Resume question for you, please!

Sarah Kozenko

February 23,2024 at 3:09AM UTC

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Resume question for you, please!

I got a job 2 years ago at a manufacturing start-up, and 6 months in, got promoted to Fulfillment Lead. I did that position from April '22 to Sept '23, before they "restructured" management, and essentially booted me from my position and moved me to Customer Service. It was a move that I did not want, at all, but worked it until they ultimately let me go this past Jan. (While I understand why they made the move, I still hated it). Customer Service is nothing I want to look into in my new job/career, and not something I want to promote on my resume (my job of 14 years before this one was very C/S heavy, and I don't enjoy it and I'm just over it.). So, can I leave it off my resume entirely? Is that essentially "lying"? Or no, because I didn't work it for that long, and my old employer can only say I worked there, not what I did? Thoughts? Thanks!

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AnonymousFebruary 23,2024 at 2:26PM UTC
You are not required to state every job you have had or list every requirement for each position. You can't lie about jobs you didn't have or embellish the duties to include tasks you didn't do or weren't responsible for. Leaving the last part off the resume won't hurt you if you leave it off or alter the duties only to highlight those that match the JD you are applying for.
It gets tricky since you were continuously employed by the same company, just demoted. The same thing happened to me, but the title I was given after the demotion was "specialist" rather than "manager." In the bullet points for that title, I highlight the mentoring of interns and onboarding activities for new hires rather than the previous job requirements I no longer want to do. So far, it hasn't hurt me, and none of the interviews I have been on have questioned it.
AnonymousFebruary 23,2024 at 4:43PM UTC
It's definitely NOT lying.
I have project management experience as well as my PMP and found I hated project management in practice. Kept getting calls about PM jobs b/c I had "Project Management" on my resume.
I reworked my resume and removed those words from my experience. I did leave my PMP on my resume, but just removing the words "Project Manager" and "Project Management" worked wonders.
Good luck!
AnonymousFebruary 25,2024 at 6:09PM UTC
I would not leave the time off the resume and since you were essentially in the same company you could flatten the resume just list the last role title you liked but the whole time period of employment. When asked why you left the company you should let them know that your fulfillment role was eliminated in a restructuring of the team and through retention they offered you a role in CS which you took for the short term but ultimately chose to separate (good neutral word) because it was not the career path you wanted to be in. Then go into the what you want to do next and the strengths of your experience in the areas you want to focus on with transferable skills.
TinaFebruary 26,2024 at 12:16AM UTC
In most states, a prospective employer can legally ask what your positions were at the prior company and why you are no longer there, so I wouldn’t misrepresent what your roles were or how long you were in the fulfillment role.
You can flatten the resume with the fulfillment title, but I would include that you transitioned from a CS role (or started in a CS role and transitioned back) in the description. You can explain in an interview what happened without being negative about management.
The restrictions vary by state, so I would look into specifically what the state allows former employers to say.
I would also include on your resume a skills and qualifications section that highlights your transferable skills for the positions that you DO want.
Maggie StoneFebruary 26,2024 at 3:44PM UTC
My understanding is that job title is one place you have some flexibility. Could you possibly just say “multiple” or use the management title?
Jennifer TaylorFebruary 26,2024 at 5:13PM UTC
Keep it on your resume, but in your career statement, make it clear that you’re pivoting away from customer service. Play up your transferrable skills. I pivoted from project management to corporate communications about 4 years ago. Consider contract work to gain skills in the career you’re targeting.