Employment – Page 9 – TP Javeton WebNet

Taking Steps to Quantify Your Resume

Focusing on career objective

Resume writers of all calibers will probably agree that the most difficult and time consuming section of any resume is the listing of their work experience, regardless of the level reached in their professional career. That having been said, there are steps that can be taken to make such a listing more interesting, if not less difficult and time consuming; and the first and most important step requires the writer to focus on his/her career objective, and prioritize work in accordance with the goals s/he has previously set.

If you are preparing a resume and want it to best represent you, it is of significant importance that your professional experience not only showcase the activities in which you have participated while in your previous jobs, but it must demonstrate your qualifications in the way that motivates employers to want to know more. Of course, what is being referred to here are results: any tangible, measurable items that have, and will continue to, impact the bottom line must be conveyed in your well-written resume.

Let potential employers know:

That your project came in under budget;
That you adhered to the timeline;
That you acquired X number of new customers, and…
That you increased sales by a double-digit percentage; plus any other positive results.

Quantify with numbers and specifics

Approach your resume preparation with the thought in mind that employers can wrap their minds around numbers, because they work with them on a daily basis; and using this approach you want to let your potential employers know that you can think in the same way as they do, and that you take results into serious consideration as you perform your job on day-to-day basis.

functional and chronological resumes

To get started with your work history, you should begin each description with a power word; such as managed, developed, communicated, etc. And do some research on the use of power words and phrases that are appropriate for your industry. Make sure also, that the statements you list first under your job responsibilities quantify your achievements and don’t be afraid to list sales figures, customer acquisition rates, budget and timeline successes, or any other figures which help put your responsibilities in the context of your business and/or field.

It is important that you be specific, because the only way your statements would truly be quantified is if you include numbers. In other words, saying that you acquired new customers is significantly different from saying that you increased the customer database by 10%. As mentioned above, this is the most critical aspect of listing past job descriptions on your resume. Your potential employer wants to know what you did, as well as how proficient you were at doing it.

Convey achievement and make a great impression!

All these statements should be aligned with your career objective you included at the top of the resume. For example, if you want to get a job in project management, letting your employer know that you managed a team of 20 people and the overall results you achieved will effectively highlight your qualifications. It is important to quantify your job description statements on your resume; however, as a word of caution, do not quantify all statements, just one or two that are most critical to your job and are goal driven.

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Doing so will show potential employers that you think in terms of exceeding your goals; and all subsequent descriptions of your responsibilities should support the first one or two items on your list. Be sure to put yourself in the shoes of your employer. Cross-check the job description and make sure that you address the qualifications required for the particular job with qualifiying information on your resume. Let your potential employer know that you have what they are looking for, and you will certainly make a great impression.

Making Your Resume Uniquely Personalized

Of your resume’s uniqueness

In view of the fact that a resume is limited to only one or two-pages in length, and yet must summarize a person’s career objectives, professional experiences/achievements and educational background, very important that you present a well-written resume that is also well formatted and free of errors. What may be as important, however, is to make it stand out from resumes of other candidates; and to do so you should consider the information in your resume carefully and make sure that it is unique to you (uniquely yours?).

That having been said, the following suggestions are provided in the way of tips on how you can go about making your resume unique to you:

Customize your career objective

To best accomplish the customization of your career objective, you should think of your overall resume as a sales tool in which your career objective is your opening statement. You want your potential employer to know what you want, not just restate what other people say they want; so state your commitment to your career goal, because if you are unsure of what you want, how is your employer expected to believe that you really want the job at their organization, and not that you are just applying because you want to get out of your current work environment?

Don’t be afraid to state what you want from a job and from an organization, because while you want to state your commitment, you also want to show that you are willing to take action to achieve your goal. Indicate what direction or action you are willing to take in order to accomplish your career objective; and be specific about what you are looking for in a work situation.

functional and chronological resumes

While you can say that you are looking for a “challenging” environment, this doesn’t mean anything to your potential employer, as people define challenges in various ways. So avoid using generic terms that are too broad defined. Simply state what you want, and what you are willing to do to get it, and in most cases that will be enough to give any potential employer a good enough idea of who you are and what you want.

Highlight best elements of your experience

This may be the most commonly overlooked aspect of writing a resume; understanding of course, that the entire professional experience section on your resume is, and should be, unique to you so you should take advantage of that particular aspect. Also, try to use power words wherever you can to list your responsibilities, while making sure that you have a winning attitude with each statement.

Focus on those responsibilities that best describe the skills you acquired while in each job that make you the most qualified candidate for the position you are seeking; and quantify your responsibilities when possible to showcase to your potential employer that you are driven by results, and you are capable of exceeding goals; but don’t be shy about promoting your qualifications, because you earned them with your hard work and dedication.

Personalize your cover letter

The biggest mistake many professionals make is not spending enough time on their cover letter; but your cover letter should receive the same attention as your resume as they go hand-in-hand. Address your cover letter to the appropriate person at the company (contact info is typically listed in the job description); and make sure to mention what position you are applying for, while demonstrating how well the information in your resume aligns with the job requirements.

about resumes, cover letters and interviews

Your cover letter also allows you to address any information in your resume that may raise questions; so take the time to do it right, as you don’t want your resume discarded because you chose not to create a uniquely personalized cover letter. Overall, make sure that your cover letter supports your resume and presents you as the most qualified candidate for the job.