I found an interesting post on Monster Blog that generated some fascinating comments.

The writer was responding to a blog post by Penelope Trunk that focused on emphasizing achievements on a resume (a very good thing) but saying that achievements are “only things that should be on your resume” - which is the point of debate.

The biggest problem I see with 90% or more of the resumes I come across is that it looks like the jobseeker has simply taken the job description and put it into bullet format. Of course the nuts and bolts are important, but the impact on the bottom line, and how clearly (and concisely) you show your achievements is what sets you apart from the average jobseeker.

Particularly once you get past entry-level, you should understand that the language management, particularly upper management, speaks is largely comprised of numbers. So use numbers to quantify your results and stand out from the crowd.

And balance that by showing a few of the most important tasks you perform. Look at it with an eye on the Pareto principle, or the “80/20 rule”. Focus on the 20% of tasks that got you 80% of the results.

To your success,

David B. Wright
Author, Get A Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves
www.thegetajobbook.com