Entrepreneurs share nine questions that your resume must answer

Hiring managers have a checklist of things they look for in any resume. Sometimes these could be a certain list of certifications, a particular degree, a given number of years of experience, or a preferred set of skills. Even when your resume shows that you check all the boxes, employers almost always have a few questions they want your resume to answer. We have asked several entrepreneurs to share a few questions that they have when reading a resume. Create your resume in such a way that it answers most of these questions.

How does your experience help my company?

Your resume is not just a document that describes your experiences and skills. You should always customize your resume for each job you apply for. When doing so, you should take care to emphasize how your experience and skills can help the employer. Pro tip: Show the employer how you would solve their issues in the resume summary statement.

Are you willing to improve yourself?

If your resume only lists your college degree as a qualification for a job, the employer might get the idea that you are not willing to work to improve yourself. Having a few certificates that you’ve earned or displaying a few online courses that you have completed will give your resume an advantage. Employers believe that this shows how you are interested in gaining the necessary qualifications to perform better at a role.

Are you loyal?

Your resume must portray how loyal you have been to your previous employers. The easiest way to do this is to highlight the work experiences where you have stayed with the company for a long term. If your resume contains multiple entries of jobs where you have quit after a few weeks or months, you might give away the impression that you are job hopping. This is never admired by an employer.

Are your achievements quantifiable?

Your achievements are mere words on paper if you don’t back them up with numbers. Recruiters prefer to read resumes that feature quantified achievements. Your resume stands out better among the other generic applications when you list unique accomplishments with real data to show results. Anyone can say that they increased sales on a resume. But can everyone match your, “Planned and implemented 5-day marketing campaign leading a team of 6 members to increase product sales by 15% within the first month”?

What are you passionate about?

A resume can easily make you seem like a two-dimensional character with zero interests if you don’t add a touch of your personality to it. Make sure that your resume expresses the things that you are passionate about. Do you love connecting with people? Do you take joy in fixing things? Or are you simply great at building relationships with your clients? Add a Hobbies & Interests section to your resume to talk about what inspires and motivates you.

Do your previous employers recommend you?

Recruiters prefer candidates to mention testimonials or quotes from their previous employers or coworkers on their resumes. This helps an employer understand whether you are a good person to work with. If your resume doesn’t already highlight how your previous employers admire your work, you should consider adding a testimonial or two.