How should corporate takeover look on resume?

Q. I originally worked at Bank A, and then accepted a job at Bank B. After 8 months at Bank B, Bank A acquired them. Not wanting to return to Bank A, I found a new job. My question is, do I have to differentiate between Bank A and Bank B on my resume? Or can I just say the company I worked for was Bank A for both positions?

A. Telling this story is confusing, and making it clear on a resume may be a challenge too. A good resume shows the progression of your career, and highlights your accomplishments. It also shows verifiable information, which employers, contingency and retained search firms will review and confirm as part of their reference check on any new candidates.

You may be trying to limit the amount of movement your resume shows. Most hiring managers and recruiters don't like to see lots of jobs in a short period of time. There are ways to show advancement with the focus on the job title, by listing that in bold, as opposed to highlighting the company which is most often done in traditional resumes.

In this case I am also in favor of listing dates next to positions rather than in a margin which puts too much focus on a short time period. I would show the employer as Bank A, for both jobs, but list them separately with separate dates, and the last bullet should say: hired by Bank B which was acquired by Bank B, and list the date.

Remember resumes are designed to market the writer and make it easy for the reader to find all the accomplishments they are eager to see.

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