complete picture.

When you show achievements on your CV, you have to be specific to the role that you handled for that particular job to which the achievement belongs.

For example: You say you successfully sold – 2 million dollars of soap in Japan or India through distributors, That’s good – but if you add the fact that you did this for a new brand of luxury soap that the company launched, it improves the perspective and adds to the achievement. Or if you are selling services for bridge construction specify the kind of bridge- over swimming pools, lakes or seas? And tell them where you sold it and what revenue generation was achieved. Achievements are about the real work that you have done.

Achievements have to presented in a factual manner. For example: By how much did you increase revenue? How did your marketing strategy make an impact on the company you worked for? Quantify your achievements, include detailed facts and figures.

And remember that self praise is your opinion about yourself. It does not impress any one. Your CV clearly needs to prove how and why your are the best choice for the company.

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Please remember that Sales positions have a lot competition. This is also a function that is quantifiable, so it has to be performance driven. Delivery, performance and revenue generation is very crucial to an organization. Your CV must be able to show these aspects.

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Is your resume showing your expertise as a sales professional? Send your resume for a FREE professional evaluation and feedback now to limasehgal@gmail.com and get tips on how to improve your CV.

Also feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/limasehgal?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile for regular CV tips, vacancies, interview tips and advice on how to conduct a successful job search.

Lima Sehgal is a Publisher, Author, Career and Resume Development Specialist.

Other Contact details include: skype: lima.sehgal Or WhatsApp: 0091- 8130680957