How to Start Your SDR Job Hunt?

Before submitting any application or writing a cover letter you need to set things in order. Here are a few things you MUST do before speaking to any potential employer. 

Refine the Social Presence

Social media is a critical part of the screening process. You should be active and professional on channels like LinkedIn (and Twitter to an extent). Your personal profiles like Facebook and Instagram should be protected to avoid disqualification. 

Most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to manage the hiring process. It keeps track of the screen, and interview score, manages the onboarding logistics and stores all applicants’ data. The ATS has built-in tools to help the hiring team identify applicants’ social media profiles. Here’s how you can gain brownie points: 

LinkedIn

Set up your profile, complete with as many details as possible. LinkedIn is like the digital business card and a medium to showcase your professional qualifications. 

  • Add a professional headshot photograph
  • Write a summary of your experience
  • Include media files of your completed projects even from school if it’s relevant

Note: You can refer to this top-performing SDR profile while setting up. 

Facebook & Instagram

Keep the profiles private and delete anything that can be considered obnoxious or offensive. While job hunting, your public profile has a lot to give away and very little to gain. 

Twitter

If you are regular on Twitter, avoid any highly controversial tweets. Even if the hiring manager agrees with your rants about the president since it’s a customer-facing job they may hire someone who has a compromised social presence. 

Resume Preparation Simplified

Now that your social presence is clear, you need to polish your resume. Let’s move to the must-do’s while preparing your resume.

Resume Must Do’s

    • Your resume must be ONE page long. You need to compress all your experience and keep it concise. Long (three-page) resumes are almost always disqualified. 
  • Quantify your accomplishments. The hiring manager is interested in your accomplishments and what you got done instead of the job description. For example, instead of “Worked at University office” you can say “Increased enrollment by 50% by launching targeted campaigns for students who had previously shown interest.” 
  • Since you’ve limited real estate in your resume save the generic information for an in-person interview. 

Resume Nice-to-haves

  • Use a resume editing service. A resume is a reflection of yourself and every effort you put in will be accounted for. 
  • Instead of an MS word resume template try Adobe Photoshop, Figma, or other similar applications to design your resume. 

Here’s a sample resume for reference. 

Must-Read Resources for Future SDRs

To make the most of the available opportunities, you need to have a base knowledge. Sign up for top sales development training modules. We recommend you read the following books to polish the interview and get selected for the job. 

    • Sales Development by Cory Bray & Hilmon Sorey: It breaks down every aspect of the SDR role. It is like a step-by-step guide to succeeding as an SDR. 
    • The Sales Development Playbook by Trish Bertuzzi will provide a bigger picture. It’s 50% dedicated to the SDR and 50% to managers.
  • Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross: Get insights on how to be successful as an SDR. 

Even if you read one of the above books, you can get ahead of your competition. 

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