You need to start selling your ROI on your resume. Here’s how

When a company moves forward with hiring a candidate for a position, they’re hopeful that it will be a good return on investment (ROI) on their end one day, and usually sooner rather than later.

Companies sift through countless amounts of candidates to fill vacancies in their organization and look for an array of skill sets that will set them apart from the 99% of people who apply….Because to be honest, they have to pay your salary, give you benefits, and allow you the reins of a particular position, so who wouldn’t vet carefully? 

Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to use your resume to leverage yourself above the competition. While companies are scrutinizing candidates at every turn, there are numerous ways to give the recruiters confidence that you are fit for the job and its responsibilities at hand. 

Today, we are going to talk about how you can emphasize your ROI on your resume!

Use these tips and ideas to boost your resume so you can show why you would be a great return on investment if hired! 

First, give your accomplishments a number

One of the best things you can do is give recruiters a mental picture of what you’ve been able to do.

Therefore, to capitalize on that, be sure to quantify your accomplishments, which could come in the form of saving “x” amount of money, time, and/or effort with the task at hand. Keep in mind that numbers are easy to read and understand.

This will emphasize your level of efficiency on the job, which will bolster your credibility and, therefore, chances of being selected to fill a position in a company. 

Quick examples to consider include: 

• Revenue
• Profits
• Cost improvement 
• “Saved former company X dollars after making the switch to”

Second, show your leadership

I’m sure that at some time throughout your working history, you were called to fulfill a role and delivered successfully. Talk about it! Companies like candidates who take the initiative and rise above challenges to find viable solutions to them. 

Don’t passively list off your past duties; rather, emphasize (while being concise) what you were able to do and what you learned and therefore did different things moving forward that made an impact. 

Three, tell them about your awards

Awards signify accomplishment and commitment to excellence in some way, shape, or form. Be sure to hit on relevant awards related to what you are applying for and key elements that put you in the position to do so. 

Key elements include: 

• What Award?
• Why was it awarded to you? 
• What did you learn from it? 

Didn’t win any awards? It is not a problem; hone in on how you tackled certain problems and effectively resolved them, emphasizing your tenacity to lead, problem-solve, and work effectively towards a solution.  

Recruiters love to see that you have a hunger to learn and strive for excellence, just the type of person they would love to take a risk on, so be sure not to skip a beat! 

Four, tell them about your Impact on Interpersonal Relations

If you have the propensity to accomplish a lot of things, that sure is a plus, but it’s even a bigger plus what you bring to the table in regards to your attitude, presence, and demeanor to the work environment. In the words of famous speaker John Maxwell, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!”. 

Life is essentially a team game, and the work environment requires you to work cohesively with other people toward particular tasks at hand. If you have built a solid reputation by being a charismatic, inspiring figure, talk about what you are doing daily to make an impact and how that is affecting others. 

Personal anecdotes can often be compelling when getting a message across, so be sure to do a little concise storytelling on your resume. 

Five: Be authentic

Beware! This is one where it can get you in trouble if you are not careful, but one that will, for sure, build trust with those for whom you are interviewing. 

Honestly, recruiters want to know that you are the real deal, someone they can trust in. There are many fakes out there from their perspective, and it just makes their job infinitely harder. When you come across as yourself, of course, in a professional manner, it brings levity to any doubt that you might be just merely acting the part. 

Six, show how you are flexible

Employers find it pretty beneficial for applicants to be flexible because they’ll have more elbow room to maneuver around daily changing logistics. In essence, being flexible is a step toward reliability, where you are more apt to help out.

Let recruiters know about your flexibility by giving them the hours open for you to work. Being too rigid will equate to lesser opportunities. 

And lastly, emphasize your strong communication skills! 

Communication skills are the most sought after skills in the workforce and can easily make someone ultra-competitive in the job market. On your resume, here are a few things to talk about regarding your very own communication skills. 

1. Communication Style?
2. How effective has it been for you and others?
3. How were you able to adjust it when necessary?

The tides rise and fall on communication. When you paint a picture of some unique features your style holds, how it operates on the same wavelength with the work environment, and how adaptable it can be, you effectively communicate your communication skills’ power and resourcefulness. 

Verdict!

The ROI is an integral part to incorporate in the flow of your resume, an aspect that basically explains why the employer should take the chance on you as opposed to the next guy. They have every right to scrutinize you to find the best fit because shoes need to be filled, but not everyone can fill them. 

Follow these guidelines, mark-up your resume, and write it anew, because the best promoter of you will always be YOU! The person companies are looking for is YOU; you need to show them that you, all in all, are worth it.