How Do You Address Your Professional Background in a Job Search

How Do You Address Your Professional Background in a Job SearchYou might landsee the phrase professional background popping up now and then in your job search, but what does it mean? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) The quickest summary is that theyre asking for yourwork history. But you shouldnt stop thereno one really wants a dry list of previous employers. When a hiring manager wants to hear about yourprofessional background, they are looking to learn about your performance and history in your current and past professions.Where Should You Put It?The best place to share this information is perhaps at the top of your resume, in a summary of your qualifications or a career profileboth much more effective than the outmoded Objective section. With each job you apply for, make koranvers youve made a convincing map of your skills and experience as matching the requirements for the job.On a resume, the best way to format your work history and professional accomplishments is probably chronological. But you can also try formatting it in a way that emphasizes jobs youve had that are particularly relevantby type.What Should You Say?Be as honest as possible about what youve done and where youve worked, but, with that in mind, emphasize your particular skills and expertise as strongly as possible.If you dont have a white-collar background with fancy managerial positions, that shouldnt matter. What matters most is your professionalism, how you conducted yourself on the job, and how much you have grown. Showing your record of actingresponsibly and accountably, with excellence and integrity, will do you a world of good.Its still a professional background even if you feel your job is not fancy.Go Beyond Just Paid JobsRemember to include training and educationwhich are more than just academic credentials. Any certifications or skills training or onboarding youve acquired in the course of your career are relevant and quite important .Remember, how you look on paper is only the first step. Your resume is a partial summary of your professional background. Use it to get in front of a hiring manager or recruiter, and then expand upon the bullet points while you have the face time.And keep in mind when an interviewer asks you to tell them about your professional background, remember that they want more than just a chronological list of jobs that they could read straight off your resume. Present yourself professionally, and your background can provide the extra boost you need.