One Simple Resume Update To Better Sell Yourself On Paper

You’ve spent your career gaining experiences and sharpening skills that will be extremely valuable in your next role.  You just need a little help selling yourself on paper to show the Hiring Manager you are a perfect fit.‍

One of the best ways to do that is by quantifying your success. Remember, your resume isn’t a list of duties performed in your jobs.  It’s a tool that shows a prospective employer what you accomplished so they can imagine what you can do for them when you are hired.   

Let’s start with a question:  What are you most proud of accomplishing in your current role? 

Maybe you are most proud of growing a book of business from enterprise customers in your sales role.  Or maybe you led a team through an important project. 

Let’s quantify your success to show the outcome of your accomplishment so the hiring manager understands the value you’ve brought to your role. We recommend a proven method using the XYZ format: Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].  That simply spells out: What did you accomplish?  How was it measured? How did you do it or what led to the results? 

Let’s take our first example above: Grew book of business from enterprise customers 

It’s a stronger statement if we simply quantify the results: Grew revenue from enterprise customer accounts by 15% QoQ. 

But it’s even stronger using Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]: Grew revenue from enterprise customer accounts by 15% QoQ through consultative process to highlight new features that solved critical business needs.  ‍

Let’s look at our second example above: Led a team through an important project.

Start by being a little more specific about the scope of the project: Led a team of 5 through selection of new software system for Finance department.  

That’s good, but what was the outcome of the project and how was it accomplished? How about: Led a team of 5 through selection of software system for Finance department, which decreased monthly billing costs by 23% due to digital migration and reduction in billing time.

Here’s a final example when there isn’t an obvious metric-based outcome to highlight: 

• OK: Member of Leaders of Tomorrow.
• Better: Selected as 1 of 25 nationally for Leaders of Tomorrow professional development program.
• Best: Selected as 1 of 25 nationally for Leaders of Tomorrow, a professional development program for high-achieving diverse talent based on leadership potential and academic success.

We have an important recommendation for you:

Add one bullet like this to each of your current and past roles on your master resume that demonstrate your value and the success you’ve brought to the roles. (What did you accomplish, how was that measured, and what led to the results?) This way, the next time Jobflow tailors your resume for another job application, we have a better understanding of your accomplishments to weave throughout your resume and cover letter.  And you’ll have a narrative ready to be discussed in the interviews coming your way.