Guides

How to Tailor Your Resume for a Sales Representative Job

A resume written for the specific sales representative posting is easier for a recruiter to say yes to than one written for every job. Here's how to tailor yours, honestly.

Words that often show up in Sales Representative postings

Every posting is different, so start with the one you're applying to. These terms come up a lot for this job; use the ones that are true for you, in the posting's exact wording.

• quota attainment
• pipeline
• prospecting
• closing
• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• territory
• B2B / B2C
• account management

Turn duties into proof

Recruiters skim. A bullet that says what you did, how much, and with what tools is easier to say yes to than a vague duty.

What to put first

Numbers first: quota, percent of quota reached, deal size, ranking on the team. Use the real figures you have. Then reorder the bullets under each job so the ones that match this posting come first.

Don't stretch the truth

Only use a keyword where it's true. If the posting asks for something you don't have, leave it off and mention in your cover letter how you're building it. Claims that fall apart in an interview cost more than a missing keyword.

Interview questions to prepare for

• Walk me through how you'd sell me this pen.
• Tell me about a deal you lost and what you learned.
• How do you build a pipeline from nothing?

Answer with a short story: the situation, what you did, and what changed because of it.