What are your thoughts on removing job titles from my resume and instead listing the skills required for the job?

12 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 4,2024 at 6:32PM UTC

   You can just put Director, (leave off the business development part) and highlight the duties in roles you want to pursue in the bullet points that align with the JD.

2. Tami L CannizzaroJune 4,2024 at 7:00PM UTC

   First question: What professional title do you use at the top of your resume? The challenge with simplifying it to "director" is that may not be specific enough, although it's worth a try. Recruiters and hiring managers search specifically by title, industry and function. Next question - what specifically did you do OR what do you want to do that's related to your title? For example: in your role as Director of Business Development, did you handle accounts? work on strategy? Analyze data? Take that and hone in on your title: Account Management Director, Director, Strategic Business Development, Strategic Account Director, Market Development Director, Director, Business Development and Analytics - you get the idea. These say more than "sales". Also - what do your experience bullets show? Make sure they speak to quantitative results that show how you improved the business without using the word 'sales'. (you may have already done this) In my world, "marketing" means a lot of things so I have to get very specific with the title.

3. Cassie SpencerJune 4,2024 at 9:11PM UTC

   Tami provided great advice in thinking about different ways to make your title a little more specific. I would also think about the other titles that you have on your resume and and would echo the question about your bullet points. The way we describe our roles, experience, projects, etc via bullet points often plays a big role in how our experience is perceived it may be worth looking those elements and the keywords, verbs, etc. you're using throughout to gear the content more toward your desired roles/companies.

4. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 4,2024 at 9:52PM UTC

   I would not recommend you remove the job titles from your resume.

   You say that Director of BD is just a very small part of what you do. What else do you do? What positions are you applying for?

5. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluJune 6,2024 at 12:30PM UTC

   Add a secondary title to your resume . . . One which is more in keeping with your duties, and mirrors the terminology or classification in the organizations you wish to join. Then, as a bullet, indicate that you "Acted as (whatever that secondary title is), and the implications/impacts of those duties on your current company.

6. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 12:32PM UTC

   If you change your title, it won’t come up the same in an employment verification or background check, so if you receive an offer (when it won’t matter as much) you might need to explain that.

   This is why job searches, from either end, that target specific roles/titles are so difficult. Titles mean such different things depending on industry, size of company, etc. And yet the recruiting and job coaching industries still act as if we have all been on linear career paths in banks or big tech companies where one title clearly connects to the next one.

   Sorry, no answers, just sympathy at yet another way the system is broken in that the default isn’t to look closely at relevant or transferable skills, just at keywords including a job title.

7. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 12:52PM UTC

   I’m being pigeonholed exactly like you and I had a functional resume once and everyone was asking what role did what so removing your titles is great but it will be asked. I’m looking to change industries and I know I have a ton of translatable skills but they’re fixated on what I’ve done and not what I want to put my great skills to. Pls accept my best of luck in your endeavors.

8. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 3:44PM UTC

   Sure you can, make it a skills resume and reorder your skills within each role with the parts you are most interested in at the top of each section. If you do not want to be in a revenue driving position then remove all quotas or sales numbers from it and anything to suggest that you do this. Add in from each job you apply to some tidbits of their position into your resume as well.

9. christine soderlundJune 6,2024 at 3:45PM UTC

   You should not remove the title, but you can add a hyphen or parentheses to clarify what you are looking for.

   For example (and considering that I don't know what you do):

   Director of Business Development (Operations Leader) or

   Director of Business Development (Global Team Leader) or

   Director of Business Development (Social Media and Leads)

   Be sure to use the LinkedIn headlines to add more detail to your profile so Recruiters can find you.

10. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 3:46PM UTC

    "frankly, most recruiters are not very sharp these days"

    REALLY?

11. AnonymousJune 9,2024 at 2:10PM UTC

    I’ve been advised before that you can change job titles as long as they represent your role (esp as they can vary massively from company to company).

    But I basically do a skills based CV, so it’s the first thing recruiters see & then below it are the job titles & basic description about the role.

12. Ellen Smith FaganJune 9,2024 at 9:10PM UTC

    You are experienced - reap the rewards. Instead of focusingon your resume, think about YOUR IDEAL JOB and then go online and poke about the companies you like and/or the listings that appeal and think about the tasks - definitely! Most employers will understand your need to grow in your work path and many larger firms or more specialized firms offer their own education continuation to upgrade and. refresh you! MAKE it delicious ...not a boring 'same old, same old' - it's your LIFE.