Overwhelmed by trying to get your story across to employers? Worried that your resume won’t stand up among dozens, if not hundreds, of eager job hunters?
Here’s one of the best ways to stand out on your resume: measuring (and documenting) your performance against peers or predecessors.
The payoff? A resume that tells employers why you’ll continue to excel in your next role, and how you’re well-positioned to be one of their top performers.
Here are 3 quick ways to come up with resume information by weighing your results against others:
1 – Look at your predecessor.
Most employers find it necessary to replace or reorganize teams from time to time, so you’ve probably found yourself taking over a role from a former colleague.
In fact, you may have come in as the replacement for an underperforming manager, which gives you a great foundation on which to base achievements. If so, you’ll want to quantify the results you gained vs. that of the previous incumbent.
Turnaround performance is a great differentiator, and was used as part of the strategy on this COO resume within the real estate investment industry.
2 – Compare yourself against colleagues.
Believe it or not, a side-by-side correlation between your results and that of your peers will help your resume writing skills.
Think carefully about efforts you’ve handled at work such as special projects or collaboration with leaders at your company. Ask yourself these questions:
- Was there a reason your boss selected you to lead a particular initiative?
- Were you promoted faster than your colleagues?
- Are you frequently pulled into leadership meetings to provide strategic input?
If any of these situations apply to you, document the ways you’re differentiating yourself, and then leverage them!
This example of a Sales Resume shows how this rep compared his revenue achievement to peers – demonstrating stronger, faster results that helped win interviews for his next role.
3 – Assess your performance against the industry.
Here’s where economic conditions come into play. If you’re in a sales role, you might find that you’ve earned Top Producer ranking in a down year… when others in your industry struggled to even make quota.
Take stock of your performance against that of peers in other companies. Did your company stay in business – even when others shut their doors?
Were you able to produce revenue-generating or market-capturing strategies in an industry known for slow growth?
If these scenarios apply to you, be sure to mention both the achievement and the conditions on your resume. Employers are keen to hire candidates that are able to address and resolve obstacles.
In summary, even if it seems that you’ve just “done your job” throughout your career, chances are good that you can think of ways your performance differs from that of other team members or executives.
Adding comparative analyses to your resume - with a full description of your results vs. your peers – will help you make a stronger, standout impression.
Laura Smith-Proulx of An Expert Resume is an award-winning executive resume writer and former recruiter with a 98% interview-winning success rate opening doors through powerful personal branding. A certified Professional Resume Writer, Online Professional Networking Strategist, Career Management Coach, Interview Coach, 360 Reach Brand Analyst, Social Networking Career Strategist, and Microblogging Career Strategist, she is the author of "How to Get Hired Faster: 60+ Proven Tips & Resources to Access the Hidden Job Market."
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