The Resume Hack that Gets You 38% More Interviews

The Resume Hack that Gets You 38% More Interviews ShareShare1 The more job interviews you get, the faster youll probably land your next job, depending of course on how well you understandhow to ace an interview.) So, whats the resume technique that gets these much better results? Heres what to do: quantify your successes. According to a TalentWorks survey of 4,000+ job applicants, resumes that mentioned at least one number every three sentences achieved a hefty 40% response rate. Why are numbers so powerful? Lets say the employer sees this: Transformed sales in underperforming department, resulting in increased revenues. Managers tend to think in terms of numbers. They may have numeric targets to reach. Even if they dont, their eye may slide over a line like this without any memorable impression being made. Or they may think It was probably only a little bit or they would have been more specific. Its much more convincing not to mention eye-catching, when you include the figure: Transformed sales in underperforming department, resulting in 25% revenue increase. Or lets say you cant remember figures like this from your past work. Maybe it was a long time ago, or maybe you were laid off unexpectedly and didnt have a chance to gather up the information (this is why you want to keep a job journal!). In that case your best option is an honest guesstimate, expressed with verbiage like more than $10,000 a year or nearly $60K YOY. If you cant accurately guesstimate the figure but you increased revenue significantly, substantially, or even dramatically, then at least use a descriptive term like these to give the employer some idea of the magnitude of the accomplishment. Maybe youre thinking, Thats all fine for salespeople, but Im an engineer (or an administrator, an accountant, etc.) and my work outcomes arent measured numerically. Its true that accomplishments are harder to quantify for occupations that arent as close to the bottom line. But if your accomplishments arent measurable in dollars, you may still be able to quantify them. The following examples may give you ideas. Handled up to 80 requisitions concurrently. Developed 50 workshops and presentations. Earned average participant rating of 4.5 out of 5. Managed a team of six. Streamlined order processing by 30%. Created a system that processed an average of 150 applications daily instead of 85. Maintained 0% litigation status from 2016-2018. Who believes these numbers anyway? Dont people just make up them up? I wish I had a dollar for every time Ive been asked this. Yes, Im sure some people make them up, but those people probably dont sound very authentic in the interview or in the conversations that happen during the background check.Theyre risking their reputations. Theres usually an honest way to quantify at least some of your successes. What if the numbers are confidential? By all means be sensitive to your current and past employers needs for confidentiality. Ask yourself: Are these figures available to the public, for example in the companys annual report? If you cant use dollar figures, maybe you can describe the impact of your work in some other way, such as using percentages. The point is to show how muchdifference youve made. Learn how to include numbers in your resume, and Id be surprised if your response rate doesnt increase substantially, if not dramatically! The Resume Hack that Gets You 38% More Interviews ShareShare1 The more job interviews you get, the faster youll probably land your next job, depending of course on how well you understandhow to ace an interview.) So, whats the resume technique that gets these much better results? Heres what to do: quantify your successes. According to a TalentWorks survey of 4,000+ job applicants, resumes that mentioned at least one number every three sentences achieved a hefty 40% response rate. Why are numbers so powerful? Lets say the employer sees this: Transformed sales in underperforming department, resulting in increased revenues. Managers tend to think in terms of numbers. They may have numeric targets to reach. Even if they dont, their eye may slide over a line like this without any memorable impression being made. Or they may think It was probably only a little bit or they would have been more specific. Its much more convincing not to mention eye-catching, when you include the figure: Transformed sales in underperforming department, resulting in 25% revenue increase. Or lets say you cant remember figures like this from your past work. Maybe it was a long time ago, or maybe you were laid off unexpectedly and didnt have a chance to gather up the information (this is why you want to keep a job journal!). In that case your best option is an honest guesstimate, expressed with verbiage like more than $10,000 a year or nearly $60K YOY. If you cant accurately guesstimate the figure but you increased revenue significantly, substantially, or even dramatically, then at least use a descriptive term like these to give the employer some idea of the magnitude of the accomplishment. Maybe youre thinking, Thats all fine for salespeople, but Im an engineer (or an administrator, an accountant, etc.) and my work outcomes arent measured numerically. Its true that accomplishments are harder to quantify for occupations that arent as close to the bottom line. But if your accomplishments arent measurable in dollars, you may still be able to quantify them. The following examples may give you ideas. Handled up to 80 requisitions concurrently. Developed 50 workshops and presentations. Earned average participant rating of 4.5 out of 5. Managed a team of six. Streamlined order processing by 30%. Created a system that processed an average of 150 applications daily instead of 85. Maintained 0% litigation status from 2016-2018. Who believes these numbers anyway? Dont people just make up them up? I wish I had a dollar for every time Ive been asked this. Yes, Im sure some people make them up, but those people probably dont sound very authentic in the interview or in the conversations that happen during the background check.Theyre risking their reputations. Theres usually an honest way to quantify at least some of your successes. What if the numbers are confidential? By all means be sensitive to your current and past employers needs for confidentiality. Ask yourself: Are these figures available to the public, for example in the companys annual report? If you cant use dollar figures, maybe you can describe the impact of your work in some other way, such as using percentages. The point is to show how muchdifference youve made. Learn how to include numbers in your resume, and Id be surprised if your response rate doesnt increase substantially, if not dramatically!