8 Ways To Stop Underselling Yourself On Your Resume

This month, I have completed free 100+ resume reviews, spanning across different job roles. The most common mistake I see people make repeatedly is underselling their value on their resume.

‘Completing a certification’ is commendable but it's like saying ‘ I showed up’.

But did showing up drive any results?

Your resume needs to answer the question …’and then what?’

The difference between a good resume and a great one that lands interviews comes down to how you present your achievements and communicate your value.

It equally as important to use the right type of metrics and then quantify impact using numbers and percentages.

In today’s newsletter, I am going to dive deeper and show you the right types of metrics to add on your resume broken down by job role. 

1. Sales Professional

Before: Responsible for managing key accounts.

After: Managed 15 key accounts, grew account revenue by 40% YOY, and secured three long-term contracts worth over $1M each.

Key Metrics:

Revenue Growth Rate, Market Share Percentage, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Payback Period, Upsell/Cross-sell Rate, Sales Pipeline Conversion Rate.

2. Marketing Specialist

Before: Ran online advertising campaigns.

After: Spearheaded online advertising campaigns across 5 platforms, achieved a 300% ROI, and boosted online engagement by 60% within six months.

Key Metrics: Conversion Rate, Return on Ad Spend, Organic Traffic Growth, Number of Impressions, SEO Ranking.

3. Human Resources Manager

Before: Implemented a new employee onboarding process.

After: Revamped the employee onboarding process, reduced new hire turnover by 25%, and improved employee satisfaction scores by 40% within the first year.

Key Metrics: Turnover Rate, Employee Satisfaction Index (ESI), Time to Fill Open Positions, Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).

4. Customer Service Representative

Before: Handled customer service inquiries.

After: Managed over 100+ customer service inquiries weekly with a 95% satisfaction rate, contributing to a 20% improvement in CSAT Scores.

Key Metrics: Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), First Contact Resolution (FCR) Rate, Complaint Resolution Rate, Time to Resolve.

5. Operations Manager

Before: Oversaw supply chain operations.

After: Optimized supply chain operations, reduced operational costs by 20%, improved delivery times by 25%, and achieved a 99.5% order accuracy rate.

Key Metrics: Cost Savings, Inventory Reduction Percentage, Order Accuracy Rate, On-Time Delivery Rate.

6. Engineer

Before: Contributed to product design improvements.

After: Engineered product design improvements that increased product durability by 40%, leading to a 15% reduction in warranty claims.

Key Metrics: Downtime Percentage, First Pass Yield (FPY) Rate, Maintenance Response Time, Throughput.

7. Project Manager

Before: Managed various projects for the end client.

After: Led a team of 10 on a $500K inventory management project for an end client, valued at $2M, which boosted revenue by 20% and reduced waste by 40%.

Key Metrics: Cost Reduction, Sales Generation, Customer Lifetime Value, Revenue Growth Rate.

8. Business Analyst

Before: Led a business process reengineering project.

After: Drove a business process reengineering project that optimized operational workflows, resulting in a 30% increase in process efficiency and a 15% cost reduction in operational expenses.

Key Metrics: Cost Savings, Revenue Generation, Process Efficiency, Turnover Rate.

Incorporating these metrics into your resume highlights your tangible contributions, demonstrates your direct impact on your organization's success and showcases your value in a language that resonates with employers.

Show, don’t tell.

I’m thinking of creating a short, 30 minute training on the exact process I use to craft winning resumes that stand out and convert into interviews. If I get enough interest and get 20 people to sign up, I’ll make it and send it to you for free. Sign up to the waitlist here.

Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:

 1. [60-min] 1:1 Power Hour: Pick my brain on all things job search, resume, LinkedIn, personal branding, interviewing and more. Apply here for $249.

2. Apply to join my Agile Project Management Accelerator Program: A 3 month career transition coaching program to get you hired in 3-6 months. Apply here.

Until next time,

Zainab

Remember, you are just one step away…