they can be so misleading..to the point that folks won’t read your resume because the titles are either misunderstood or aren’t comenserate with the level of position the resume reader is looking for…
Remember, your resume is not really “read”… it is initially scanned… resume readers have, on average, 118 to 120 resumes they are reviewing per posting, so they begin by scanning the names of the companies that are on the resume, what the company does and your titles… if they like what they see, they may read the resume in more depth… if they don’t like what they see, they delete the resume or throw it away…
So, make sure that your title on the resume is commensurate with the job you’ve had… candidates tell me all the time, “but my company’s title is vice president”… I don’t care what your company’s title is, you don’t want your title to eliminate you from being considered for an interview… so, if you are a salesperson that your company has given you a highfalutin title of “VP” change the title on your resume to” salesperson”… if your company gives you a title of “customer care strategist” when what they really mean is that you are in customer service, change the title to “customer service”
I can’t tell you the number of candidates I’ve worked with over the years who felt compelled to write down the title of the job their company gave them only to be eliminated by resume reader who thinks, for instance, “we aren’t looking for vice president… we’re looking for a salesperson … and throws the resume away… lots of companies for instance, give their salespeople or other non-managers vice president titles to make folks feel good… don’t fall prey to this…you are trying to get interviews not impress
I suggest this kind of thing when a job seeker “dumbs down” their resume… just because you’ve been president or vice president of an organization doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t go to work for another four and a lesser job…
so don’t let titles get you eliminated…change them to fit the situation
