What Have You Accomplished?

By Michelle Merritt @michellemerritt

One of the most common mistakes we see on a resume is listing your job description for the position you held rather than sharing what you've accomplished in the position. Why is this so important? Because employers want to see what you have accomplished so they can determine whether or not you could assist with what they need to accomplish. How do you share what you've accomplished? Here are a few tips:

1. Know your ROI.

It doesn't matter what position you hold, in order to be successful you contribute to the company's ROI. It's up to you to determine how you've made an impact. Whether you're a marketing manager, tech analyst, or a controller make sure you're able to communicate how you've made the company more successful, saved the company money, helped the company earn more money, or even saved time.

2. Start tracking what you've done now

You may not be ready to look for a new position but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be tracking your accomplishments. Many of us are required to complete a self assessment prior to an annual review. This is no different. Just as you would track your accomplishments and share them with the person capable of giving you a raise, you want to track them to include on your resume. Ask yourself what you've done to be effective. Perhaps you've assisted your direct reports in getting promotions or found a programming glitch that saved countless hours of downtime. Each of those things are worthy of including on your resume.

3. Quantify. Quantify. Quantify.

Whenever possible, translate your accomplishments to revenue. If you're a digital marketing manager, ask yourself how many website visits equals a sale then translate those total visits to total sales. You might have to talk to your sales team to learn these numbers so don't be afraid to ask. This will allow you to share with a future employer how your work impacted your company and show that you understand the bigger company vision rather than just what happens at your desk.

For assistance in writing your resume and determining your accomplishments, contact us today!