Do you know the difference between confidence and arrogance?
The people who read your resumé certainly do.
When considering candidates for an open position, employers want someone who is capable of doing the job, obviously. The days of advertisements stating “No Experience Necessary,” as was the case for celebrity chef Norman Van Aken when he got his first job in a restaurant (and which is now the title of his memoir), are pretty much over. Not that it’s impossible to get a job without experience. It’s just that employers are more likely to ask for candidates who have done that type of work before.
So it’s important to convey in your resumé that you indeed have the background that would make you a desirable candidate for the open position.
But it’s also important find the balance between making your case and bragging about it. In all of the employers seeking to fill positions who have come to us at Restaurant Talent Scouts, not one has asked us to find them someone really cocky.
By all means, list the work background that makes you the ideal candidate for the position. And even include any recognition that you received that’s pertinent, such as awards, critiques or even employee of the month.
But avoid saying such things as the award was won easily, or that no one else even came close to winning it. And never tell recruiters that you’re about to make life easier because they can stop looking for someone to fill the position because they won’t find anyone better than you.
That’s arrogance.