Five tips for emphasizing your skill set on your resume

Want to learn how to highlight your best self on your resume? Check out the summary below from “How Can You Make Yourself Sound Better on Your Resume?” from Rachel Fletcher, in the advice section of the American Water Works Association’s Career Center. This website provides free resources about topics ranging from interviews and resumes to networking and salary negotiations.

Snagging the attention of a hiring manager starts with a resume that features your best self. As your main personal marketing tool, your resume should frame your skill set in the best light possible. The following tips will show you how to put your best foot forward when going after your dream job.

Convert accomplishment numbers. Decreasing spending by $10,000 in a quarter might sound impressive in your current role, but you may be applying for a position in which $10,000 is fairly insignificant. However, “reduced spending by 20%” is much more attention-getting, regardless of the dollar amount. Your accomplishments will appear more impressive to hiring managers if you convert all dollar amounts, page views or revenue gains into percentages that reflect growth or year-over-year change.

Go ahead and brag. Your resume is like a professional annual report and needs to provide the context, details and results that demonstrate the successes that resulted from your challenging work. It is essential to toot your own horn about your measurable accomplishments, rather than simply listing your responsibilities or day-to-day tasks. 

Stand out. Think about what makes you unique as a professional and include specific points about your individual skill set on your resume. Are you an operations manager with experience at a Fortune 500 company? A multilingual analyst? Include these competitive advantages in your cover letter and LinkedIn profile as well.

Include language from job postings. It is critical to customize your resume for every position for which you apply. A recruiter or hiring manager screens through resumes by looking for the specific skills listed in their job description. For example, if they are looking for experience managing a large, cross-functional team or writing a monthly newsletter, be sure your related experience is highlighted on your resume and cover letter when you send in your application.

Address gaps in employment history. It is common in today’s work environment for job candidates to have periods of under- or unemployment. These can include being laid off, going back to school, traveling, and caring for family members. It is best to include a statement that explains the reason for an employment gap in-between work experience entry, such as “From September 2019 to March 2022, I backpacked through Europe. It was my goal to do this before I turned 30.” 

More career resources and job opportunities are available at AWWA’s Career Center and at Work for Water.