Listing clients on resume/CV ?

[chiph]

A similar question to Petey's -

I had a resume come across my desk today from a person who had been a consultant a few years ago. They had listed many of the clients they had worked for by name, plus the nature of the project.

It came across to me as being name-dropping (some of the clients are very recognizable). They didn't get into the gritty details of what they did for the clients, but they did say stuff like:

Wrote employee benefits application for Xxxxxx.
Assisted Yyyyyy in selecting a software package.

And so forth.

My question is: Is it ethical to do this? If so, then I guess I can load up my own resume!

Chip H.



If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[Dimandja]

Naming "famous" companies one worked for is also a form of name dropping, but using actual people names inside one's resume is tasteless and invasive - enough to disqualify the applicant, in my opinion.

I would prefer my name didn't appear on someone's resume without my approval. The implication being that I recommend this particular person; not to mention the disclosures that are implicit.

The only "ethical" place a name can be "dropped" is on the reference list. Of course the understanding is that the person being named has agreed to provide a recommendation.

Dimandja

 

[rosieb]

If you're working as a consultant, I'd say listing company names is fine - you'd give the names of previous employers. If they are "good" companies it adds gravitas to the resume.

Within that, I'd say "did xxx for the Finance Director" and "YYY for the HR Manager" is also fine, but quoting actual peoples' names poor practice (unless it is clear their consent has been gained, for example if they are listed as referees).

They're opening a door for you to check up on them.

Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)

 

[AnanthaP]

I don't see anything wrong in the two examples quoted. After all, how else can consultants tell about their work? Particularly if they don't have anny current assignments with Xxxxxx or Yyyyyy. (Xxxxxx and Yyyyyy presumably being companies and not individuals). God help them if their references have even been obsoleted.

As an interviewer, you can easily check up both the actual assignment and the role played by the consultant. ("Assisted" Yyyyyy in selecting a software package ..) by asking them to describe the process of assistance.

By the way, what are the standard "gritty" details? Role, team strength, duration of project, platform .. Ha! These are standard.

So its up to you as the innaviewer to innaview beyond the obvious.

End

 

[MDXer]

As a former consultant I see nothing wrong with Listing the companies or projects the have been engaged in. Why should a consultant be limited on who they list as long as it does not 1) Violate any NDAs in place and 2) They do not go into great detail on what they did. If you were a fulltime employee you would list that you worked for company Xxxx and performed Tasks Y and Z, and if you were a company you might list company Xxxx as a client. The harder part is when your a Consultant for Company Xxxx working on project Yyyy that you had to implement or customize for Xxxx's customer who are companies A, B and C.

As a former Consultant I was placed in this position where I consulted on a product that required seperate development to their Customers. Upon the ending of the Contract I asked the department I worked with if I could list them on my resume, and also asked the VP if I could list him as a professional reference since we worked closely and had developed a professional relationship both of which his gladly approved.

so on my Resume I approached it as

Company Xxxx
Consulted on project and brief description of services I provided

rather than adding the other companies who I had actually done work for I listed their industry. Such as Developed DW and Olap reporting system for companies in the ABC industry.

I see my resume/cv as a marketing brochure. It needs to sell me to potential employers to the point that they are intrested enough to want to interview me.

The job hunting process is basically a sales and marketing process you market yourself to companies in hopes of them buying your skills.

"Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!"
- Daffy Duck

 

[chiph]

I guess that is my question - should they have said (for example)
[tab]Wrote some software for a large national grocery chain
instead of:
[tab]Wrote some software for Foodie Mart

Maybe I was just having a bad day, but the 2nd style just came across to me (like I said) as name-dropping.

Chip H.


If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[fredericofonseca]

In my opinion as a consultant you should mention your client name (e.g. Company name), but not the persons involved.

Depending on the work done you may reference the title/position of someone to whom the work was done. E.G. Marketing director, but no more than that.

Remember that the persons may not have given permission for that info to be made available, and they may even not be working there anymore, and thus the information is even irrelevant.



Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[Stella740pl]

chiph,

The first style I would use if I met a former classmate on the street or at a class reunion, or in some other similar circumstances.

On my resume I would definitely use the second style. As a matter of fact, I do. Actually, I make the client's name (company name, not a person's name, of course) more noticeable than consulting company's name. I would put it about this way:

mm/yy- XXX, theCity, theState
mm/yy Consultant / Systems Analyst with YYY
Wrote some software, etc.

where XXX - client company's name, and YYY - consulting company's name, and XXX of course is more recognizable name than YYY.

Name dropping? That's what a resume for. As MDXer said, "the job hunting process is basically a sales and marketing process ..." So the more you beef up you resume, the better your chances (at least, with most employers).

If you list your full time employers in your resume, you wouldn't say "A major financial company" or "Large national grocery chain", so why should you when it comes to your consulting clients? By listing them, you let your prospective employer make your background check and show that you have nothing to hide.

Stella

 

[Thadeus]

As a current consultant, I want interviewers to know that I didn't work for Joe's Automotive down the street. Secondly, that I can handle high pressure, highly visible clients. Especially, when one of the skills I am peddling is my ability to interact in crisis situations with these clients. Lastly, I want people to realize that I have performed work for clients from a variety of industries.

A clip from my resume:

Managed multiple long-term support cases for customers such as Air France, Publisher’s Circulation and Comcast Cable.

Now as an addendum to the statement about Joe's Automotive... If I was pitching myself to all of the local auto retailers, I would most likely include Joe's in my resume, if I felt that it would help.

As Stella just noted, job-hunting is about marketing and selling yourself to your client/future employer.

(keeping your job, is about fulfilling the sale)

~Thadeus

 

[Dimandja]

To be sure, there is no question that everyone expects your resume to name companies you did work for.

What is tasteless is to state in your resume, that your software development group consisted of your very good pals John Smith, Jane Doe and the owner.

Dimandja