Amanda Clark
Your resume needs to be much more than words on a page. It needs to tell a story about who you are and what you can do. It should grab the reader’s attention and make them consider how you could be a valuable asset to their business. Don’t leave them guessing about your abilities and let your resume get lost in the shuffle.
Part of this impact comes from the statements you make regarding your experience. Too often job seekers fall into the trap of making a laundry list of everything they have done. The problem becomes that there is little context or value attached to these statements. They don’t demonstrate how you applied these skills, what the outcome was, or how you got there. You are missing a significant opportunity to draw the employer in and showcase what makes you stand out.
Your statements should be action- or results-oriented. Start with a powerful verb, follow it with the activity, and then end with the impact or result it achieved. Take time to consider the details. Add metrics when possible and elaborate on how you got from point A to point B. These types of statements can be used to detail a wide range of competencies and give your resume the boost it needs.
Creativity
Mediocre: Developed marketing campaigns.
Meaningful: Developed comprehensive marketing campaigns for three new products encompassing digital and print advertising as well as social media and leading to $ 1M in initial sales.
Marketing campaigns can look very different depending on the industry. Include details as to what your work included and the overall impact that it had. Many companies are focusing on digital assets, so show your experience working within these platforms.
Customer Service
Mediocre: Greeted customers and answered questions.
Meaningful: Greeted more than 50 customers per day and accurately addressed questions, concerns, and inquiries regarding banking services resulting in increased cross-selling opportunities.
All employees are expected to acknowledge customers when they see them, but how did you make a difference? “Answered questions” can be very vague, so provide more context to give insight into your knowledge. Mentioning cross-selling shows your contribution to sales and improving customer engagement.
Process Improvement
Mediocre: Improved workflow.
Meaningful: Identified areas of improvement and integrated new software to streamline processes while decreasing turnaround time by 15 percent.
Metrics can help to put things into perspective and attach value to your work. Employers are always looking for ways to save time and money without sacrificing quality, so prove that you can do just that. If you’re stating that you made improvements, detail what you did or how you did it.
Leadership
Mediocre: Trained new employees.
Meaningful: Trained 10 new employees on consultative selling techniques and company policies and procedures to enhance performance and productivity.
What did training entail? Highlight specific skills that you were focusing on and how this made a difference in the company or for individuals.
These are just a few examples of ways you can make statements more meaningful and impactful. Make each statement bring value to your resume and showcase your abilities. Think about the details surrounding what you have done and what employers would want to know.
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