Want your job search to be successful? Quantifying your successes will help you stand out to prospective employers
Business is all about numbers, the language of business. It’s puzzling why so many job seekers make their job search harder than needed by not speaking the language of business. The most common job search advice is to use numbers to showcase your capabilities. However, I rarely see a resume or LinkedIn profile populated with numbers (read: evidence) that quantify responsibilities and results.
Numbers drive business decisions. Consider which department largely influences a company’s decision-makers: accounting. Accounting deals extensively with quantified numbers, presenting management with hard numbers regarding cost allocations, revenue, production, inventory, etc., so they can make informed decisions.
Hiring is a business decision. The few job seekers who grasp that employers speak the language of numbers know they’ll have a competitive advantage by sharing, essentially presenting evidence, results and achieved metrics throughout their resume and LinkedIn profile, resulting in a less arduous job search. Without quantifying numbers, a resume and LinkedIn profile are nothing more than opinions. Employers don’t hire opinions; they hire results.
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Quantify what you claim. Otherwise, it’s a valueless opinion.
- Opinion: “I’m a team player.”
- Quantified: “I’m a member of an inside sales department with 12 reps. In 2023, we generated $17.5 million in revenue, exceeding our target of $16 million. My contribution was $1.8 million.”
- Opinion: “Reviewed accounting records.”
- Quantified: “Audited accounting records weekly, reducing error rates by 32 percent within 18 months of my start date.”
- Opinion: “Increased online sales.”
- Quantified: “Initiated a social media campaign which increased web traffic by 40 percent, leading to a 15 percent increase in online sales.”
Which statements provide information the employer can use to evaluate the candidate’s skills and experience and, therefore, are persuasive?
Today, we live in an on-demand economy. Each employee performs a labour-based service regarded as a “business unit.” An employee is either a profit centre delivering measurable (keyword) value or a cost centre not delivering a return for their salary – an employee you don’t want to be.
Executives and business owners tend to devalue employees who can’t quantify their performance, results, and impact on the company. As a job seeker, you must think like an executive or business owner and quantify your accomplishments. Think of yourself as a sole proprietorship business, looking for a customer rather than wanting to be an employee.
An employer invests in its workforce through salaries and benefits and has the right to expect a positive return on its investment. For this reason, I’ve always viewed my employer as my customer and, therefore, approach my work with the motivational mindset that I must keep delivering measurable value to keep my customer.
C-level or above executives with business acumen know how much each position they oversee costs, the amount of investment it absorbs, and, most importantly, what it contributes to the business. For example, a VP of Marketing will want to be able to explain, using quantified numbers, such as the increase in market share and campaign costs, to their fellow VPs and the President, CEO, and board how the company’s marketing resources (marketing staff) and investments are being utilized and contributing to profitability.
C-suite executives and higher are constantly analyzing all activities under their purview for cause and effect while also considering the business impact of reducing or eliminating certain activities. In today’s competitive environment, company executives constantly search for employees and activities that are profit distractions. With changing market dynamics and technological advancements (AI, robotics, self-checkout, automation), they can take advantage of companies that are, more than ever, focused on being lean.
When writing your resume and LinkedIn profile or speaking in an interview, emphasize your cause and effect. Ask yourself: “What measurable effect did I have? What numbers (evidence) can I show that prove I supported my employer’s success?”
If you’re struggling with your job search, it’s likely because you’re not showing employers numbers that demonstrate your value.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job.
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The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.
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