In the U.S. 227,000 new jobs were created in February 2012, which exceeded what economists predicted. With a renewed optimism that the economy is rebounding, more employers are opening requisitions for sales representatives and anticipating a potential avalanche of resumes.

Wouldn’t life be easier if the right resumes leaped to the top of the heap? While assessment testing is one of the best ways to spot the high performance that can help your organization excel, you can start the vetting process by taking a systematic approach to reading resumes will help single out the best candidates.

Here are some of the accomplishments you should look for in sales candidates:

• How their contribution and sales expertise benefitted previous companies
• Specific sales figures, expressed in dollars or percentage increase
• How well they met their quota or other sales expectations
• Awards and honors earned
• Salvaging of accounts that were previously languishing
• Innovation or role in a product development or a new project launch
• Sales training programs attended or delivered to continually improve performance
• How their part in contract negotiations resulted in a positive business deal
• Committees or boards on which they served or special projects they participated in
• Their work with non-profit organizations to raise funds or grow a cause
• Involvement in competitive activities such as sports
• Track record of success in job and how quickly it took them to become successful

What else should you consider? Educational background, sales experience, industry experience, knowledge and technical skills and communication and presentation skills weigh heavily. There is much a resume can tell you before you embark on setting up costly interviews. With a clearly defined job description and resumes that have been screened for hiring the high performance, you’re ready to move to the interviewing stage.