Using numbers in your resume is one of the best ways to get a hiring manager’s attention. Here’s how to include numbers to impress.
Competition for jobs is fierce thanks to the economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The more ways you can stand out, the better.
One good way to up the wow factor, and get the hiring manager’s attention, is to fill your resume with numbers. These are figures and metrics showing the quantifiable results of your accomplishments. They help Hiring Managers understand the value you will bring to their company, which is what it’s all about. At the end of the day, you need to demonstrate that you will cost significantly less than you will contribute.
This is something you should already be doing where possible, instead of just listing your “duties and responsibilities” in the experience section. “Duties and responsibilities” are boring; accomplishments are exciting. If you’re not already including numbers in your resume, start now.
Here are some examples of how to use numbers in your resume:
Financial and sales numbers
If you increased revenue or reduced spending, quantify those achievements with numbers. Examples:
Increased revenue by X%
Reduced costs by X%
Came in at X% under budget
Increased sales by X%
Increased upsells by X%
Time
Time is money, so time saved is money saved. Any reduction in hours spent on a task is something to include. Examples:
Saved X hours per week on X task
Reduced customer wait times by X%
Improved efficiency by X%
People
Growing an online audience, a subscriber list, a social media following, the number of conference attendees – all show that you have increased the number of people engaging with a business. Examples:
Grew newsletter list by XXXX subscribers
Increased Instagram followers by X% or X number of people
Increased number of conference attendees by XXX
Increased occupancy by X% (like at a spa, salon, or hotel)
Increased conference attendance by XXXX
Things you manage
This can be things like people or locations. These numbers show how much you can take on and handle, which helps a company understand what you are capable of. Examples:
Motivated a team of X people to be the best performing sales department in the region
Managed a team of X employees in X countries around the world
Oversaw stores in X locations
Managed X properties
Customer satisfaction and issue solving
Happy customers are return customers, so it’s great when you can show that you can make customers happy. Examples:
Decreased support ticket resolution time by XX%
Increased average online reviews from X stars to X stars
Increase customer satisfaction levels by XX%
Percentages vs straight numbers
Note that some numbers look better as numbers, while others look better as percentages. The general rule here is that smaller increases look better as percentages. If you improve newsletter subscribers from 10 to 12, that’s a 20% increase. And, obviously, a 20% increase sounds more impressive than an increase of 2 people. On the other hand, an increase in sales from $1,000,000 to $1,350,000 is an increase of 35%. And many people would probably agree that a $350,000 increase in revenue sounds better than a 35% increase in sales.
The story behind the numbers
Other things to keep in mind are that it’s not just about the numbers in your resume but the issue you solved and the steps you took to get there – the story behind the numbers. You might say that you “implemented a software solution that decreased clerical accounting errors by 60% and reduced KPI reporting time by 6 hours a week.”
And, in some cases, you clearly can’t claim full credit for things like improving online review scores, customer satisfaction levels, or the success of an entire department, but you can show how your involvement was valuable. Don’t exaggerate or make claims your references won’t support when asked.
The better you can demonstrate your value with numbers in your resume, the more attractive you will be as a potential hire.