By Jonathan Bauer | Employment Solutions for Immigrants Inc.
In part one of this series we covered three essential steps a job seeker should take before starting to write a resume:
1)Identify jobs you are interested in and qualified to perform.
2)Conduct career research.
3)Identify previous job responsibilities that match what the employer is asking for.
Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to move on to the most important aspect of resume-writing: showcasing your accomplishments.
Businesses are looking for returns on investment (ROI) with each expenditure of resources, including in hiring personnel. As a job seeker, you need to demonstrate how a company’s investment in you (the salary and benefits you will receive) will yield a greater profit for the company in the long run.
Including highlights of your past accomplishments in your resume will significantly increase your chances of being called in for an interview. If you can demonstrate a track record of success in previous positions, you will boost your prospective employer’s confidence in your skills.
How do you incorporate your relevant accomplishments into your resume? Start by creating a list of all your career successes. The following questions are examples of what you should ask yourself to get started:
– Did I save the company money, resources, or time?
– Did I solve a difficult problem that others found challenging?
– Did I develop, create, or invent something?
– Did I manage, supervise, or train staff?
When writing about your accomplishments, be sure to list what the challenge was, what actions you took, and what the results were.
Avoid listing only job responsibilities on your resume. Instead, under each employment position, list 3–5 of your most impressive and relevant accomplishments.
– NO: Job responsibility (without accomplishment): Launched a new product in market.
– YES: Job responsibility (with accomplishment): Launched a new product that achieved third highest market penetration out of ten products.
Job searching is a lot like sales. For example, if you are looking to purchase a car, the salesperson will list the vehicle’s features and explain the benefits you will gain from purchasing that vehicle. In the job search process, you are marketing yourself. Use your resume to showcase the value and benefit that you can bring to a company by clearly outlining your skills and past accomplishments.
Employment Solutions for Immigrants Inc. offers resume writing workshops and individual coaching to help newcomers achieve their career goals. Visit www.manitobastart.com for more information.
