5 Powerful Ways to Develop an Impactful Resume

“I don’t understand, I’m qualified for the jobs I’ve applied to, but I just don’t hear anything back,” said Sara sadly. Unfortunately she, like so many others, suffer from the same resume malaise. Her resume isn’t working for her. Sarah’s resume is working against her! She needs to understand the 5 powerful ways to develop an impactful resume.

Fighting Resume Rejection

We have been told that people’s attention spans are nanoseconds long, so we try to distill our entire work history into two pages … Or worse: ONE page. We have been told that people don’t want to read, so we bullet point everything. We don’t want to brag, so we just talk about our responsibilities.

If you want to fight the resume blues and develop an impactful resume, get out of the same old routine that everyone else is stuck in. We jam a bunch of tired adjectives like “people person” or “detail-oriented” into a Summary that no one reads. Then we will jump right into a boring bullet point list of role descriptions.

Resume Reality Check

No one wants to read a resume full of bullet points! I know that’s a shock to the system, but most HR professionals and recruiters are tired of endless lists. Talking about your responsibilities does not make you stand out. If you read through your resume and it sounds like a job description – you’re suffering from the same resume malaise Sarah had.

The key to making sure that your resume stands out is its ability to engage your reader. If your resume puts you to sleep, then how in the world do expect to stand out in the job market? Even if you think the resume is a fantastic example of your professional career history, you might want to consider whether or not you have developed an impactful resume.

Making an Impact

In order to make an impact, you must understand your accomplishments. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”CoachEurban” suffix=””]If you can define, quantify, understand and communicate your professional accomplishments, that will set the stage for a stunningly successful career![/inlinetweet] If you do one thing and nothing else, you must clearly communicate your impact through the various career marketing tools available to you: your Resume, your LinkedIn Profile, Networking, and Interviews.

Your professional accomplishments are not just awards or something singularly amazing. Oftentimes they are hidden in our day-to-day routine. The biggest struggle most of my clients have is stepping back out of the ‘doing’ to see the big picture. We become so caught up in the daily demands of our jobs, we don’t always see how much value we add to the organizations we work for!

“Your work does not speak for itself. You do!” –Rick Gillis

5 Powerful Ways to Develop an Impactful Resume

1. Discover Your Impact

You must ‘mine your own data’ to fully understand and appreciate your accomplishments. Take the time to sit down and think through your professional history and make high-level bullet points on your accomplishments. What have you done to positively move the needle for the organizations you have worked for? For those stuck in the weeds, consider for a moment what wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t in that position.

Tip: Jot down a list of your core skills, expertise, abilities and things you are known as the ‘go-to’ person for. For each item, think about a story or specific example of how you have demonstrated that skill.

2. Tell an Impact Story

Once you have the big picture, flesh out the details. Dig as much as you can in your mental file cabinet for pertinent details on how you’ve made a difference for each accomplishment bullet point. If you do work that is project-based, perhaps this is an opportunity to provide examples based on the project work that you have done. If you get stuck, call a former colleague. Sometimes they remember our accomplishments better than we do!

3. Develop Your Impact Statements

An impact statement is a mini-excerpt of your impact stories. It’s critical to articulate your value in a small, powerful package. These statements are distilled from your Accomplishments or Project List with fully detailed information. Impact statements can be used in resumes, on LinkedIn, during networking opportunities and (most importantly) during interviews. An impact statement has three parts:

• The Catalyst – what was the opportunity, issue or driving need?
• The Detail – What was your engagement and what happened?
• The Impact – What was the positive outcome and why did it matter?

4. Quantify Your Impact

If at all possible, speak in terms of improvements. Hiring managers like to see dollar figures or percentages of impact. Anyone can say “improved XYZ with system-wide impact”. Not everyone can back that up with percentages or dollar figures. Don’t stress if you cannot quantify the impact, but keep this in mind as you move forward in your professional career. Metrics matter!

5. Communicate Your Impact

Now that you discovered your value, created your impact stories with some form of quantification – it’s time to put it to work for you!

Communicating Your Impact

A successful job serach plan hinges upon your ability to market yourself wisely. Your marketing mediums are: your resume, your LinkedIn profile, your networking and your interviews. However, if you are great at interviews but have a routine resume, then your interview skills will never get tested!

“You are so smart and cool, so why is your resume so boring?”  – Liz Ryan

Time to turn your resume into content guaranteed to engage the reader! Add a section near the top of your resume and call it “Select Accomplishments”. Choose 3-4 impact statements targeted towards the position you are applying for. Typically your entire resume will not be read. You are making it easy for the hiring manager or recruiters to see your impact early on in the document.

Lose the boring bullet point list of roles and summarize your responsibilities into a short paragraph. Reserve your bullet points for impact statements under each position you have held. Remember, you don’t have to list everything you’ve ever done – 15 years is far enough. Allow yourself room to breathe with at least a two-page resume.

Reap the Rewards of an Impactful Resume

Clearly communicating your accomplishments is a huge boost in your resume! In order to keep your accomplishments up to date: develop a habit of routinely adding to your accomplishments list. Make sure to include the details and measure those metrics when you can. This way, when you want to ask for a raise or go for a promotion, you will have your back up information at your fingertips!

We believe that our work speaks for itself, but it doesn’t. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”CoachEurban” suffix=””]Don’t think for a minute that someone understands your value. It’s up to YOU to communicate it![/inlinetweet] It’s not bragging, it’s about stating facts. Don’t be afraid to own your impact and allow yourself to shine when the time is right!

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