How to Quantify Your Accomplishments on Your Resume
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No prospective employer wants to read a dry, detailed-yet-vague laundry list of job duties from your recent employment. Chances are that you find your job duties as boring to list as employers find them useless to read.



Yet how can you communicate your skills and achievements without mentioning job duties? Simple: by measuring achievements. Quantifying your achievements pulls double duty, highlighting key duties while giving employers a clearer understanding of your strengths and qualifications.



If you’ve never been taught to quantify your accomplishments on resumes, it may seem a confusing and daunting task. Luckily, it’s really quite straightforward.



Think Numerical Data



A clear, easy way to quantify is to think and speak in numeric values. Start by thinking in general terms: number of students per class or number of classes taught per year, number of articles written in a week, number of projects managed in a month, etc.



Time is a fantastic, quantifiable measure of success and one of the most desirable measurements is time saved. A resume should show what you can do for the company in question. Showing that you are adept at increasing efficiency—which in turn increases productivity by clearing up time for new ventures or other tasks—demonstrates how you would be an asset to your prospective employer. Include percentages and/or values of time to communicate the degree to which you improved efficiency for previous employers.



Again, employers want to see what you can do for the company so, when possible, quantify how much money you brought in for a previous employer. Did you secure grants, contracts or new clients? How much were they worth to the company? Did you save the company money? By what percent did you cut operating costs? How much money did you save the company when you cut operating costs or facilitated a new utility contract?



Don’t Over-think Numerical Data



Not every accomplishment or skill can be easily quantified. Strive to quantify what can be quantified, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that every line of your resume needs numerical data. It’s usually clear when you are trying too hard; assigning numerical value where numerical value isn’t needed will only come across as awkward and forced.



Here it is key to remember the power of a well chosen action verb. Did you chair a committee? Implement an electronic filing system? Exceed expectations? Were you awarded a title—like “best” or “most valuable”—by peers, supervisors, or clients? Sometimes you need numbers to communicate your value, and sometimes you just need the right verb.



Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute



Don’t wait until you’re job hunting to start quantifying your accomplishments. By then you may no longer have access to key data or you may have forgotten information or accomplishments over time.



Get in the habit of recording your accomplishments. Whether it’s every day or every week, take the time to write down what you accomplished in that time period. Write everything down, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time. As you review your professional journal, you may discover that those small accomplishments add up to or reveal a larger strength, skill or success.



Not only will these records help you craft a dynamic and quantifiable resume, but they’ll also ensure that you are prepared with solid examples and professional anecdotes for interviews.



Remember the Basics



There are plenty of other do’s and don’ts, tips, and baseline expectations for resumes. In your quest to fill your resume with quantifiable data, don’t fall into avoidable resume writing mistakes. Make sure your resume is tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Use action verbs that truly speak to your accomplishments, rather than falling back on clichéd wording. Make sure your resume is free of typos and formatting issues, and make sure all the information is accurate and up to date.



Quantifying your accomplishments may seem like a baffling or overwhelming task if you have never done so before. However, all it takes to get started is a pad of paper or a blank Word document. Once you get in the habit of tracking your accomplishments, you’ll find it becomes easier to craft a quantifiable, eye-catching and informative resume.