Important Resume Tip!
If you are re-writing your resume please read the following and I can guarantee this tip will make a difference for you.
Employers are looking for people that are high performers so it is imperative that candidates can display success on their resume. The days of a resume being used to explain one's job description are long gone. It used to be that sales people were the only ones that needed quantitative figures on a resume. This is no longer the case. Companies are limited with their head count so they want to ensure that any person that they add to their payroll will be someone who contributes to the bottom line of a company. Civil servant type positions in the private sector no longer exist. You need to display how you have made money for your past companies or how you have saved money for your past companies. To an employer these days, job descriptive resumes often suggest that the person is good at keeping a seat warm or good at shuffling papers. Employers want to see a person that makes a difference in their department and someone who can improve results and/or processes with their next company.
I usually suggest 6 bullet points for every role on a person's resume. At least 4 of them should have quantitative successes indicated in them. Examples of this could be: Reduced trade spend by x%, increased gross margin by y%, exceeded targets by z%, completed project ahead of schedule and under budget by x%, reduced inventory lead time by y%, increased efficiency turns by z% etc.....
Remember,
It is taking much longer for open positions to be filled as interview processes have increased and more stakeholders are becoming involved in the hiring process. This typically occurs in client controlled markets (companies) as oppose to candidate driven markets (labour force). That means that competition for positions is very high, so in order for your resume to make it through an 8 second screening, you need to present your achievements clearly. Some people will argue that they are uncomfortable with this approach and that they feel like they are bragging. If you feel this way you are not taking your career seriously as the person who owns the next resume on the pile has no problem displaying their results and communicating to a potential employer how and why they should be the successful candidate.
Farewell,
Mike