• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Commentary

Your Resume Is Useless Without These 3 Things

By
Gary Miles
Gary Miles
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Gary Miles
Gary Miles
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 6, 2017, 11:02 AM ET
Friends
FRIENDS -- "The One with the Mugging" -- Episode 15 -- Aired 2/13/2003 --Pictured: (l-r) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Jeff Goldblum as Leonard Hayes -- Photo by: NBCU Photo BankNBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question, “What are the top three things you look for on a resume?” is written by Gary Miles, general manager at Amdocs.

One of the most difficult jobs for any entrepreneur is hiring the right team to properly balance strengths and weaknesses. The first rule of startup life is that if you go at it alone, you’re doomed to fail, making the interview process critical when hiring new talent.

If you’re interested in a new startup opportunity, here are three tips to get you noticed:

Show tenacity, but that you’re not afraid of failure
Entrepreneurs by nature are persistent and will pursue an idea long after others would have given up. However, tenacity can be both a strength and a weakness—you need to demonstrate that you won’t be blinded by a belief that your offering is in the right place at the right time. If you’re in a situation where your idea isn’t working, you have to allow yourself to quickly put it to rest. A good leader who creates an environment of innovation will not see this as a weakness, so don’t be shy to list key examples on your resume. Just be sure to couple the failed attempts with lessons learned during your in-person discussion.

Failing fast and jumping on the next great idea is a virtue, and much better than holding onto something well into expensive losses. On the same note, I like to see that potential candidates have flexibility to evolve an idea and pivot from where they originally started.

Show you’re a team player
In a startup environment, it’s all about the team and the ability to work in a fluid, less hierarchical environment that encourages and safeguards collaboration. Being a team player is key. Show that you’re willing to surround yourself with the right talent, trust others, and not be intimidated by conflicting ideas. You won’t succeed without positive leadership and attitude, or by getting territorial. You can showcase this flexibility on your resume by highlighting that you’ve worked in different types of work environments.

In my early startup days, I used to struggle more with conflict at the management level. I felt like I was a frequent arbitrator between managers, roles, responsibilities, and creative friction, and I can see now this wasn’t the right approach. Now, in my current role at Amdocs, I make it a public point not to get in between my managers, and make it clear that I expect them to collaborate and find a solution.

Show you can scale with confidence
To pique my interest, I need to see that a candidate can scale their business when the time is right. A lot of good entrepreneurs have some initial accomplishments, but how do you expand your organization into a commercial success and size? Through your resume, show me good ideas you’ve had, how you harnessed them, and how you attracted the right people and capital to make bold growth steps forward—whether through organic moves or inorganic ones. Use this as an opportunity to demonstrate some quantifiable results—like increased sales or leads, or new partnerships developed—and further expand upon why you made specific hires or decisions during your in-person discussion.

 

Keep in mind that you can use these key skills at larger companies should you shift careers, or if the startup you’re working for should be absorbed by another brand. There is a lot to be said for keeping entrepreneurial values in a large corporation as a way to foster innovation.

About the Authors
By Gary Miles
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

adc
CommentaryLeadership
AI is turning workers into superhumans. Their leadership teams haven’t kept up
By Adrienne Down CoulsonJune 2, 2026
7 hours ago
liaquat
CommentaryBubbles
I won a Pulitzer for explaining the Great Depression. The AI spending boom terrifies me
By Liaquat AhamedJune 2, 2026
11 hours ago
Allison Danielsen is CEO, Tallo.
CommentaryCareers
My wrist injury derailed my college plans. It’s why I’m a CEO today
By Allison DanielsenMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
treble
CommentaryElections
I built a startup from scratch and still nearly died because of a broken healthcare system. That’s why I’m running for Congress
By Jonathan TrebleMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
bn
CommentaryEducation
Bill Nye: Companies say there’s a skills gap. They’re wrong — and students can prove it
By Bill NyeMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
soccer moms
CommentarySports
Why soccer moms are shaping the future of football in the U.S.
By Ruslan BashirovMay 31, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
Conferences
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
By Preston ForeJune 1, 2026
21 hours ago
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
Law
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
By Sasha RogelbergJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.