Membership Overview
Learn what being a member does for you
The Seller Styles
Learn the styles and take your free assessment
NASP Programs
Catalog
See a summary of all our programs and certifications
Online Certifications
Certified Professional Sales Person(CPSP®)
Develop your potential as a certified sales professional
Certified Professional Sales Leader(CPSL®)
Grow your impact as a certified sales leader
Certified Master Sales Professional (CMSP®)
Join the elite group of sales professionals and leaders
Online Programs
Advanced Sales Influence (ASI)
Take your influence and leadership to the next level.
Sales Success Principles
Learn foundational sales behaviors, strategies, and skills
Power of Contact Marketing
Learn from marketing expert and author Stu Heinecke
ProSeries Programs
Join the top 1% of sales professionals in the world.
Next Level Virtual Coaching
Sales Mastery
Join our ongoing dynamic virtual coaching community
Career Center
Explore job postings from some of the best companies in the country looking for sales professionals
Training Resources
Daily Dose of Influence!
Enjoy our video series of influence tips and strategies
Leads To Growth
Dig into our podcast featuring industry leaders and experts
Coaches Corner
Learn from our high-level sales coaching video series
Women of Sales & Influence – Facebook Live Series
Be inspired by our Facebook Live series spotlighting top women influencers
Women of Sales & Influence – Video Blog
Enjoy valuable, high-level sales strategies to empower your sales goals
Sales Resources
The Growth Quotient
You’ve heard about IQ, but what is your GQ?
Our Commitment to You
We are here to help your approach to sales, how you interact with others, and how you perform and execute
Articles
NASP Sales Blog
Learn from our member-submitted articles for sales professionals
Write For Us
Share your sales expertise and insights with our community
About Our CEO
Standards of Conduct
Testimonials
Common Questions and Answers
Contact
by Deborah Walker
With the doldrums of Summer hiring behind us, Fall is a great time to update your resume. Labor Day to Thanksgiving is typically an active interview season. Don’t be late when opportunity knocks.
If you’re dissatisfied with your current job this is the time to ask why. Before making any changes to your resume ask yourself the following questions:
Your response to these questions will shed light on the changes in your career path. Write out your answers and do a reality check to see how likely you are to obtain your new career direction.
Your new resume should reflect your current career direction. The first resume rule says that everything within your resume should relate to your career direction. This means you may need to delete information about outdated technology. You may also need to weed out old responsibilities that you no longer want to perform. If your resume includes special training or certifications that are no longer needed take them off as well.
Additionally, check your accomplishments from earlier years. If they do not support your career objection either delete or adjust them to relate. You might even need to take off your earliest employment entries if they represent a completely different career path.
Write your current employment entry in light of your new career focus. Do not include responsibilities that you do not wish to perform in your next job. Include only what you want to continue to do. Use job postings as a guide for key words that you’ll need to use as verbiage. Job postings also provide clues to transferable skills, technology and education that you’ll want to include.
No resume is complete without accomplishments. They are the talking points of your resume. Even if the past year hasn’t been as productive or positive as the past, find something to brag about. Think back on the challenges of the past year and how you solved them. Did you find a way to save time, cut costs or improve performance? Those are your accomplishments. They tell perspective employers that you are a problem solver for today’s difficult business environment. If your goal is an internal promotion your accomplishments remind your employer of the value you bring to the organization.
Once you’ve updated your resume you’ll be ready for any opportunity that comes your way. This may be your season for advancement, change or transition-get ready for it!
About the author