Hiring Managers and Recruiters Want to Know: Who Are You?

Your resume is your introduction to hiring managers and recruiters. They are happy to learn about what you have done in the past, but they also want to know who you are right now. They want your resume to tell them about your:

• Career goals. The first line of your resume, right under your name and contact information, should tell them the position you are seeking. For example:

Senior Executive, Product Development | Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare

• Proudest accomplishments. The first paragraph of your resume summarizes your proudest achievements and your expertise. For example:

Product development executive who drives multimillion-dollar sales of healthcare products that transform the marketplace, garner industry awards, and improve consumers’ lives worldwide.

Note that this sentence describes what the candidate does (drives sales) and why (improve the lives of consumers), giving hiring managers and recruiters insight into the person they are considering. Here is another version:

Product development executive who drives multimillion-dollar revenue by focusing on customer needs, building insightful relationships with physicians, and encouraging innovation at all levels.

This version emphasizes how the candidate drives revenue. It will resonate with companies that are concerned with customer needs, physician relationships, and innovation.

Both versions are fine. The candidates are each being honest in their own way about their proudest accomplishments.

• Capacity to make a difference. The bullet points in your resume tell prospective employers what you have accomplished in the past. But they also tell prospective employers what they can expect from you in the future. That is why you start with what you did and then move directly to how you did it as in the following:

Streamlined manufacturing operations by using SAP to analyze customers’ order history and change production planning from demand-driven to level loaded.

This bullet point describes your familiarity with manufacturing operations, SAP, analysis, and production planning and processes. It tells employers that you have transferrable skills that are valuable in their manufacturing operations.

When you reveal yourself to hiring managers and recruiters, you also differentiate yourself from the competition. A resume that is clear about your career goals, proudest accomplishments, and capacity to make a difference reassures prospective employers you bring the required skills, education, and experience; fit their culture; and add your unique prospective to their diverse staff. Robin’s Resumes® will help ensure that your resume will answer the question “who are you?”