In today’s competitive job market, it is important to take every opportunity to make your resume stronger.
A great way to do so is by quantifying your achievement on your resume.
Including numbers in your achievements descriptions might be the difference between a quick glance from the hiring manager, and scheduling an interview.
But before you add any numbers into your resume, you should know how to do it right.
In this article, we are going to help you by exploring the following questions:
- Why is it significant to quantify achievement on your resume?
- How to quantify achievement on your resume?
And just to get you ready even more, we are going to wrap things up with some great examples to help you quantify your own achievement in your resume.
So, if you are ready to use all the numbers in your favor in your resume, let’s dive in.
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Why is it significant to quantify achievements on your resume?
You should always aim to make your resume as strong as possible.
One of the best ways to do so is by quantifying your achievements, but you might ask yourself why is that exactly.
The first thing you accomplish by including numbers along with your accomplishments is that they instantly grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Not only that, but they also give the information in your resume more credibility.
Furthermore, every number in your resume lets the hiring manager compare your results to those of other candidates, which can set you one step ahead of some, and will definitely take you ahead of the competition which missed out on quantifying their achievements.
How to quantify achievements on your resume?
Now that you understand the importance of quantifying achievements on your resume, it’s time to learn how to do it just right.
To do so, you only need to follow a few simple steps.
Keep track of your work
The first thing you need to do should become a habit for you, if you want to save up some valuable time.
If you constantly keep track of your work, and your achievements, it will not only be easier for you to add the quantified data to your resume once you start searching for a new job, but you will also see what you are good at, and what you need to work on.
So make sure you make a list, and keep it updated with every work-related accomplishment you get, along with the quantified result.
Use ranges
Numbers on your resume can be your greatest friends when it comes to job searching.
However, that does not mean that you should absolutely stay away from ranges.
There are a number of reasons why you might not include a specific number in an accomplishment on your resume, like:
- You don’t have access to a specific number
- You can’t calculate an exact number to quantify the achievement
- You prefer to use a range, rather than a specific number
Whatever the reason, using a range to quantify an achievement can be just as strong as an exact number.
Focus on the key metrics
Numbers on your resume are effective, but that only applies if you use them correctly.
You should not just throw them around anywhere you can, but instead you need to focus on key metrics.
Such metrics that can catch the hiring manager’s attention are:
- Money – when it comes to money, numbers are essential for every successful company. If you can show improved financial performance due to your achievements, you should absolutely include some strong numbers there, either as specific amount, or percentage
- People – you can also quantify people, which can mean many things – from clients you had, to a size of a team you had managed
- Time – another highly valued number you should include on your resume is the experience you have in specific positions, as the work experience is definitely the first thing a hiring manager is looking for on your resume
Proofread
Last but not least, you need to check if all the numbers you have listed on your resume are actually correct.
It is really important for you to present accurate and real information to the hiring manager, and remain honest throughout the whole hiring process.
Examples of quantifying achievements on a resume
And now, as promised, we are going to wrap things up with some great examples of how to quantify achievements on your resume.
Example 1:
Managed a human resources team of 8 employees, serving an office of 380 staff members, maintaining strong professional relationship within the staff.
Example 2:
Managed a team of 15 employees with innovative techniques that lead to 32% increase in revenue from the previous calendar year.
Example 3:
Worked on a new online marketing platform that produced top-five results on all targeted keywords, yielding a 57% increase in organic search traffic and 24% increase in sales.
Takeaways
We are all done, now you know how to quantify your achievements just right.
Let’s go through all the essential steps one last time, you need to:
- Keep track of your work – create a list and constantly update it with your achievements, along with the quantified result from them
- Use ranges – if you can’t or don’t want to use exact numbers for some of your achievements, don’t forget that ranges can be just as strong
- Focus on key metrics – think about what the hiring manager would be interested in, and focus your numbers in that direction, rather than adding them everywhere
- Proofread – go through all the numbers you have listed, and make sure they all present the actual result, as you would want to be as honest as possible in the hiring process
Check out our examples one last time, and get ready to quantify your own achievement in your resume.
Make one that's truly you.