Using Numbers to Add Impact to Your Resume

Perhaps the most difficult section of your resume to prepare is describing your past work experience. You have to aim to describe not only what you have done in your previous jobs, but use that to demonstrate that you are well-qualified for the position that you are applying for.
Employers want to know that you can achieve tangible measurable results, so one of the best ways that you can use the work experience section of your resume to showcase your abilities. is to quantify your achievements. Saying that you "brought new customers to the company", is a lot less meaningful that saying that you "increase the company's customer base by 10%". It's easy to assume that only sales can be quantified into numbers - that is definitely not the case - you can also say that you completed a project under budget, made cost savings to the business, produced results ahead of schedule. managed a team of 20 people, etc. A simple formula that you can use is to begin each job description with a power word, and then quantify that number with a specific number.

Be specific when using numbers to describe your achievements, but don't go overboard. Use just one or two numbers for each of your previous jobs. If you add too much data, the recruiter will be drowned in (and bored by) detail, and came away thinking that you unable to focus on those matters that are most important.

Another thing to remember is that numbers are there to serve a specific purpose. Yes numbers add impact and color to previous job descriptions, but they are principally there to show that you can meet and exceed your goals, and to show that you are qualified for the new position that you're applying for. So, when you do include numbers in your resume, do ensure that they are relevant to the position that you're applying for, and that you're not simply including them for their own sake.