Last Set of Guidelines for Story-Based Resumes

Quantify. Employers love numbers. Atlanta-based resume writer Gayle Oliver refers to these numbers as “performance metrics,” for example:
- Increased sales by 50 percent over the previous year.
- Produced total meal sales 20 percent higher than those of the other servers in the restaurant.
- Supervised staff of 25.
- Served a customer base of 150, the largest on firm’s customer-service team.
Use superlatives. As Donald Asher notes in his excellent resume reference for college students, From College to Career, you can impress employers with words such as “first,” “only,” “best,” “most,” and “highest.”

Think about the critical success factors for the type of position you are targeting, advises Oliver. Tell a story of what it looks like to succeed in this kind of position. Brainstorm stories of how past employers defined you as successful.

Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling that Propels Careers

Tell Me About Yourself