Writing an outstanding resume may not be quite as simple as 1-2-3, but using statements such as the following will definitely make it easier:

• Increased internal customer satisfaction levels by 30% by providing enhanced benefits management through the corporate intranet
  
  or
  
  
• Decreased costs 50% by implementing a streamlined internal candidate referral system
  
  or
  
  
• Managed a staff of 123 professionals through four direct reports

Within companies and organizations, managers in all functional areas are increasingly finding ways to measure the outcomes they produce. Job seekers would do well to take a page from their book and use metrics in their resumes to make a case for getting hired.

It’s all about the numbers! The more you can quantify your accomplishments and the scope of your work, the more impact your resume will have. Numbers also are useful points of reference during networking meetings and employment interviews. Why does it matter? Consider the difference:

General Statement: Managed teams to peak performance.

Using Numbers: Led a team of 4 sales reps to achieve 150% growth in global networking sales over a 3-year period.

Numbers provide the concrete proof of your value proposition. They demonstrate exactly how effective your work was and/or how big a job you handled. Metrics can give a hiring authority a way to justify the cost of hiring you. In other words, the more you are able to provide examples to support the ROI (Return on Investment) of bringing you on board, the more likely you are to receive the job offer. Here are some examples:

• Acquired and transformed a 21-acre riverfront parcel (50% of which was an EPA designated Superfund site) into a national model of prime urban waterfront development, setting the stage for $23 million in profitable land deals for a Fortune 250 land development company.
  
  
• Transformed networking equipment from a small percentage of the corporate product mix to its dominant product line, accounting for 60% of the company's 2001 sales.
  
  
• Trained more than 50 laboratory technicians to perform quality tests on new products and packaging.
  
  
• Achieved impressively high "retention of care" metrics. Enabled the manufacturing facility clinic with the heaviest caseload to handle 95% of injuries onsite in 2002 (industry standard for excellence is considered to be 80%).

Often it is difficult to measure results. It can be helpful, in those cases, to think about the ultimate impact of your contributions on the company. Interpersonal, communication, and team-building skills are difficult to quantify, but if you look at the possible results of being a good leader and manager you might come up with something like this:

• Possess strengths in motivating and mentoring staff. Used a team-focused management style that decreased employee turnover by 10% and new hire training costs by $70,000.

Granted, Mark Twain was not just being funny when he said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Numbers, as we all know from the corporate governance scandals, can be manipulated to leave a false impression. Therefore, the metrics you use in your resume need to reflect an honest picture of your work, capabilities, and achievements.

Whenever possible, use numbers during networking meetings and interviews to communicate your qualifications. Develop your 60-second introduction, the so-called elevator speech, using meaningful numbers to support your marketing presentation. I was given a stunning example of the effectiveness of this practice at a recent event.

During a networking meeting sponsored by 6figurejobs.com and Management Recruiters International, executives were given the opportunity to introduce themselves to a table of eight other senior-level job seekers and potential referral sources. Seven out of eight talked in general terms about their careers. But the eighth person said, “I launched 4 startups that are still profitable today and led two Fortune 1000 software companies to double-digit revenue growth. Now, I’m looking for another top-level position in the IT industry where I can increase shareholder value as I have done for the past 12 years.” We don’t all have that kind of record! But, we all can learn how to use numbers in our personal marketing presentations.

So, if you are thinking about a new job, consider devoting 80% of your time to the job search, winning a 50% call-back rate on resume submissions, and attaining a 100% success rate in getting a job offer within 6 weeks!