Write a different ending for your resume

A story for the ages...

In today's job market, and success is often defined by your ability to stand out and be more than the words on a resume. But don't get me wrong- those words are still important. And not having the right ones will leave the story of your professional worth sitting in the dust of that proverbial "no" pile.

Once upon a time when I was teaching a resume writing class, the topic of how to best craft one's Professional History section came up. Usually the largest section of the resume; listed employment experiences and dates are followed by bullet point descriptions of what you did on the job. It was a section that struck fear in the hearts of some. You know how it is when you do a bunch of things at work- but when it comes to writing it down, providing the right amount of details on a resume can be tricky!

I told my students that they needed to stop mimicking the responsibility list of a generic job description, and get personal about what they've accomplished for their employers. A tale of using one's strengths to save the day- now that's the story your next boss wants to hear. In reply, most of my students were truly stumped. Most of them didn't earn any "Employee of the Month" accolades. They showed up, clocked in, did what was asked, and clocked out.

So how exactly do we write about "accomplishments" in our professional history lady?

Accomplishments refer to going above and beyond; your ability to problem solve and becoming a master of your skills. It's about that positive impact you've made as an individual or as part of a team that you can't copy and paste from a job description.

Alot of us will compile our professional histories in the following manner:

• Operated the cash register.

• Greeted customers upon arrival to the store.

• Typed reports to meet monthly deadlines.

• etc, etc, etc.....

So What's wrong with the norm?

If this is all that we are presenting, then it's a problem. This resume writing norm is far too risky when we need every advantage possible to make a K.O first impression. That dream employer is unable to see exactly how you stand out from the other 200 people that applied for that one job. Many bullet point descriptions are also unfortunately too vague. The story of your prior accomplishments communicates the unique value you could add to their business. Our accomplishments and achievements more than anything else, make us unique.

How do I figure out what makes me unique?

Isn't that the $100K question.

After the sea of quizzical looks and a stray eye roll in my direction in response to my advice, I told my students: "We've all got unique accomplishments that we can share on our resume." Maybe you weren't gifted a special plaque, or a parking space at the front of the building for the rest of the year, but I am convinced that given enough reflection, we can find our unique accomplishment(s).

If you really don't think that you've done much to stand out at work, then it's high-time to find an opportunity and make the most of it. Other experiences outside of work, such as volunteer work or academia aren't off limits either. The truth is that for many of us, recalling ways in which we've made a difference and shown our uniqueness is hard. Maybe it's because it's human nature to talk way more about what's going wrong than what's going right. Or because many of us forget positive recognition when we've got 3 fires to put out before the end of the day (P.S putting out fires is an accomplishment!)

Here are some questions to reflect on that can help you to hone in on your unique value. Jot down your responses on paper and leave them alone for a bit. Later on, give them a review and add any needed details that will make your accomplishments as clear and specific as possible (tips on how to do that are below):

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-When was my last performance review? what feedback did I get?

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-How is performance measured at job x? How did I know that I wasn't in trouble and on the right track?

P.S: here are some metrics to keep in mind depending on your industry. Knowing your results may be as simple as logging in to your profile, or asking for feedback from your supervisor.

Healthcare: billable procedures; amount of time taken to complete procedures; patient reviews

Retail/sales: $$$ made in relation to given goals; average sales/ number of products sold; changes in customer traffic; customer reviews.

Education: retention rates; graduation rates; pass rates; student feedback surveys.

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-Did I get promoted/ was assigned additional responsibility? (jot down your new job title, what that additional responsibility was and time frames in relation to these events. For example, were you promoted within the first year of hire?)

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-Was there a time when I contributed an idea to solve a problem? What was the problem and what did I recommend? Was that idea implemented?

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-What action steps did I take to solve X problem? What was the problem and the outcome of my action?

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-What keeps track of my productivity at work? What does the record have to say? (don't know? Take a look.)

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-Do customers/ clients go out of their way to say nice things about me or write reviews? what exactly do they say? (if there is a platform for them to write reviews, encourage them to do so.)

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-What's changed for the better at work in the last (1 month/3 months/6 months)? what factors contributed to those changes? Did I play a role in those factors as an individual/ team?

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Answer some or all of these reflective questions. The process of acknowledging what you've achieved can be a great boost for your self-esteem and push you to keep standing out. I'm sure your boss or co-workers will not mind!

Refining what you've found out about you

After giving my students some serious food for thought, I gave them 4 tips for success that I'm about to give you. Now that you've found your shining moments at work or during your extra curriculars, it's time to for your resume's Cinderella moment!Your accomplishments will stand out on your resume if:

1. You can demonstrate the "A to B".

A- This is where your metric/ things started out as.

B- This is the outcome or result of your intervention.

This approach helps to demonstrate the extent to which you impacted a positive change. This technique works best if you have statistics/ numbers represent both the baseline and the outcome. One can also mention the time it took to get from A to B. For example: Improved accounting student retention rates from 60% to 80% for 2017 by implementing blended class enrollments.

2.Plug in the quantifiers (#numbers).

What aspects of your work are quantifiable? There is a difference between teaching a class of 50 versus 10, or managing an operational budget of $4 million versus $4K. Numbers go a long way towards providing context. Your future boss will better understand your range of skill in relation to what they are looking for in a star candidate.

3. Plug in the qualifiers.

Qualifiers within the scope of resume writing are those descriptors or details that aren't quantifiable. Such details also add context to your work and accomplishments. Think about types or specific categories that you can put people/data/things into. So for example, if you taught art classes to children at summer camp, qualifiers would be their grade level and the type of class you led. If you are a sales professional, the type of product you sell, the type of sales technology you use would be important mentions as well.

4. Action-action- action!

Start your bullet point sentences with an action verb. Active language allows us to not only write more concisely, but it better portrays you as a contributor! Stuck on what action verbs will bring the most impact in your resume? What helps me is access to a list of action words. Using a dictionary or thesaurus as a reference will be helpful too. For a list of resume action verbs,

check this list.

Tracking and refining your accomplishments using the 4 steps above will result in a professional history that is truly unique. Most Recruiters may only take a few seconds to scan your resume for their criteria, but that Hiring Manager will more likely be intrigued to learn more about you in an interview after seeing your unique story. And you will be one step closer towards your dream job! So a bullet point like this:

• Ensured customers's satisfaction with their shopping experience by implementing their recommendations.

can become.....

• Increased customer satisfaction rates from 70% to 90% between October and December 2015 by increasing time limits on the clothing return policy from one to two weeks.

And even this:

• Tracked employee attendance on a spreadsheet for Human Resources.

transforms into...

• Identified significant absenteeism trends in a 300 employee company and recommended employee wellness initiative XYZ to combat absenteeism and improve productivity.

We all have a unique story to tell and sometimes your resume is that initial debut. The best resumes show more than what your responsibilities were and make mention of industry specific buzz or "key" words. They also share your moments of uniqueness that can translate into your next position. So don't you dare sell yourself short!

The End.