Easy as 1, 2, 3: Making Your Resume Count

by Deb Berman, Senior Consultant, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

 

If I had a nickel for every time I asked, “…and?” after reading a bullet point in a resume, I’d have, well, a lot of nickels.  Want to make your resume count?  Give them some numbers.

 

Far too many job seekers create resumes that read like job descriptions, listing their responsibilities but leaving out the crucial details about the changes that occurred as a result of their efforts and creativity or the complexity in which this great work occurred. 

 

Consider the following two bullet points:

• Create marketing and fundraising plan for entire agency.

• Raise funds.

These descriptions tell nothing about how well the candidate performed these tasks, or if they were even completed successfully.  The work described in these bullets could have resulted in a shabby word-document brochure that was photocopied a few times and never really circulated.  Or, it could have resulted in the leveraging of in-kind donations, millions of dollars of new funding, and award winning marketing collateral.  This work could have completely changed the trajectory of the organization.  But, how is the reader to know?

 

As I read through the hundreds and thousands of resumes that cross my desk, I find myself assuming that if the writer isn’t showing off about his or her accomplishments, there is a reason:  they don’t exist.  I am clearly more likely to err on the side of “less is less” but you would be amazed how often people forget to brag about their specific accomplishments.

 

Consider the following more specific bullet points:

• Drove a 23% increase in the utilization of organization’s services by creating and implementing a comprehensive marketing plan including multi-media channel distribution.

• Increased individual giving by 20% and foundation by 40% within one year period and strategically diversified ongoing development plans.

• Raised over $700,000 per year exceeding fundraising goals by 25% and allowing the organization to increase programmatic capacity by 40%.

See the difference?  Just a few extra, salient details and your resume sings.  Plus, the pain and suffering you’ll experience putting together this detail-laden resume will make you much smarter, sharper, and in control when you land in the interview hot seat.

 

 

Double check to make sure that every line of your resume counts:   Does each line have an output?  Be certain that each input results in a unique output rather than a simple description of the responsibility. Are there numbers supplementing the descriptions of what you do?  Quantifying what you do provides scale, scope, breadth, and depth for what you have accomplished. Avoid listing tasks.  Tasks result in an unimaginative recounting of your day.  Tell a larger story, making sure to articulate the strategies and concepts that you creatively developed and the resulting accomplishments. Utilize historical figures to contextualize the complexity of the accomplishments.  When the number is impressive, use it.  When it isn’t, stick to percentages instead. Take credit where credit is due, and take credit as a team when the work wasn’t your alone.  Ask yourself, “What wouldn’t have happened if I weren’t there?”