Quantifying Resume Achievements
This playbook provides a step-by-step guide on how to quantify accomplishments in a resume, which can help in making the resume more impactful by using numbers to highlight the significance of professional achievements.
Step 1: Identify Achievements
Review your entire work history to identify notable accomplishments. Focus on projects you led, targets you surpassed, processes you improved, or any recognitions you earned. These form the base of your quantifiable achievements.
Step 2: Gather Data
Collect any available quantitative data related to your achievements such as sales figures, percentages of improvement, number of projects completed, money saved, or time reduced in processes.
Step 3: Use Metrics
Use relevant metrics to frame your achievements. Examples include percentages, time frames, numerical values, and statistical comparisons.
Step 4: Incorporate Numbers
Revise the language of your resume to incorporate these numbers clearly and concisely. Make sure that every quantified point connects to a concrete accomplishment and context.
Step 5: Highlight Impact
Emphasize how your quantified achievements had a positive impact on your previous employers. This could be through cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency improvements, or other significant outcomes.
Step 6: Review and Refine
Critically assess the quantified achievements to ensure that they are accurate, impactful, and relevant to the positions you are applying for. Remove any that do not add value or seem out of place.
General Notes
Accuracy
Be sure that all numbers and statistics are accurate. Inflating figures can be easily detected and backfire during background checks or interviews.
Relevancy
Only include quantifiable achievements that are relevant to the job you're applying for. Irrelevant data can clutter your resume and dilute its overall effectiveness.
Consistency
Maintain a consistent format for presenting numbers on your resume. Choose a style that is clean and professional, and stick with it throughout the document.