Joyce Richman: Numbers and references can be tricky
Joyce Richman: Numbers and references can be tricky
If you want your résumé to have impact, include quantifiable information that makes your case. For example: “Improved sales by 400 percent” or “Reduced costs by 350 percent.”
Just be sure that you can provide context for your claims and verify the numbers you use — or else they may be used against you.
Here’s a story to illustrate the point:
We were about 30 minutes into the interview and I was really hitting my stride. I had described what I was looking for and why I’d be the best person for the job. I talked about my strengths, my accomplishments and I think the employer was about to offer me the job when she stabbed a finger into a number I used on my résumé.
“Before we proceed,” she said, “at your last company you noted that you were the top producer in your region, selling 500 percent more than your competition. It’s not clear what competition you are referencing. Did you mean your co-workers or external competition? And it was 500 percent more than what? How long did you sustain those numbers? How big was your region? How large was your account? What was the impact on the company?”
She was asking so many questions I didn’t know where to begin. And even if I did, I was in big trouble because I couldn’t remember what I was thinking when I wrote it. There we were, eyeball to eyeball. She was leaning forward, pointing at the résumé and pointing at me, and I was spewing hooey because I couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say. She caught me flat-footed. I didn’t know what I was talking about and both of us knew it.
References, too, can backfire if you don’t follow through with the source. If you think references don’t count, think again. Although some companies don’t check them and some employers don’t respond when asked, there’s a whole lot more checking going on than there has been historically. Chalk it up to a more competitive job market and an increasing emphasis on accountability.
Play it safe and be sure you’re lining up business references who will speak to your strengths and not your weaknesses. Make sure you get their permission first. Describe the kinds of jobs you’re going after and ask for feedback regarding your choices. If they show interest, are supportive and in any way offer to help in your search, sign them up.
On the flip side, if they hesitate or question the direction you’re taking, thank them for their time and ask a few questions before departing:• To the extent that you’re comfortable telling me, what direction would you advise that I take?• What strengths have you observed in me?• What would you suggest that I do differently going forward?
Take notes because these are tough questions to ask and sometimes difficult answers to hear. But never miss an opportunity to get feedback that can provide the insight you need to improve yourself.
Joyce Richman is a speaker and career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and the author of “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Richman’s latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2.
