For decades resumes have been an essential part of the hiring process – they quickly provide employers a snapshot of professional history and give insight to their skillset. Putting together a resume as a candidate is always a daunting task, but reviewing it as an employer can be just as big of a task. It’s often the only chance candidates get to make an impression with a hiring manager before they decide who to call in for an interview. It is no hidden secret that resumes can bluff what each candidate actually has done or the skills they do have. So what can you pull from a resume that is in fact truthful and will lead to valid skills being presented once in an interview?

Perhaps it’s not about what’s directly on each resume you see, but what’s beyond the resume. Do they have international experience? Have they worked in a vast amount of industries? Are they a veteran? Was their education a quick or lengthy process? There’s much more to learn about each job candidate if you just “read between the lines” of each resume.

Between the Lines

Check and evaluate their level of risk-taking – what projects/ jobs have they held that were the “odd ones out” to the rest? What was that job and was it a risk worth taking? Perhaps they’ve learned an extremely valuable set of skills during that risk and fail.

Similar to what risk have they taken, what expanded horizons have they reached? Any international work experience? Are they a Veteran? Has this candidate gone beyond the average job expectancy to complete a specific project that would advance the company? What kinds of things have they possibly done to be above the rest of their colleagues at a previous position?

Seeing Profesional Development as More

There are countless ways to gain of professional development each year, what opportunities have each candidate been part of and how has that helped to develop themselves into who they are today? Study the extras of each resume and evaluate it.

How do the conferences and certifications stack up against experience?  

It’s important to come to realistic conclusions on each candidate. Just because there is more to their resume than a listing of jobs held, does not mean they are automatically your new top salesperson – possibly, but it’s always best to hold realistic expectations even if they have a standout resume.


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Henry Glickel Sales Recruiters Inc. 603-770-7175 | Schedule time with me