When it comes to writing the perfect resume, a CV is more than a long list of job titles and responsibilities. It’s essential to take it to the next level and explain how you made a positive difference in each role. An excellent place to start is by asking yourself how your actions have benefited your employers. Think about accomplishments and achievements with quantifiable metrics to make a lasting impression. Still not sure where to get started in creating your high-impact CV? Check out these seven ways to measure impact.
1. Everyone likes to save money. Every company, whether private, public, or non-profit, appreciates smarter spending. Whether that’s realizing more value for the same investment or reducing the amount spent, both are a serious win. Contributing to cost savings makes candidates attractive, so use numbers where possible to quantify the impact on the budget.
2. Solving problems means leveling up. The reason a business exists is to solve a problem and help clients. And inside that company, there are always problems to tackle, whether for employees, clients, or stakeholders. Finding ways to bring new ideas to life that improve how work is done is incredible. Be sure to include improvements, efficiencies, and solutions with figures.
3. Saving time is also saving money. Time is a precious finite resource that can almost always be optimized. When we eliminate unnecessary processes or speed up how things are done, we create time-saving initiatives. This enables more capacity and resource availability, which the company can re-invest in other programs. List all the ways you’ve reduced the time needed to accomplish tasks and quantify them!
4. Did you generate revenue or profit? An obvious one, but most companies need to generate revenue and make a profit. All staff can contribute to enabling more sales, from marketing to administration. So think of all the ways you have contributed to revenue generation or helped to improve profitability and back it up with some data.
5. Measure your work outputs and frequency. Every role is responsible for different types of work outputs and a different pace of work. Try to quantify your volume of results and compare that to a benchmark to demonstrate your achievements. Add in quality metrics as well to complete the picture of how your work was appreciated.
6. People you helped along the way. Everyone likes a team player who is willing to go the extra mile. Hiring managers are also looking for people who display strong leadership skills, coaching talents, and are genuinely passionate about being helpful. Can you share how you’ve helped others, mentored people, and unlocked potential that makes it possible to do more or better things? If so, be sure to include this info.
7. Did you demonstrate flexibility or innovation? The world of work is constantly changing, and curveballs are popping up everywhere. Companies need adaptable team players now more than ever. Did you work through the pandemic? Did you help to lead change and drive engagement in new ways? Did you start new initiatives or launch new programs? If yes, share these memorable moments to show your appetite for agility, creativity, and innovation.
Aside from ensuring your CV is well written, concise, and easy to read, other tips include using bullet points to promote skimming for relevancy. Asking for help to review for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and readability. And last but not least, ensure your digital CV – your LinkedIn profile – is aligned with your resume. Many hiring managers look to LinkedIn to help refine their candidate pool, so make sure your LinkedIn profile is at all-star status.
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