Employment

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. —Unknown

        Your employment section represents your key opportunity to sell yourself. It is your best opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and depth of your experience and to showcase your results.

        For most people the employment section will be the longest section of the resume. Employment has four main purposes:

1) it reveals your career progress

2) it describes duties and responsibilities

3) it describes results and accomplish­ments

4) it accounts for where you’ve been and for whom you’ve worked.

        Employment history should not be just a recitation of duties and respon­sibilities. You have a definite goal in mind: you want employers to sense your future worth to their organizations. Everything in your resume should demon­strate your ability to master the type of job you are seeking. Include whatever information will create that sense of value; exclude whatever information will not.

        Describing results and accomplishments in each job you’ve held will do more to reveal your capabilities than anything else. Each job description should consist of concisely described duties and at least one accomplishment. The employment section should begin with your most recent position and move backward in reverse chronological order.

        Writing effective job descriptions can be difficult, but I’ve developed techniques which will ultimately save you time and produce a better resume. The most important technique is to begin by creating a job sketch.

USING JOB SKETCHES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR RESUME

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my ax. —Abraham Lincoln

        A job sketch is simply a listing of all the major duties you’ve performed in each job, plus a brief description of special projects, and an analysis of the results you achieved in each job.

        Before you even begin to write your resume, write a job sketch for each job you intend to list in the employment section. Since developing the use of job sketches in 1981, I have seen the quality of clients’ resumes improve by at least 50%. Job sketches work because they help prevent writer’s block. Without a job sketch a person is forced to stare at a blank sheet of paper or a blank computer screen. Suddenly the person is under real pressure to produce. The questions come flooding in—“Where should I start, what’s important, how much space should I devote to each job?”

        A job sketch prevents that type of pressure and panic. Instead of beginning by staring at a blank page, you begin your resume with each job sketch in front of you. And each job sketch covers everything that could go into the resume. You produced each job sketch under low stress conditions because you were merely writing down everything that came to mind, not worrying about spelling, grammar, sentence structure, or polished writing. In other words, you were not trying to write a resume.

        With your job sketch before you, it is much easier to decide what the key points really are, and what emphasis you should give to each one. Because your job sketch is so complete, you will have more information than you will actually put into the resume. But that’s okay. Information that is not used may be great material to bring up in your interviews.

        To produce each job sketch, review the job in your mind and then list major duties, less major duties, and even selected minor duties which might be relevant for the type of position you are seeking. Those minor duties may have taken up less than 1% of your time, but may be critical in demonstrating that you at least have exposure in a key area.

        After you’ve listed job duties, think about any projects you worked on. Then write a brief description of them, including their results or outcomes. A project is anything that has a definite beginning and ending. Bookkeeping includes certain things that are done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly—bookkeeping is not a project. Analyzing the present bookkeeping system and recommending and implementing changes would be a project. Some occupa­tions consist of repetitive duties that rarely or never involve projects. People in occupations such as engineering, programming, chemistry, and consulting continually move from one project to the next.

        Thinking through all of these duties, responsibilities, and projects for all of your jobs will take one to three hours, but taking the time now can make the difference between a mediocre resume and an outstanding one. If you save each job sketch, you will never have to go through this process again, except as you add new positions.

        The key to a good job sketch is to simply write whatever pops into your mind. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling, just get your thoughts on paper. Go for volume. Write quickly. Don’t filter out or neglect to put something down because you think it is insignificant. Remember, only a small portion of your job sketch will end up in the resume, but you need plenty of data to work with.

      As you read the sample job sketches, and the job descriptions that resulted from the sketches, notice the impact that results have. After reading the polished version of the job descriptions, you will have the definite sense that these three people are very good at what they do.

        The following job sketch of an insurance claims adjuster is thorough and detailed. It took about 30 minutes to write. Once this person was ready to start her resume, it practically wrote itself.

Example 1

        INSURANCE CLAIMS ADJUSTER

    Read each new claim file and determine which ones to act on first.

    Call claimants or the insured party to clarify what occurred and set up appointment to inspect car, write an estimate, or meet injured parties.

    Go to body shop to write estimate and negotiate final cost with manager. Haggle about how many hours to give for straightening frame, fender, quarter panel, etc. Use crash book figures for time necessary to remove and replace parts, to paint panels and for cost of parts. Threaten to take car to another shop if can’t reach a compromise. Come up with creative and cheaper ways for car to be repaired such as splicing in entire front or rear section.

    Totals—if totaled, use Blue Book to calculate value. Negotiate if necessary with claimant or insured to determine amount to be paid. Get bids from Midwest Auto Auction and award car to highest bidder. Arrange to turn over title to new owner after getting payment.

    When injuries have occurred visit accident scene and draw picture, visit surrounding stores or homes to locate witnesses, get statements. Get recorded statements from claimant and insured. Go to hospital if necessary and explain that I want to make a fair settlement. Try to settle on first visit for small sum and get signature on release statement.

    Collect all medical and hospital bills. Request diagnosis from treating physician. Determine real extent of injury, estimate what the case should settle for, and request an adequate money authorization from supervisor to settle.

    Visit claimant and negotiate—explain why injury isn’t worth as much as claimant thinks it is.

    Negotiate with attorney by mail or phone. Explain any circumstances which weaken claimant’s case, i.e., question of who was really at fault or extent of injury. Recognized as best negotiator with attorneys. Always well prepared for negotiations.

Results

    1999  Settled the most claims in the office.

    1999 Out of 15 adjusters, 3rd lowest average cost per collision settlement, 2nd lowest average bodily injury settlement.

        This person had three years’ experience as a claims adjuster and was looking for another claims position with an insurance company. The final version of the job description—just 77 words—is given below.

        Claims Adjuster‑ 6/95-7/99. Handled a full range of property damage and personal injury claims. Wrote estimates on damage to claimant and insured vehicles, disposed of total losses, and handled claims on comprehensive coverage including stolen cars, tires, and glass breakage. Investigated accidents and settled injury cases with claimants and attorneys. In 1999 settled the most claims in the office. Out of fifteen adjusters, had third lowest average cost per collision settlement and second lowest average personal injury settlement.

        The job sketch below was written by an electronics technician who caught mistakes, solved problems, and constantly looked for better ways to do things. Notice how those qualities come through loud and clear.

Example 2

SENIOR TECHNICIAN

    Test printed circuit boards, end items, and systems according to test procedures set by engineering. Troubleshoot down to component level.

    Interface with clinical personnel if problems occur with functionality of units, kits, etc. Identify problems and suggest solutions.

    Interface with design and R & D engineering regarding fit, form, or functional flaws or problems. Suggest solutions. On the Y235 scanner, suggested solutions which reduced time to produce prototype by four months. On the U454 scanner, identified a problem which would have cost more than $200,000 to fix in the production phase.

    Interface with production, test, and assembly personnel to ensure a proper production flow.

    Work with Quality Control on functional as well as cosmetic problems. Fix if necessary or show why QC documents are wrong or why specifications should be changed. Changes in specifications typically speeded up production by 10–15%.

    Work with Material Control to ensure parts are available when needed. Expedite shipments when necessary.

    Assist engineering in setting up preclinical trials for prototype products.

    Check out functional test procedures for Test Engineering to ensure they are correct, practical, and understandable.

    Review printed circuit board schematics and assembly drawings and make corrections where necessary.

    Keep and maintain a file of all new product test procedures, drawings, specifications, and parts lists. This has improved access and use of all data and saves approximately 200 man-hours per year.

        Notice how points in the final job description were taken right out of the job sketch, in some cases with only minor revisions.

        SENIOR TECHNICIAN ‑ 3/94 to Present. As Senior Technician for this manufacturer of CAT scanners, test printed circuit boards, end items, and systems, and troubleshoot down to component level. Rework failed equipment. Work closely with clinical personnel and design engineers to identify problems and suggest solutions. Identified and resolved a problem with one product which would have cost more than $200,000 to fix in the production stage. Interface with Quality Control and frequently recommend changes in QC specifications. Recommen­dations typically speed up production by 10–15%.

        Assist Engineering in setting up preclinical trials for prototype products. Review test procedures established by Test Engineering to ensure tests are understandable and workable. Review PC schematics, assembly drawings, and parts lists, and make corrections where necessary. Developed and currently maintain a file of all test procedures, drawings, parts lists, and specifications, which has significantly improved access and use of the data, saving approximately 200 hours per year.

        In the following job sketch Sal emphasizes some great successes in the tourism industry. Once he identified his successes in the job sketch, the job description was easy to write.

Example 3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Managed and administered a statewide nonprofit association developing and promoting tourism in Idaho.

    I conducted tourism seminars statewide for members of the private sector and performed lobbying duties in the state legislature on tourism issues.

    I managed a staff of three, plus an intern, and reported to an elected board of directors from throughout the state.

    I was the chief advocate for the private sector in tourism promotion and marketing. It required strong people skills to work with the private sector, plus gain the support of several state agencies and of the state legislature.

    Increased dues-paying membership approximately 20% each year because of our success in increasing tourism. Everyone wanted to be a part of what we were doing.

    Played a key role in the increase in tourism revenue which increased an average of 18% for each of the three years, versus 8–10% increases each of the five previous years. Many resort and tourism areas set records for revenue.

    Our association received a $50,000 federal grant to further tourism, in recognition of the high quality of our efforts the two previous years.

        In his job description Sal does a nice job of joining his duties with his results.

        Idaho Hospitality & Visitors Association, Boise, ID  1989-1992

 

            Executive Director—Administered this statewide nonprofit association in promoting tourism to and within the State of Idaho. Lobbied the state legislature and had a solid impact in both protecting and enhancing the interests of the tourism industry. Established local groups to follow up with legislators on specific issues. Obtained a key federal grant for the Regional Tourism Project in recognition of the overall effectiveness of the program.

            Conducted highly regarded seminars for the private sector which enabled them to strengthen their marketing and promotional activities. Increased dues-paying membership approximately 20% per year and played a key role in increasing tourism dollars throughout the state. Supervised a staff of three.

        While the data and information you produce for your job sketch are important and useful, the very process of writing the job sketch also serves several valuable functions. It makes you recall all the duties and functions of the job and allows you to choose the most important ones for your resume. It also causes you to relive some of the experiences and makes them more vivid. What’s more, it helps you recall accomplishments and results. In addition, the very act of remembering, sorting through, and writing down all of your duties, accomplish­ments, and experiences prepares you for interviews.

        As you write your job sketches, it’s important that you make the most out of each one of your accomplishments. The next section on accomplishments will show you how to do that.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

        To write an effective resume you should look for ways to insert accomplish­ments into your job descriptions, special projects, and qualifications. This section will provide you with the techniques to create real impact in your resume through the use of accomplishments and results.

        Accomplishments separate achievers from nonachievers. Duties alone cannot do this. Consider two people, each with ten years of experience and identical job titles. Applicant A has not had an original idea in three years. The drive and initiative that propelled A upward is gone. Applicant B, however, has demonstrated significant accomplishments each year and still exhibits great enthusiasm. Only accomplishments will distinguish over‑the‑hill applicant A from full‑of‑potential applicant B. Accomplishments make you seem more like a real person and create strong impressions. Stressing accomplishments in a resume is important for everyone, but it is absolutely critical for the person changing careers; those accomplishments will prove your potential for success in the new career.

        Employers make hiring decisions based on your perceived potential. Experience is frequently used to measure potential, but it is often a poor yardstick. Employers certainly want people who can come in and handle the job from day one, but other factors are also important. Employers are willing to train someone if they feel that person has the potential to become a better employee than the one with more experience. Potential is best demonstrated through accomplishments.

        Accomplishments do not have to be big, knock-your-socks-off types of experiences. They are merely experiences in which you made a contribution. An employer who clearly sees that you’ve made contributions that go beyond just doing your duty immediately assumes that you will continue to make contri­butions in the future. That’s potential. But it’s not enough to have achieved certain accom­p­lish­­ments or to possess potential. You must present them in your resume in ways that bring them to life. Your competitors, in fact, may have accomplishments even more impressive than your own, but if they fail to describe them in their resumes, it’s the same as if they did not have them. And if they don’t list them in their resume, they probably will not describe them in inter­views. This gives you the advantage.

        Ideally, you will list one or more significant accomplishments for each job you’ve held. For some jobs, however, this is not practical. Perhaps you held the job for just a short time, or didn’t enjoy the job and performed below your full potential. With jobs like these, provide only short descriptions so that the reader will concentrate on the more important jobs you held.

        Describe accomplishments concisely and concretely so that they’ll have impact. Every employer seeks people who can increase profits, decrease costs, solve problems, or reduce the stress and pressure they face. Specific information such as percentages and dollar figures make accomplishments more tangible and impressive. Compare these two statements: “Implemented new personnel policies which increased morale” and “Implemented new personnel policies which reduced absenteeism by 27% and reduced turnover by 24%.” The specific figures given in the second sentence make the accomplishment more impressive and real.

        You’re probably thinking, “I know my idea saved time and money, but I have no idea how much.” In this section I’m going to show you how to arrive at your figures. In many cases they will be estimates, but use company records to verify your figures whenever they are available. One of my clients used printed reports to verify his 63% increase in tons of aluminum sold during a two-year period. Those figures were impressive in the resume; during interviews he was able to elaborate.

        Arriving at a percentage or a dollar figure when you have no verifying figures requires creative thinking and sometimes creative guessing. You would not want to exaggerate the accomplishment, but you can calculate figures to the best of your knowledge. The following example illustrates how this can be done.

Saving Money in Alaska

        Roger wanted to leave Alaska, where he had repaired heavy construction machinery. He felt he was a top‑level mechanic but could think of no evidence to prove it. After talking with him a bit, I discovered he was constantly developing new tools and finding easier ways to make certain repairs. One of the tools he made helped him install a $500 part by aligning it perfectly in place. Without the tool the part was sometimes misaligned, but there was no way to tell until the part was clamped in; by then it was too late, the part would crack. Roger estimated he replaced the part 30 times per year and would have cracked two of them without the tool. In other words he saved $1000 each year by not cracking the $500 part. About 20 other mechanics with similar duties copied his tool. We figured he and the 20 others each saved about $1000 annually. So on the resume we stated that he saved $20,000 per year with his tool. Actual savings may have ranged from $18,000 to $25,000 per year; we chose $20,000 as the most likely. If an employer asks Roger to verify the figure, he can explain how it was calculated. Employers have always been satisfied with his explanation. In an interview all you need to do is explain how you arrived at the figures and state that they’re accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Ideas For Identifying Accomplishments And Results

        To identify results, you should first identify your accomplishments. Each accomplishment will have at least one result. Here are some questions to ask yourself and some techniques for identifying accomplishments.

•   What are your accomplishments? An accomplishment is any experience where you did something well, you were complimented for it, you enjoyed it, you got satisfaction from it, or are proud of it. If any one of these five occurred or all of them, it is by definition an accomplishment. Not all accomplishments will end up in the resume, but the first step is to identify them.

•   Did you create, reorganize, or establish any effective procedures or systems?

•   Did you streamline a process or increase productivity?

•   Did you oversee or participate in a special project that had a good outcome?

•   Have you done anything that saved money, simplified a process, or solved a problem?

•   Are you a good supervisor or trainer whose people get promoted faster and farther than your fellow supervisors?

•   Did you win any awards or get special recognition from a boss or the company itself? Did you get recognition from an industry association, from a local organization thanking you for special efforts, or from a national body that recognizes people such as the Emmy in television and the Pulitzer Prize for journalism? Did you receive a lifetime achievement award from an organization you belong to?

        Take time to go through each of your jobs or volunteer experiences and pose these questions to yourself. Jot down the thought as soon as it comes into your mind. Do not filter out experiences just because they don’t seem big enough to you. You may eventually not include it in the resume but you should list it because one memory will then trigger another. You need as long a list as possible so you can choose just the right ones to put in your resume.

            Almost any award is worth mentioning. It does not have to be a lifetime achievement award.

Using Results To Create Impact

        It’s great when you’ve got computer printouts or company documents to prove what you are claiming, but few people have that type of documentation. In such cases it will be necessary to “guesstimate.” This is a very acceptable practice. When estimating it is good to be a little on the conservative side so that in an interview you can state that the actual improvement was probably greater. I have never had a client tell me that his or her claims were not believed. To be accepted you merely need to explain what you did and how you did it.

        Accomplishments which cannot be translated into dollars or percentages can still have impact. Statements such as “Selected as employee of the month,” or “Brought the product to market five months ahead of schedule,” can have a powerful effect on employers.

         In the following sample job descriptions, notice that accomplishments are described very briefly. Elaborate on your accomplishments during the interview, not in the resume.

        In the Memory Academy example below notice the impression you gain, even though no figures are used. You will quickly recognize that she is respon­sible, creative, hard working, and an excellent supervisor and trainer. She is the type of person who is always looking for ways to improve programs and systems.

        Memory Academy, Dallas, Texas, 5/88 to 6/91

            Office Manager/Executive Instructor ‑ Office manager of a 14‑person office with direct responsibility for ten. Developed and wrote detailed manuals for each position and created a smooth functioning office. In 1989 redesigned the teaching techniques of the memory course. Instructors immediately experienced better results and received enthusiastic ratings from clients.

        Her key accomplishment came from improving the teaching techniques at the Memory Academy. With the recognition of an accomplishment comes a better understanding of her as a person. You know that she cared about her job and invested her energy in making the business more effective and successful.

        Accomplishments are loaded with powerful information. One fifteen-word accomplishment can say more and have more impact than one hundred words of a job description. Look at the following two examples and notice the impact of the accomplishments. Imagine what the impact would be without them. I have italicized key parts of the accomplishments.

        Des Moines Trust & Savings, Des Moines, Iowa, 9/94 to Present

            Branch Operations Manager ‑ Managed operations at three branches and supervised 20 employees. Overcame serious morale problems by working closely with the branch staffs and providing better training and supervision. Within the branches absenteeism was reduced 42% and turnover 70%. Customer service and marketing of bank services were strengthened. Based on customer surveys, the customer service rating improved from 74% good or excellent to 92%.

v

        Central Mortgage, 5/94 to Present

            Division Manager, Missoula, Montana, 9/94 to Present. Opened the
Missoula office and set up all bookkeeping and office systems. Within ten months became the number‑one home mortgage lender in the Missoula area and obtained 31% of the mortgage market and 44% of all construction loans. During five years have averaged 48% profit on gross income, the highest in the company among 33 offices.

        The following example vividly illustrates the need for accomplishments. The first version lacks both accomplishments and impact. The revision ultimately sold the person into a good position.

Before

        Sales Representative ‑ 2/96 to Present. Develop and service established accounts as well as new accounts. Set pricing structures after determining the market. Responsible for the district’s western Orange County territory. Sales have increased each year.

After

        Sales Representative ‑ 2/96 to Present. In the first three years moved the territory from last in the district to first among ten territories. Aggressively went after new accounts and have significantly increased market share in the territory. By 1998 became the number one sales rep in total profits and have maintained that position. Profits have increased an average of 30% annually.

        Is there any question which resume would result in an interview? In the second job description, you get a sense of a salesperson who is successful, works hard, has excellent product knowledge, and knows how to get a sale. It makes an employer want to meet him to learn if he is as good in person as he seems on paper.

        Notice that the impression you get of the person is much stronger in the second version, yet it required just one more line than the first. This powerful effect can be created by presenting what you’ve done in jobs, rather than how you’ve done it. Tell what resulted from your efforts, but devote little or no space to describing how it happened. Accomplishments speak for themselves and you rarely need to go into detail regarding all the things you did to get your results. Save the details for an interview.

        Sometimes you will want to allude to what was done without providing details. The bank branch operations manager presented earlier provides a perfect example. She said, “Overcame serious morale problems by working closely with the branch staffs and providing better training and supervision. Within the branches absenteeism was reduced 42% and turnover 70%.” How she got her result is merely alluded to with the statement, “Overcame serious morale problems by working closely with the branch staffs and providing better training and super­vision.” She did not go into detail about the morale problem, but simply stated it existed. And, she only alluded to how she solved it—working closely with staff and improving training and supervision. An employer who wants to know more will have to interview her.

        In the resume below, a bank controller’s job description does not do him justice. Because this was his most recent and most responsible position, more detail is required to show his potential. Although the second job description is longer, it is well-written and concise. It does not contain any unnecessary words. Everything mentioned is designed to sell him and give an employer a full view of his experience.

Before

        Controller ‑ Managed accounting department, seven‑person staff; prepared financial statements and filed various reports with state and federal agencies; assisted and advised senior management concerning regulatory accounting and tax ramifications of decisions and policies; worked with savings and loan divisions on operational and systems design; served as primary liaison with computer service bureau in Los Angeles.

After

        Controller ‑ Managed a seven‑person accounting department and significantly increased productivity by simplifying procedures, cross‑training staff, and improving morale. Prepared financial statements and advised senior management on regulatory, accounting, and tax ramifications of new policies and programs under consideration. Heavily involved in the research and planning of an investment “swap” program which resulted in a $5.3 million tax refund. Successfully directed the Association’s response when the refund resulted in an IRS audit.

        As financial division representative, worked closely with both the savings and loan divisions to increase interdivision cooperation related to new systems, operations, and customer service. Significantly improved communications with the Association’s service bureau and implemented modifications in the general ledger system which streamlined operations and saved more than $20,000 per year.

        The accomplishments he included were his increase in productivity, finding a unique approach for justifying a large tax credit and then defending it before the IRS, increasing cooperation among divisions in the bank, improving relations with the computer service bureau, and saving money on computer services. These accomplishments are likely to pique the interest of a targeted employer.

Results Sell People

        Below are additional statements which effectively convey accomplishments. Read them to give you further ideas on how you might present your results.

Quantified:

            Developed a new production technique which increased productivity by 7%.

            Through more effective recruiting techniques, reduced terminations company-wide by 30% and turnover by 23%.

            Edited a newsletter for an architectural association, with readership increasing 28% in one year.

            Organized a citizen task force which successfully wrote a statewide initiative, adopted with a 69% favorable vote.

            As chairperson for fundraising, developed a strategy which increased funds raised by 26% while reducing promotional costs.

            Set a record of 46 days without a system failure.

Nonquantified:

            Awarded Medal of Merit for contributions to the community.

            Established a voluntary labor-management forum that significantly reduced tension between labor and management.

            Developed a self-managed quality program that substantially reduced noncompliant parts.

            The advertising tie-in with Star Wars was credited with building strong name recognition for our new toy line.

            Received a letter of appreciation from the Chairperson of the Ballard Community Council for bringing together 20 local businesses, which provided seed money for a community center.

            Played a key role on a task force that recommended over 20 ways to improve plant safety. Not only have injuries been significantly reduced, but morale has improved as production personnel recognized that the company valued and respected them.

Which/Which Resulted In

        Accomplishments and results are powerful. Everything you’ve done on a job has had a result. When the result is positive and significant, it belongs in the resume. Train yourself to look for results. Remember, you don’t need computer printouts to verify your results. Your own honest estimate is sufficient. If asked about it during an interview, just describe how you arrived at the figure and then go into more detail concerning how you accomplished it. Results sell you.

        I’ve developed a simple technique which will help you identify your results as you write your job sketches. As you list a duty or a project, add the words which, or which resulted in, and then ask yourself what the duty or project resulted in. For example, “Wrote an office procedures manual” becomes, “Wrote an office procedures manual, which decreased training time and billing errors.” After you’ve taken time to quantify the results and to explain it more accurately, it will become, “Wrote an office procedures manual, which decreased training time of new employees by 25% and reduced billing errors more than 30%.”

        Later, after completing your job sketches, go through the process one more time. Review each duty and project to see if you forgot to list a result as you were writing.

        The words which and which resulted in force you to take all of your activities and accomplishments to their logical conclusion. With each duty or function you list, ask yourself whether you did it as well or better than others. If better, ask yourself how you know. This process will lead you to the logical end result. You should keep going back until you have determined what the most basic result is. Once you’ve identified all of the results from a particular experience, you can then determine which ones will have the most impact in your resume.

        The problem I’ve observed is that people are often quite satisfied to come up with just one result from a duty or project. Many times, however, three or more results are actually lurking in that project just waiting to be discovered. Each one is important. Even if not all of your results get into your resume, they can become highly valuable in interviews.

        When describing an accomplishment, be sure to include concrete infor­ma­tion about its

effect. Don’t stop short. People often write in a way that they think demonstrates a result, but does not. For example, one person wrote, “Developed a scheduling system designed to reduce late deliveries.” “To” merely indicates that the goal was to decrease late shipments. The statement does not tell us for sure that it was accomplished. Now read the sentence out loud with the word which replacing to. It is a much stronger statement because there is no doubt that the new system accomplished its goal.

        Don’t assume that just because a result does not come to mind immediately, that there is no result. People are often amazed when they go over their job sketches a second time, or when a friend helps out, that there were many more results than were initially visible.

        Virtually all projects which had a successful conclusion contain at least one result. Some duties, however, do not have results; you simply did the work but did it no better and no worse than others. Still, you need to pause as you look over each of your duties from all of your jobs and ask yourself whether there could be a result hiding in there. The more you find, the more interviews you’ll get, and with those interviews you’ll sell yourself to the fullest.

Identifying Results Within An Accomplishment

        The trick is to identify the result or results first and then seek to quantify them by using the hard data you have available or by estimating the result. Also, don’t stop with just one result or benefit. Many of your best experiences have had several results, so take the time to identify them. Although not all of your results will end up in the resume, you’ll be able to select the ones that will have the greatest impact in the resume. Your other results will come in handy during interviews.

        Let’s look at a project that produced multiple results. When I first helped Sam identify his skills and results in this experience, I had no idea we would identify so many results. It takes a little work, but the results will remain hidden without this effort. Identifying as many results as possible has a great deal to do with building your confidence for the job search. No one enters a job search with too much confidence. Take the time to identify your results to create the strongest resume possible and to prepare for interviews.

        In my position as lobbyist for the Detroit Realtors Association, I was very active in building coalitions with the homebuilders, the Economic Development Council of Detroit, and other housing groups. As part of these coalitions, I was asked to co-chair an affordable housing committee. From the Realtors perspective, government regulations were a major problem. So I pulled together an all-inclusive committee, including representatives from General Motors, Housing Coalition of Detroit, and the Detroit Housing Authority, as well as county and state officials. We brought in local experts on a variety of topics and asked for recommendations for reducing or streamlining unnecessary government regulations. We came up with over 80 recommendations and presented it at a regional event sponsored by the mayor and county executive as well as the Detroit Free Press. It was publicly well received, and because of the quality of the recommendations and the breadth of the coalition, over 30 key recommendations were adopted in the past year, with more to follow I’m sure. By streamlining permit and building processes, builders are saving about $600 per home.

        Sam demonstrated numerous skills in this project as well as several results. Let’s examine the results and quantify them if we can.

        Brought together a coalition of groups that usually oppose one another.

        Persuaded government organizations and agencies to remove unnecessary government regulations.

        Reduced the cost of building a home by over $600 each.

        Reduced the average time to obtain construction permits from 120 days to 75 days.

        Developed strong relationships with government agencies by showing that we Realtors didn’t oppose everything they recommended, and worked with them to actually strengthen some regulations.

        Developed allies that we never had before. (With many we both knew that we wouldn’t agree on many issues, but we found that we could work with them on some issues.)

        This array of businesses and organizations learned the importance of really listening to what each group was saying and of taking the time to learn what was most important and critical to them.

        Got the ear of the mayor, who previously would not listen to us.

        I personally gained great visibility by being interviewed by three major newspapers and by the CBS and ABC local affiliates.

        Received a $5,000 bonus from the Realtors.

        Everybody wins. More affordable housing units can be constructed so more new homebuyers can get that first home. The city and region win because the changes did not compromise the quality of the homes or their energy efficiency.

        In the first year the percentage of new homes purchased by minorities increased from 28% of all homes to 38%, a 36% increase.

        When we first started identifying Sam’s results I quickly saw about four, but I had no idea we would come up with this many. In the resume Sam can decide which results to include. He would virtually always mention that the cost of building homes was reduced by $600. That may not seem like much, but it was accomplished exclusively by eliminating some unnecessary regulations. Part of the cost reduction came by reducing the time required to obtain building permits. When land has been purchased with loans, every day that a home has not been completed (and sold) adds cost in the form of interest. If the profit on a $95,000 starter home would be about $9,000, then $600 equals 6% of the total profit. That’s substantial.

        It takes some time to come up with results and to quantify them. Sometimes it can take an hour or more. You may have the data necessary to quantify the result, but the information may be spread among several different sources. Of course sometimes the numbers are readily available and have already been calculated.

        This should be a reminder to you for the future. As you start a project or look for a way to improve a particular process, figure out how you will measure your success. First you have to determine what you hope to accomplish. Then you have to determine what the current status is. If you are going to improve training in hopes of reducing turnover and errors, then you need to know what the current turnover and error rate is. If those rates are not currently being measured, then you’ll have to do it. This effort is worth it because you can obtain a great payoff: you can bring it to the attention of your boss through a memo. You don’t have to ask your boss to respond. As long as your boss does not dispute your results, it means he or she accepts them. Of course your results could help you get a raise, a promotion, or a bonus. But you have to let the key people know what you’ve done. Don’t let yourself be a well-kept secret.

 

To Versus That

            In their resumes people often make statements like, “Developed new procedures to increase office productivity.” The statement is not bad, after all, the person is trying to demonstrate a result. The problem is, it’s weak. It’s much stronger to say, “Developed new procedures that increased office productivity.” Notice the difference? When you say to, you’re really only saying the goal was to increase productivity, it does not say the increase in productivity actually happened. When you say “that increased office productivity,” you’re saying unequivocally that the increase indeed happened. This may seem a bit subtle, but put this idea into practice. Go through your resume when it’s finished and look to see if you have any to statements that should be that or which statements.