As Resume Deli CEO, if I could give only one piece of resume-writing advice it would be this: List accomplishments…not responsibilities!
If you’re a pizza delivery guy, for example, it’s not enough to say that you “delivered pizzas”. Delivering pizzas is what a pizza deliverer is supposed to do. Stating the obvious, that you delivered pizzas…well, that just shows you performed the basic minimum function expected of such a position.
But were you doing it well?
As your target employer, when I read “Delivered pizzas” on your resume I’m left wondering if you were a good pizza deliverer or an incompetent one. For all I know you delivered pizzas late, cold and in a crushed box…to the wrong address. For all I know, every person to whom you’ve ever delivered a pizza has since opted for a different pizzeria, having been so thoroughly disenchanted with your service.
So if you are a pizza delivery guy, here’s an idea of what your resume should look like:
Tony’s Pizza
Pizza Deliverer
- Delivered approximately 5 pizzas per hour (20% more than any other deliverer)
- Reduced average delivery time 4 minutes by using GPS
- Increased repeat orders by offering excellent customer service and never delivering late
- Initiated “get a free pizza-making lesson when you order delivery 4 times in one month” promotion, which increased delivered-pizza revenue by 15%
Now if you’re the hiring manager at Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta, who are you going to hire? The “delivered pizzas” guy, or the job applicant who clearly understands the positive impact he’s had on the job?