Great tips! I've sometimes struggled with this, as my achievements haven't always been quantifiable. But when they are, I quantify them! Here are a few items from my resume, from a number of jobs over many years:
- In first year, doubled the organization’s media coverage; subsequently, increased mainstream media coverage with placements in LA Times, Washington Post, and Vox.
- As the content developer for the organization’s website, emails, op-eds, collateral, and social media, made our complex subject matter accessible to a wide variety of audiences.
- Initiated and spearheaded a major website redesign that improved usability and highlighted key content.
- Revitalized a state policy campaign by simplifying messaging and engaging more external parties.
- Created engaging, informative content for website, blog, email campaigns, social media, and press releases. Achieved 20% open rate for biweekly email newsletter.
- Wrote a speech for our CEO that was considered the highlight of Cornell’s 2015 Johnson Energy Connection event.
- Created a Solar 101 guide and a comprehensive blog with actionable tips and advice on subjects from clean energy to food waste, making complex topics easy to understand.
- In six months, grew Twitter followers from a few hundred to thousands and doubled the site’s monthly page views.
- Led cross-functional teams to successfully deliver complex, high-quality projects on time and within budget.
- Persuaded Adobe Legal Team to allow streamlining of rigorous process for copyright pages, simplifying the workflow and saving over 1000 person-hours a year; led group of dispersed teams to streamline localization process.
- Hired and managed a team of 12 staff and contract editors, managing yearly contractor budget of $200,000+.
- Became go-to person for company editorial standards.
- As Senior Production Editor at HarperCollins for five years, managed production of 24 titles a year.
Incidentally, I recently saw a resume where someone actually had lines starting with "duties included ..." Very old-style resume from someone who hadn't looked for a job for a while, yet she got hired by one of my clients and is great! Not sure how she managed that, but phew.
Many (many!) years ago I had the good fortune to be tutored on-the-job by someone our management team had hired to be the grown-up for our green solar energy start-up. We were twenty-somethings and he was in his 40s so of course we called him Pops. Anyway one of the things he taught me was this: "If it's worth doing, it's worth measuring." I never forgot that and have applied it in my career -- to my advantage -- wherever I went.
When I had a horrid job (with great people) at a law book publisher (I wrote about it here: https://flowerchild.substack.com/p/hellish-jobs-ive-had), I was in my 20s and had a 45-year-old friend we called Gramps. In fairness, he WAS a grandfather — and he started it by calling us 20-somethings the "kiddie corps."
Great tips! I've sometimes struggled with this, as my achievements haven't always been quantifiable. But when they are, I quantify them! Here are a few items from my resume, from a number of jobs over many years:
- In first year, doubled the organization’s media coverage; subsequently, increased mainstream media coverage with placements in LA Times, Washington Post, and Vox.
- As the content developer for the organization’s website, emails, op-eds, collateral, and social media, made our complex subject matter accessible to a wide variety of audiences.
- Initiated and spearheaded a major website redesign that improved usability and highlighted key content.
- Revitalized a state policy campaign by simplifying messaging and engaging more external parties.
- Created engaging, informative content for website, blog, email campaigns, social media, and press releases. Achieved 20% open rate for biweekly email newsletter.
- Wrote a speech for our CEO that was considered the highlight of Cornell’s 2015 Johnson Energy Connection event.
- Created a Solar 101 guide and a comprehensive blog with actionable tips and advice on subjects from clean energy to food waste, making complex topics easy to understand.
- In six months, grew Twitter followers from a few hundred to thousands and doubled the site’s monthly page views.
- Led cross-functional teams to successfully deliver complex, high-quality projects on time and within budget.
- Persuaded Adobe Legal Team to allow streamlining of rigorous process for copyright pages, simplifying the workflow and saving over 1000 person-hours a year; led group of dispersed teams to streamline localization process.
- Hired and managed a team of 12 staff and contract editors, managing yearly contractor budget of $200,000+.
- Became go-to person for company editorial standards.
- As Senior Production Editor at HarperCollins for five years, managed production of 24 titles a year.
Incidentally, I recently saw a resume where someone actually had lines starting with "duties included ..." Very old-style resume from someone who hadn't looked for a job for a while, yet she got hired by one of my clients and is great! Not sure how she managed that, but phew.
Wow. A lot of good stuff there. Thanks as always Rosana.
Many (many!) years ago I had the good fortune to be tutored on-the-job by someone our management team had hired to be the grown-up for our green solar energy start-up. We were twenty-somethings and he was in his 40s so of course we called him Pops. Anyway one of the things he taught me was this: "If it's worth doing, it's worth measuring." I never forgot that and have applied it in my career -- to my advantage -- wherever I went.
I like the idea of you calling someone "Pops." 😁
He was one of the best mentors I ever had!
When I had a horrid job (with great people) at a law book publisher (I wrote about it here: https://flowerchild.substack.com/p/hellish-jobs-ive-had), I was in my 20s and had a 45-year-old friend we called Gramps. In fairness, he WAS a grandfather — and he started it by calling us 20-somethings the "kiddie corps."