One of the most important aspects of any resume is highlighting your achievements.
That’s what employers really notice. That’s what impresses them most. The challenge is how to effectively communicate your accomplishments in a way that captures the attention of hiring managers and recruiters, without making you sound like a generic, recycled, run-of-the-mill applicant.
One of the best ways to do this is by using data and metrics to bolster your resume. By quantifying your achievements, you can provide tangible evidence of your skills and experience, and tell a prospective employer that you are the best candidate for the job, without explicitly saying it.
Why Highlighting Achievements is Essential
Recruiters and hiring managers can receive hundreds of resumes for every job opening, sometimes thousands if it’s a larger, well-known company. With so many applicants vying for attention, it’s essential to make your resume stand out in the crowd.
One of the best ways to do this is by highlighting your professional (and personal/academic if relevant) achievements. While it’s important to list your responsibilities and duties in previous roles, it’s your accomplishments that truly demonstrate your value as a potential employee.
Achievements don’t just highlight accomplishments, they can also demonstrate your ability to go above and beyond what’s in the job description. If communicated effectively, employers will see your dedication to your work and your commitment to producing results.
Showcasing your achievements can also help you differentiate yourself from other candidates who may have similar skills and experience. It’s one thing to say that you have a certain skill or skillset, but it’s another thing entirely to provide concrete, real-world examples of how you’ve applied that skill to achieve specific results.
Using Data and Metrics to Strengthen Your Resume
While highlighting achievements is important, its effectiveness multiplies many times over when hard (and even soft) numbers are added into the mix. Using data and metrics in a resume can help provide evidence of one’s accomplishments and impact, making the resume more persuasive and effective in communicating one’s skills and experience to potential employers. Here’s how you can incorporate data and metrics in your resume:
- Use Numbers to Quantify Your Achievements. One of the most effective ways to highlight your achievements is by using numbers to quantify your results. For example, instead of simply stating that you “increased sales,” provide a specific percentage or a dollar amount. This gives hiring managers a clearer picture of the impact you had in your previous role.
Here’s an example:
Increased sales by 20% within the first quarter of employment by implementing a new sales strategy.
In this example, the use of a specific number — like 20% — can illustrate the size of the achievement and the direct impact it had on the company. - Focus on the Impact of Your Achievements. While it’s important to provide numbers to quantify your achievements, it’s also crucial to focus on the impact those achievements had on the company or organization. Hiring managers want to know how your achievements contributed to the success of your past employers.
To take the previous example further:
Increased sales by 20% within the first quarter of employment by implementing a new sales strategy. The increase in revenue allowed for more investment in research and development leading to faster growth in foreign markets.
It doesn’t always have to be so detailed. It depends on the the jobs you’re applying to. But in this example, the focus is not only on the achievement itself, but what it led to for the company as a whole.
- Identify relevant metrics. Think about the key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics that are relevant to the job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a marketing role, relevant metrics might include website traffic, conversion rates, or social media engagement.
- Use action verbs. Use action verbs to describe your achievements, such as “created,” “implemented,” or “achieved.”
- Use visual aids. Consider using charts, graphs, or other visual aids to illustrate your accomplishments and make them more impactful, as long as it isn’t adding pages to your resume.
- Keep it concise. While it’s important to provide specific details, it’s also important to keep your resume concise and easy to read. Focus on your most impressive accomplishments and use bullet points to make them easy to scan.
- Tailor your resume: We talk about this a lot! Make sure to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for, highlighting the metrics and achievements that are most relevant to that position.
Read More: Why You Need a Tailored Resume for Every Job Application
- Use Numbers to Quantify Your Achievements. One of the most effective ways to highlight your achievements is by using numbers to quantify your results. For example, instead of simply stating that you “increased sales,” provide a specific percentage or a dollar amount. This gives hiring managers a clearer picture of the impact you had in your previous role.
By using data and metrics in your resume, you can help demonstrate your value to potential employers and stand apart from other candidates. Just be sure to keep your resume and the metrics you use concise, relevant and tailored to the job you are applying for. Focus on highlighting your most impressive accomplishments and impact, and your resume will get you the attention needed to land you in the interviewee’s chair!