How To Properly Prepare A POP or Fixtures Resume

I see hundreds of resumes each day, some done properly but many missing the mark.  Certainly a resume alone won't get you a job, but a poorly done resume will lose you one.  I've been recruiting within the industry for many years and below are some of my suggestions.

General

Resumes must be crisp, clean and thorough with industry relevant information only.  Long, convoluted resumes do not cut it.  Note that you need only go back 10 years.  Do not indicate your current salary.

 Job Titles and Responsibilities

Job titles and/or responsibilities are quite important.  Your resume should be totally clear as to what you do.  For example,  I recently reviewed a resume of a candidate with the title of "Graphic Design Manager".  However, she was really a Project Manager and, as such, should have used that title.  Listed below are job titles relevant to the industry:

All positions can have Senior, Director or VP as prefixes. 

Position Comments

Whatever the position, certain information about that position should be included on your resume.  Listed below are some examples of positions and the information that should accompany them.

Sales

1. For each company, clearly indicate what the company sells and what you personally sold.
2. Include your personal sales volume for the current and previous year.
3. If you do not have a non-compete agreement, mention it.  If you do have such an agreement, do not mention this on your resume.
4. List your current account relationships on a separate page of your resume.  List only those accounts that you have real relationships with.
5. Your sales territory.  If regional, indicate the region or regions.
6. Indicate whether or not you can relocate and if you have a home office set up.

Project Management

1. Indicate the specific materials your team worked with (e.g. corrugated, wood, metal, plastic).
2. Include the names of clients you have worked for.
3. Indicate what sophisticated systems (if any) you are familiar with.

Design

1. Indicate whether or not your design experience was structural or graphic.
2. It is very important to include any computer experience you have (e.g. CAD, Adobe).
3. Include what materials you have worked with.
4. Make sure to have samples of your work readily available.

Operations

1. Indicate ISO or QC orientation.
2. Indicate what equipment and materials you are familiar with.
3. Include the number of people managed, what shifts and whether your team was union or non-union.
4. If you had profit and loss responsibility, be sure to include this on your resume.  This is very significant if you have it.

Job Boards

As you utilize job boards, always send your resume in Word format.  For example, do not use the monster resume configuration.  Also, do not use the "confidential" resume option, as both companies and recruiters tend to ignore confidential resumes.

Sharing Salary Information when Interviewing

It's always a dilemma when candidates are asked to provide salary information.  If you earn too much, you can knock yourself out of the running.  If you earn less than the employer is willing to pay, your offer might be less too.  Here are some tips for what to disclose and how to disclose it:

1. If the employer doesn't request your salary history or salary requirements, don't disclose it.
2. If you are asked for salary requirements, consider setting a range rather than a specific amount.  This will give you more flexibility when it comes to negotiating a salary.  Another option is to state that your salary requirements are negotiable.
3. You can also have your cover letter mention that your salary requirements are flexible.  That may help keep you in the running for the position even if your salary is higher than the company was planning on spending.
4. When asked for a salary history, include it on a separate page and send it with your resume and cover letter.fub

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