One of the most asked questions we get is “What accomplishments and results should I include on my resume?” What most people consider as a “resume” is simply a list of job duties and dates. Most job duties are a list of activities that a person is expected to do during the term of employment. Change your perspective of your resume and put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter or hiring manager. Essentially, they are seeking candidates who can create change or impact to the position, but more importantly to the company in a positive way. You can demonstrate this through results and accomplishments.
Our general rule of thumb is to review each job description on your resume and first ask, “SO WHAT?” What was the result of performing this activity? If that is not clear, then you have not listed a result or accomplishment. The result can be an impact, a change, a savings, etc. You should have a quantifiable result (in most cases) or other justifiable accomplishment after performing that duty. Next ask yourself, “How does this specific duty impact the company’s success and bottom line?” You should be tracking this information no matter how insignificant you may think it is.
The job duties you perform often come with quantifiable expectations that you can track, whether numerically or figuratively speaking. For example, if you are working in a call center, you may have a quota related to the number of inbound calls you need to complete during the day. Another example is the number of projects you need to complete within a month.
Think about it this way. You are being paid a salary for what you do, so your job is obviously important to the company as a whole. It is YOUR job as an employee to figure out what value you bring to the company in the position you’re in. Once you can identify this value, then you can be confident in communicating results and accomplishments on your resume and during an interview. If you can’t identify this level of value or know your self-worth in your position, you may be in the wrong position. That’s just a reality check you have to consider (and an article for another day).
When you can answer the “So What?” question, you have the formula for more effectively identifying your accomplishments and results to create an impactful, ready-to-read resume.
If you’d like to find out HOW to track your accomplishments and results while you’re on the job, we have some tips here.
Need a second opinion about how your resume reads from an employer’s perspective? Click here to send your resume for a free resume review (feedback by email).
