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Resume Writing Tip That Will Help You Get Hired

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With competition for each and every job so strong, it is important that your resume sets you apart from everyone else. With employers filtering through potentially hundreds of resumes per job vacancy, you need to get your message across quickly and make sure that they call you in for an interview. For this reason, we have put together this article to dive in deeper in to the most important resume tip to turn you duties into accomplishments.

Keywords are very important thing to use in your resume but when you get pass the ATS software and it’s time for a human to view your resume you should learn to turn your duties in to accomplishments in your resume.

Duties vs. Accomplishments

It is important to separate these two and not to get them confused; your duty is essentially your list of tasks in your job role, accomplishments then describe how well you do them. For example, if you are an events planner, your duty would be to plan the events but if you went above and beyond by accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars for a charity event, this would be an accomplishment.

The best way of setting yourself apart from the rest is to let the reader know something different. If you spent a couple of years as an ‘Office Assistant’, they will already know that you can answer the phone, keep check of files and have a good level of customer interaction so tell them something they won’t be able to gauge from your job title. Space is valuable on a resume and it needs to be used wisely.

1. Start by Making a List

Employers want to see stats clearly laid out so they don’t have to sift through paragraphs of text just to find one good piece of information. Companies are interested in time and money so add everything with which you helped your last company.

For example:
• I increased sales in my first six months in charge
• The amount of customer complaints fell
• I oversaw the introduction of a new delivery system that increased efficiency
• Generated more profit during my time in charge of a certain project

Be sure to include general items that can translate across to any business, you want the reader to step back and say ‘wow, maybe they can do that for us too’.

2. Add Numbers and Facts

Once you have your list, don’t stop there. Add in the exact numbers; include percentages, money and time. For example, using the bullet points listed above:

• By how much did you increase sales?
• What was the percentage decrease in complaints?
• How effective was the new delivery system? Did productivity increase by a certain percentage?
• How much, in dollars, did the profit increase during this time period?

By adding in the numbers, the reader will quickly see how you benefited the business. If they see that you increased productivity by 20%, for example, they will be able to tell that you are trusted, have a good record, and extremely driven. Numbers, stats and facts add value to the list.

3. The Benefit

So now the potential employer can see all the stats and numbers but as addition to that let them know how you benefited the company and how you can do the same for them. Sure, the job may be an exciting opportunity for you but they also need to know what you bring to them.

By seeing how your previous employer benefited from the things you did, they will think ‘well, they can probably do that for us too and that would be fantastic’.

By listing accomplishment in addition to using keywords in your resume will ensure you have a strong resume. Now top that with a resume that is professionally formatted and easy to read and you can easily find yourself at the top of the pile and first in for an interview for any job! Do you have any resume writing tips? Comment below.

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