Most job seekers today understand that to get noticed by hiring managers in competitive markets, you need your resume to stand out. In a sea of worthy applicants, what makes your qualifications better than the next candidate? As most reputable resume services in Boston, Hartford, NYC, RI, and other major metros would tell you, hiring managers don’t care where you’ve worked or what degrees you have. You aren’t considered if they can’t verify what you’ve done. If you don’t tell them, managers assume you can’t do the job. That’s why it’s essential to answer the question of how you achieved success. Follow these three steps and you’ll know how to impress employers.

Tip #1: Tell Them What You Did

Everyone can say “I manage budgets and supervise employees.” But, what exactly did you do to accomplish that? Karen Springer, a Certified Professional Resume Writer who provides resume services in Boston, says the trick to getting noticed by hiring managers is to give specifics on your resume. When you manage budgets, do you analyze department spending? Do you make cuts to stay within budget? When you supervise employees, do you develop performance plans to monitor progress?

Tip #2: Explain the Actions You Took

Once you address what you did, then, then tell managers how you did it. Look at the difference between these two sentences. Which one is more appealing?

Managed budgets and supervised sales representatives for large company. Or…

Analyzed costs and renegotiated vendor contracts to reduce rates; led staff through targeted training and performance expectations, achieving 200% of sales goal.

The first one states duties without context. The second one draws the reader in with how they met those duties and made money for the company.

Tip #3: Frame Each Accomplishment

When a company posts for an open position, they’re looking for someone to solve a particular problem. It’s called professional pain. So, your job is to solve that pain. For example, Company A is looking for an experienced sales representative to quickly grow business in a territory with major competitors. Here’s how to impress employers using challenge, action, result.

Challenge: My employer lacked a market presence in a competitive area.

Action: I utilized my extensive product knowledge and called on prospects to develop relationships and propose solutions to their needs.

Result: I landed several new accounts, capturing 15% of market share in a new territory within 6 months.

These stories – how you perform your job and helped the company’s bottom line – are what employers want to see. That’s how to get noticed by hiring managers.

If you’re in need of resume services in Boston, Hartford, NYC, RI, or anywhere in between, contact Spring Forward Resumes for a consultation today.