The Do’s and Don’ts of a Compelling Procurement Resume
A resume isn't just a sequence of career events and a list of job responsibilities. Go back and read that sentence again. Your resume is NOT the same as your job description, yet this is the most common mistake I see candidates at all levels making. Your resume is your story and your sales card, outlining your career path while highlighting your skills and notable successes. It should showcase how you bring value to Procurement, and to the wider organization, and show prospective employers why you are the candidate of choice.
It's a big mandate, but remember, employers are looking to love you, not find fault with you. You just have to so show them why they should.
Basic Do’s and Don’ts
Do's
Do kick-off your resume with a personal or career summary. This is your best, carefully crafted "elevator pitch," and should include your value proposition. Getting this down will also set the tone at the beginning of nearly every interview, so it’s important.
Content is king, so be careful not to distract from it. Do choose a clean font and format
Standard practice is one to two pages in length. Yes….you can!
When updating your resume, be sure to review how it reads in its entirety. Many candidates make the mistake of simply adding their most recent job at the top without giving thought to how it integrates into the document as a whole. Remove any duplication, and make sure the emphasis, and the most space, is given to your most current and relevant experience
If sending the resume to an agency recruiter, do stick to Word format as they’re likely to want to add their own contact information. However, use PDF if you are sending it directly to the employer to ensure proper formatting across all devices
Do link your LinkedIn profile, and give your profile a careful review, making sure it is both up to date and in alignment with your resume
Be meticulous in your editing, being vigilant not to leave any spelling, or grammar errors
Don'ts
Don’t include an objective, as this practice is considered out of date in today’s job market
Don’t include a picture of yourself, or any company logos. Please, no infographic skills ratings. Does it pay to be creative? The consensus: It depends where you're applying to. Your resume has to dress the part and, at least within procurement, I would keep it traditional
Leave off your high school education
References should be neither listed nor noted as ‘available on request’
Don't repeat the same responsibilities under every new role. Yes, I see this a lot.
Show, Don't Tell
Show Your Value
Include such things as the categories you managed and how you measured success. Show your value not only through your cost savings, but project initiatives like system implementations, or process improvements. Wherever possible, use supportive measurements like inventory reduction, improved production efficiencies, or audit results.
Show Your Work Methods and Give Context
Show your work by explaining your process for selecting initiatives for your project pipeline, as well as if you performed any formal opportunity assessments, or spend analytics.
Keeping in mind the company's privacy policy, give perspective and context by referencing category spend and savings numbers, even specific vendors you’ve worked with. Prospective employers most certainly want to know if you’ve wrestled with a multi-million dollar Microsoft Enterprise, AWS, or Salesforce contract, for example, especially if they don’t currently have that kind of expertise in-house.
Show Your Voice
Show that you had and/or earned a voice at the table by noting any regular meetings you either attended or held (led is even better) with stakeholders. And show that you have a voice in the industry by listing any boards or professional associations that you belong to.
Flaunt your professionalism by using key procurement terms and acronyms. However, when using abbreviations such as RFQ, include the full wording in brackets to help those who may be reading your resume but aren't in Procurement.
Show You are A Procurement Professional, By Choice
Demonstrate that your career path has been both intentional and strategic with a maturing of your agenda and by indicating promotions and listing each new position separately even if they were within the same company.
Writing a fruitful resume may be an arduous task, but one well worth the effort as it is a reflection of all your efforts, frustrations, hard work, and devotion to Procurement. And if done right, you'll be enjoying the fruits of your labor soon enough.