Adding Numbers to Your Resume

In other words, quantifying your accomplishments

 

If you’re an avid follower of our blog and social media platforms, you may have heard the advice to add numbers to your resume. But what does this actually mean? Recruiting professionals give this advice for you to add percentages, dollar amounts, and other types of numeric amounts to quantify your individual accomplishments at previous or current experiences.

The act of quantifying your accomplishments helps illustrate the true impact you have had in your career. The hiring manager will likely see those measurables and will be much more impressed by the number rather than the action by itself.

For example:

Person 1: Responsible for developing and managing brand awareness across social platforms.

Person 2: Developed and managed brand awareness, increasing social media following by 50% within the first year.

Who would you hire?

Types of Numbers to Add

Percentages

These are the most common types of numbers found on a resume. From measuring an increase in company efficiency to a growth in customer base, percentages show the hiring manager a bigger picture of your impact.

Dollar Amounts

Revenue increases or money saved due to procedures you implemented or created are substantial accomplishments.

Time

Don’t forget: Time is money! Did you save the company or your department time as a result of your action?

Frequency & Other Amounts

Frequency numbers are numbers of anything you’ve done in great value, so the hiring manager can see how much work you can handle. For example, if you want to include that you “managed and hired employees for a department,” phrase it like this: “interviewed, hired, and trained 3 new employees, managed a department of 5 employees.” If you don’t have an exact number, use a range instead.

Adding the Appropriate Numbers

Before you start showering your resume with percent symbols and dollar signs, it’s important that you follow the steps below to select the right type and to avoid over quantifying your resume.

1. List Accomplishments

It can be difficult to come up with accomplishments from your career. The best way to remedy this is by listing different accomplishments from each of your past positions.

2. Determine the Measure

For all of your accomplishments that you listed, select what type of number you could add and calculate that measurement.

3. Make Your Statements

Format your accomplishment with your calculated measurable and how you accomplished this result. For example, “suggested new procedures that cut down processing time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes.”

4. Select the Impressive

You want to avoid over quantifying your resume because you want hiring managers to hone in on your most impressive accomplishments. Choose 1-2 of your most impressive accomplishment to add to each of your previous positions.

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