The Hidden Step
www.necouncil.org/the
hidden
step
STEP FOUR
Build Your Resume
You may think: But surely the employer will read my work experience to learn
about all the wonderful skills clearly defned on the resume, right?
Your resume is not always read.
Resumes are typically frst scanned (by a computer), then screened (by a person),
and read only after a match is identifed.
Screening your resume and forming the wrong impression about
your title
may
deter the employer from further assessing your resume.
stage two:
the
Title
Your title is one of the culprits for not getting call-backs
The title of your previous job may be a culprit in creating the wrong
impression about you. Traditionally the title was shown on your re-
sume as an indication of your rank or importance to your former
employer. “National Communication Director” and “Marketing En-
hanced Products Engineer” are titles a company gives employees.
However, these titles do not defne an applicant’s role clearly nor do
they tell the employer much about the applicant’s function. Employ-
ers who receive thousands of applications with varying titles cannot
distinguish the exact function for each title. Furthermore, employers
already receive plenty of resumes with skills closely matching the po-
sition. Of the hundreds of prescreened resumes employers see, they
ask, “Which applicant has the most relevant skills for this position?”
Let’s suppose the employer is looking for a Territory Manager with
a fnancial background. Although your title at your previous job was
“Marketing Enhanced Products Engineer,” you applied for this posi-
tion specifcally because at your previous job you managed territories
and have a very strong fnancial background. On the other hand, the
employer browsing your resume may misinterpret the word “engi-
neer” and assume that you possess a technical background.