The term return on investment (ROI) means getting something worth your money, no matter what that is. A resume needs a good ROI as well. For a resume, you want to exceed in revenue the money the company spends on you in terms of training. Think of crafting your resume with how you word your successes.
For example, you are in sales and you closed a sale with a key account for the company. Don’t just mention in your resume you closed a key client for the company, but that you closed the key client which contributed $10 million in revenue for the company. This demonstrates not only your ability to close sales, but the value you have as an employee for your current employer. A statement like this allows hiring managers to imagine the success you will have within their corporate environment. They can envision your success within their company. That is how you want your prospective employers to be thinking about you: How you will bring value to their company.
There are many ways to demonstrate your successes with numbers. Whether it is percentages, increased revenue or profitability, it is always nice to have numbers to demonstrate your success.
Emphasize your successes. Don’t get bogged down in your duties. A good resume should always clearly explain to a reader why you are better than your competition. Focusing on results is the key to a successful resume. Be sure your resume is not a job description copied from your organization’s website. It is very important to not only put your job description, which is the minimum you must do in a position, but to give hard facts about your abilities. This will speak to the next employer in regard to why you are the clear choice for the next position you are seeking. Go ahead and separate yourself from the crowd.
If you are not sure how to put hard facts think of your performance reviews. What were your strengths? Now with those strengths, what were your personal abilities? Let’s say your strength in your performance review was your ability to effectively communicate with customers. Now think about your background and what success came to the company as a result. You think, “Well I brought in many new accounts due to my ability to develop positive rapport with clients.” If you were given praise from your employer on any project or account you worked with, think of things that affected them. Did you complete projects ahead of schedule due to your idea of how things needed to be carried out? That is how to incorporate information into your resume, to be sure you stand out.
Now what if you cannot? Then think of things you may have implemented or changed to make them better. Maybe you implemented a better way to work to improve efficiencies. Think like this. People in marketing sometimes have this problem. They have no tangible numbers to give on a resume. In this case, think of client satisfaction, positive client feedback or product launch success as a result of marketing campaigns and so forth.
These tips you should give you a better idea of how to demonstrate your ROI in terms of your career. Just use successes in terms of numbers or efficiencies to draft a winning resume, interview well, and acquire the job of your dreams.
Comments