What to Look For in a Sales Resume (And What to Ignore)
Hiring sales talent always involves risk. The goal is to minimize that risk while maximizing potential—which is why resumes can be so frustrating. A polished one can hide a mediocre performer, while a clunky one might belong to your next top producer. At SalesFirst, we’ve screened thousands of sales resumes—and we’ve learned what really matters. Here’s how to cut through the noise and spot the difference between a maybe and a must-call.
What to Look For
Career Progression That Makes Sense: Look for signs of forward momentum: AE → Sr. AE → Sales Manager. Even lateral moves can show value if the candidate switched industries or moved into more complex sales environments. Gaps or pivots can be okay—but the story should hold up when asked about it.
Quantifiable Wins: Great reps track their performance and put it on their resume. We don’t care what they say if they can’t tell us their Percent to quota, Annual revenue generated, Key logos landed, or their Team ranking. A resume without metrics isn’t ALWAYS a dealbreaker—but it is a missed opportunity to prove impact. More important than what they did is how well they did it. A line that says “Managed enterprise accounts” tells you nothing. A line that says “Grew key enterprise account by 34% YOY” tells you more.
Tenure That Tells a Story:
3+ years at each company = stability. That usually means they stuck around long enough to prove themselves over multiple cycles.
Longer at high-growth companies = bonus. It shows they can handle pace, ambiguity, and change.
Shorter stints? Sometimes ok—if there’s context. Since 2020, layoffs, acquisitions, and team shakeups have been common. What matters more is how they performed while they were there and whether their story checks out.
Prospecting Experience: Especially if you’re hiring a hunter. We love seeing “Built book of business from scratch” or “100+ cold calls/day.” “Sourced 75% of pipeline through outbound cold calling” is perfect. These candidates won’t wait for leads—they’ll generate their own.
What to Be Cautious About
Vague Titles or Buzzword Soup: “Account Manager” can mean anything. “Sales Executive” might mean support rep. Don’t judge by title alone—dig into what they sold, to whom, and how.
Missing Numbers: Beware of resumes packed with fluff. “Dynamic, results-driven professional with a proven track record of strategic synergy”? No thanks. Give us results. If they’ve been in sales for more than a year and don’t mention quota, it’s worth asking why.
Industry Jumping with No Clear Path: We’re open to transferable experience—but jumping from B2C to SaaS to industrial with no thread? Ask questions. Not every pivot is a red flag, but some are just flailing.
What to Ignore
The School They Went To: For junior roles, sure—college matters a little. But for most roles? Focus on the last 3 jobs, not the first 4 classes they took.
Perfect Formatting: This isn’t a resume beauty contest. As long as it’s clean and readable, spend your energy on what it says—not how it’s laid out.
Big Brand Bias: Don’t assume success just because they came from a name-brand company. Dig into their role. At large orgs, some reps ride the brand. Others build the business. Know which one you're getting.
What We Do at SalesFirst
Our team goes way beyond the resume. Every candidate we submit has been personally interviewed, vetted for performance, and screened against real KPIs. We ask the tough questions hiring managers wish they had time to ask:
What was your quota? How did you perform?
Were you a hunter or a farmer?
Who did you sell to—and how did you get in the door?
What were your actual daily activities?
That’s why our clients trust us. Because by the time a candidate hits their inbox, they’ve already passed the real test.
Final Thought
The best salespeople don’t always write the best resumes. But they leave clues if you know where to look.
If you're hiring and want a second set of eyes—or want us to do the screening for you, get in touch. This is what we do!
