Lindsay Olson

All About Promotions and What Questions Your Resume Should Address

LinkedIn released data last week in regards to the months people are generally promoted worldwide. In the US, the best months for promotion are January and July. I wrote a post for US News and World Report’s career blog about how to position yourself for a promotion in the coming months.

On another note: The job market is heating up. We’re busier than ever with PR and communications requisitions coming in for agency and in-house PR roles. With more opportunities opening up, it’s probably a good time to give your resume an update or two. Check out my post this week on the questions your resume should answer on US News and World Report’s On Careers.

Make sure your career progression is not mistaken for job hopping

Photo credit: Elvire.R

If you have been with the same company for most of your career, make sure your promotions don't look like job hops on your resume.

This sounds nit picky, I know, but I see it all the time and it's worth an explanation. Let's say you have worked for the same PR agency for the past eight years. You started as a Senior Account Executive and you're now a Vice President. Naturally, you want to show your career progression. You have probably worked with a variety of clients in different capacities throughout the years and have assumed increasing responsibility. So, you want to list it but it ends up looking something like this:

11/2007-present          XYZ Communications            Boston, MA
Vice President
(Add experience here)

10/2006-11/2007        XYZ Communications            Boston, MA
Account Director
(Add experience here)

1/2005-10/2006          XYZ Communications            Boston, MA
Account Manager
(Add experience here )

and so on....

The problem with listing promotions like this is that at first glance it looks jumpy, and if your resume is being scanned by a lazy eye in less than five seconds, the warning sirens scream "job hopper" and so it goes to the "out" pile. The reviewer didn't even notice each of the listed positions were with the same company.

The quick, simple fix to this: Start your experience with the date you start to present, add the company and the city. Underneath list each position with the dates, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Don't list the same company more than once. Unless, of course, you left and came back at a later period of time.

It should look something like this:

2/2000 - present          XYZ Communications            Boston, MA

Vice President
November 2007 - present
(Add experience here)

Account Director
October 2006-November 2007
(Add experience here)

Account Manager
January 2005-October 2006
(add experience here )

and so on....

This is part three of a series about what not to put on your resume.

Part 1: 5 things you should never put on your resume

Part 2: Top things you should never put on your resume by readers