Years ago, on “All In the Family, ” Edith Bunker went to her high school reunion. A friend asked, “So Edith, what have you been doing all these years?” So Edith responded, “Well, in 1942 I worked as a cashier at Ferguson’s Market. I bagged more groceries than anyone else. Then in 1943, I tripped over a shopping cart, so I ended up baking pies in my kitchen. In 1944, I sharpened pencils in a drugstore for my friend Cybil Goolee. And in 1945……”
The scene cut away to husband Archie who was at the buffet table, and then back to Edith a minute later where she continued: “And that takes care of 1953. Now in 1954…” Her classmate, shell shocked, excused himself and went for a stiff drink.
There is no need to recount EVERY SINGLE YEAR on your resume. Managers do not care that you were the “Q1 Rep of the Quarter in 2014.” They do not care that you won the “Go For It” contest in August of 2013. They don’t care that you were voted the “Best Dressed Rep at the 2017 Awards Banquet, or that you made quota in 2018 for April, May or June. They care about big picture accomplishments that demonstrate a consistent pattern of success over the life of your employment with each company. They don’t have time to read about every single time you received a pat on the back by your CEO. Remember- hiring managers just want an overview of your job history- what your skill sets are, where you have been, what your job description is /was, and what you have ACCOMPLISHED. Unnecessary minutiae may compel the manager to put the resume aside, and listing Year over Year accounts is one way of losing the reader’s interest.
Keep it tight, keep it clean, and tell your story succinctly.
If you need help crafting a resume that will get you noticed- please give us a call.
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