by
Deb Berman,
Senior Consultant, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
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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?”
Deb Berman
is a Senior Consultant at the
Nonprofit
Professionals Advisory Group, a niche consulting firm dedicated to
strengthening the capacity of nonprofits and their staff, and is available to
discuss individual resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies.
Increasing the
capacity of nonprofits and their staff.
