Reworking Your Resume? Here's 3 Quick Steps to Stand Out

How to Write A Resume That Stands Out

Resumes. Whether you love them or loathe them, they are oftentimes a hiring manager's first impression of you, your skill set and your potential value. Experienced recruiters, hiring managers and their applicant tracking system (ATS) counterparts scan resumes at lightning speed in the hopes of finding the right match—a decision that can be made in as fast as six seconds, according to LinkedIn. With mere moments to captivate your audience, how can you ensure the viewer slows their scanning speed, picks up the phone and extends an invitation for an interview? For most involved in the hiring process, the decision comes down to data. For example: if you are a project manager, there is a difference between claiming you have experience "managing multiple projects from start to finish" and saying you "successfully managed seven projects from start to finish, generating a total of $750,000 over the course of six years." The first takes a general approach to your job duties and most closely reflects language that would be found in a job description, while the second is accomplishment-based and shows how you have been a successful contributor to your employer. For the most part, hiring managers and recruiters know the day-to-day duties of someone in your role—what they're looking for is the edge you have over other candidates in your field. So how can you highlight your experience, communicate your skill set and give yourself the best chance at landing your dream job? By building accomplishments into your resume. Ready to get started? Here's how to do it:

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1. Take Note of Your Big (and small) Wins

Start by making a list of your previous roles, day-to-day job duties and any subsequent details. Think numbers—how many tasks or projects did you handle per day or per week? If you were a manager, how big was your team? If you managed a budget, how big was it? What deadlines did you meet and were there times you exceeded them? How did the successful completion of your projects, or the functions within your role, contribute to the company's revenue growth? Focus on KPIs and the quantifiable aspects of your roles, no matter how small. Also, don't forget to include any awards, recognitions or certifications earned and the timeframes for each.

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The first takes a general approach to your job duties and most closely reflects language that would be found in a job description, while the second is accomplishment-based and shows how you have been a successful contributor to your employer. For the most part, hiring managers and recruiters know the day-to-day duties of someone in your role— what they're looking for is the edge you have over other candidates in your field. So how can you highlight your experience, communicate your skill set and give yourself the best chance at landing your dream job? By building accomplishments into your resume. Ready to get started? Here's how to do it:

2. Take Stock

Place your list next to your current resume. Are there any opportunities to add detail to what's already on the page? For example, if you have:

WORK EXPERIENCE

Cybersecurity Specialist Sr., Kforce, Inc. Tampa, FL

Conducted security inspections and surveillance operations for an enterprise-level company as part of a team

Your accomplishments could transform it into this:

Conducted 15+ security inspections and surveillance operations for an enterprise-level company totaling over 50k users with 12 MIS personnel

Cybersecurity Specialist Sr., Kforce, Inc. Tampa, FL

WORK EXPERIENCE

3. Be Consistent

Once you have finished adding the items on your list to your roles, it's time to assess the big picture. What opportunities are there to weave your accomplishments throughout other sections of your resume? One section that stands out as a possible option is your professional or executive summary. Since this section is the first thing the hiring manager sees aside from your name and other personal details, including a few of your strongest accomplishments here could garner interest in your experience quickly. Here's a sample summary without key accomplishments:

Cybersecurity professional with extensive experience working in the private and public sectors. Demonstrated expertise conducting security inspections, mapping technical requirements and training users on security best practices. Experience supporting all levels of cybersecurity efforts in an enterprise-level environment with a proven track record of decreasing successful phishing attempts.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

And here is the same sample with accomplishments highlighted:

An organized, results-driven Cybersecurity professional with more than six years of experience working in both the private and public sectors. Demonstrated expertise conducting security inspections, mapping technical requirements and training users on security best practices. Experience supporting all levels of cybersecurity efforts in an enterprise-level environment with over 50k users, with a proven track record of decreasing successful phishing attempts by 32%.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Another area to consider including accomplishments is your Certifications/Recognitions section—which typically can be found after educational experience. Here's a sample Certifications/Recognition section:

CISM, ISACA CISSP, ICS2 CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+

CERTIFICATIONS / AWARDS

Currently Pursuing Obtained 2020 Obtained 2018 Obtained 2016

And here it is reworked:

Currently Pursuing Obtained 2020 Obtained 2018 Obtained 2016 Awarded 2021

CISM, ISACA CISSP, ICS2 CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+ Employee of the Quarter, Kforce, Inc.

CERTIFICATIONS / AWARDS

Actively pursuing while working full time Obtained before the six-month deadline of employment in the private sector

Awarded Employee of the Quarter for my contribution in decreasing successful phishing attempts through one-on-one cybersecurity training seminars. Due to its effectiveness, this inaugural training is now a requirement for all new employees.

Need More Inspiration?

Check out a few more examples below, which cover different roles within IT and Finance & Accounting. Business Intelligence Analyst

Led and fostered a change management initiative to improve billing workflow system, resulting in an 8% decrease in outstanding accounts receivable claims and a 4% increase in revenue over a two-year period

Project Manager

Simultaneously developed and led two enterprise-scale projects with a combined budget of $6.5M, ensuring both were completed on time and under budget by $320k

Built and maintained an application for an enterprise-level company to support 3M users daily while eliminating the need for a third-party application, saving $225k in annual costs

Software Engineer

Reduced month-end close by an average of two days through collaboration with the audit department to redesign and improve internal control processes and reporting

Sr. Accountant

Collaborated with stakeholders to complete due diligence on a $23M joint venture, providing data forecasting highlighting key risk factors and potential ROI

Financial Analyst

Don't Forget LinkedIn

Now that you've given your resume a cutting-edge update, do the same for your LinkedIn profile. In today's technology-centric world, hiring managers and recruiters often check your professional profiles and networks during the hiring process—so ensure it makes as strong of an impression as your new resume.

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Cybersecurity Specialist Sr., Kforce, Inc. Tampa, FL

WORK EXPERIENCE

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Trained end users on security best practices, processes and procedures to mitigate corporate phishing risks

Partnered with law enforcement agencies to report instances of cybercrime as needed

Mapped technical requirements, functionalities and capabilities to ensure cyber policies and procedures are Federally compliant

Trained 200 end users on security best practices, processes and procedures to mitigate corporate phishing risks, decreasing successful phishing attempts by 32%

Partnered with law enforcement agencies to successfully report 8+ instances of cybercrime over the course of one year

Mapped 75 technical requirements, functionalities and capabilities to ensure cyber policies and procedures are Federally compliant

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Collaborated with the business transformation team to gather, create and propose 24 testing plans for four departments in two months

Improved team functionality by streamlining steps and managing deliverables, resulting in the elimination of three redundant processes and two resources totaling $140k

Communicated with a cross-functional team of three project managers, five quality assurance analysts and numerous field stakeholders on a weekly basis to develop the overall product and design of the application, ensuring the application met users' requirements

Completed bank reconciliations and GL account analysis for assets totaling $12M+ on a monthly basis

Further improved the existing forecasting, tracking and management reporting system to improve accessibility and accuracy of reporting data, leading to a 11% increase in accuracy

applicant tracking system (ATS)

LinkedIn profile