After the statement “Thank you! I wish I would have come to see you sooner!” the thing I hear most from my clients when discussing accomplishments to include on their resume is, “It was no big deal. I was just doing my job,” (add shoulder shrug here to demonstrate how little they view their contribution). Every time someone says this, it feels like nails on a chalkboard to me and I cringe!
NO! NO! NO! Your job is the list of tasks that your employer is paying you to perform to compensate you for the time that you are in their service. The effort that you put in above the call of duty and the results it produces is about YOU—your work ethic, your drive, your ingenuity, your commitment. That’s all about you my friend!
Think about it…
Did you offer a suggestion to improve or simplify the way a process was done that saved time, resources or labor?
Does your natural enthusiasm help motivate others to push themselves to be better, resulting in improved results for the whole team?
Remember the time you ran through the parking lot to catch the customer who left their wallet at the checkout because you knew they would panic when they realized they forgot it? (And if you trudged through the Buffalo snow to accomplish this, give yourself a bonus point)!
Do customers tell you they come back to the store, the restaurant, or through your register because of you and the great service that you offer?
Are you the one the boss comes to with an important, difficult or high-profile client because she knows you can be depended on to close the deal?
The list goes on…
Anyone can create a resume with a list of job responsibilities, but a dynamic, impactful resume noting the value that YOU bring will get you that next job!
Your value does not lie in the titles that you’ve held, or the job responsibilities listed in your position description. You demonstrate your value through the results and successes that you have already accomplished! What did you do, and how did you do it? You will carry those skills and experience with you that have that allowed you to achieve success in a former role into your next one, and THAT is where your value lies!
Like your facial features or fingerprints, your experiences and successes are unique to you, so be proud of them, and learn how to effectively showcase them in your resume.
It often takes an objective eye to be able to help you recognize and articulate the unique value that only you bring to your employer.
A resume is not the time to be humble. It is the time to toot your own horn, pat yourself on the back, sing your own praises! Done thoughtfully and respectfully, you will set yourself apart from the pack by showing why an employer needs YOU, and you’ll be the one to land that next great opportunity!
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