Job competition – staying in or getting in.

Suppose your boss called you into their office and said, “We have to cut back 50% of our work force, it’s between you and one other person. You need to write up something to convince us to keep you over the other guy. And they will be doing the same.”

Surprised Business Man

When you get the news, are you going to be shocked?

You’d be in a tough spot, wouldn’t you? Or would you? Both you and your competition have the same job title and description; what makes you better than them or vice versa? Do you have more education or training? Do you bring in more revenue or are you better at cutting overhead? Are your customer-service skills polished and consistent kudos?
This dilemma isn’t found only within the already employed. This is the situation when you are applying for employment. The competition may be hundreds of other job applicants. What you are able to write about, emphasize positively about yourself, and highlights of past achievements or goals reached is what gets the attention of hiring managers. Anyone can do a job well … what have you, as an employee (current or past), done to show your employer you are a ‘better than the next guy’ asset or added value to the team?
If you are currently employed and competing, here’s what you do. Reflect on what ‘beyond the call of duty’ accomplishments you have performed in the last two years. How many dollars in additional contracts or revenue did your 60 hours a week for three months bring in? What new software program did you research and recommend that cut 35 hours off the payroll processing and monthly invoicing overhead costs? Did you direct a new training program that speed up the manufacturing process? Do you consistently bring in your projects before deadline, enabling a higher return on investment (ROI) for the department? How many new clients did you add to the company list in the past year or more? Now write those up using strong, action-oriented verbs in the beginning of the bullet, keeping it concise, and quote the related numbers and metrics.
Those are shining examples of showing (not just telling) what you achieved in your job. In turn, this will show what a positive influence you are on the company and it’s bottom line. These examples can be used in any internal job retention or a promotional opportunity. It should be the same process for writing your resume when searching for a new job or career opportunity. Examples of achievements won’t focus so much on the job description tasks and responsibilities, but rather on your achievements, versatility, and your capability – regardless of the job title or industry.
It’s great to have general job skills that support your job or the career position for which you are applying. Show you are capable of achieving many value added bullets via your resume indicates the type of positive, and strong, work values and ethics many employers are seeking today. Prove how versatile you can be by documenting achievements considered ‘outside the normal job task’ parameters. Volunteer or trade organization activities – including holding an office or performing in a position similar to your paid career posts – documents a commitment to a strong community influence (great for business development). It also demonstrates commitment and willingness to be a team player. Those should be listed to illustrate your broad interests, as well as versatility.
Regardless of your career stage, you should be revising and updating your resume every six months with relevant and key factors about how well you perform in your job. Keeping an active record of achievements also assists you in pointing out positive influences to your company for performance evaluation records, as well as keeping you fully prepared for finding that next career opportunity.

Dawn Boyer is the owner of D. Boyer Consulting – a career services coach, social media management, human resources and business development consultant. She can be reached at Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com or https://dboyerconsulting.com for resume writing services, career social media management, or LinkedIn training.

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Job competition – staying in or getting in.

Suppose your boss called you into their office and said, “We have to cut back 50% of our work force, it’s between you and one other person. You need to write up something to convince us to keep you over the other guy. And they will be doing the same.”

Surprised Business Man

When you get the news, are you going to be shocked?

You’d be in a tough spot, wouldn’t you? Or would you? Both you and your competition have the same job title and description; what makes you better than them or vice versa? Do you have more education or training? Do you bring in more revenue or are you better at cutting overhead? Are your customer-service skills polished and consistent kudos?
This dilemma isn’t found only within the already employed. This is the situation when you are applying for employment. The competition may be hundreds of other job applicants. What you are able to write about, emphasize positively about yourself, and highlights of past achievements or goals reached is what gets the attention of hiring managers. Anyone can do a job well … what have you, as an employee (current or past), done to show your employer you are a ‘better than the next guy’ asset or added value to the team?
If you are currently employed and competing, here’s what you do. Reflect on what ‘beyond the call of duty’ accomplishments you have performed in the last two years. How many dollars in additional contracts or revenue did your 60 hours a week for three months bring in? What new software program did you research and recommend that cut 35 hours off the payroll processing and monthly invoicing overhead costs? Did you direct a new training program that speed up the manufacturing process? Do you consistently bring in your projects before deadline, enabling a higher return on investment (ROI) for the department? How many new clients did you add to the company list in the past year or more? Now write those up using strong, action-oriented verbs in the beginning of the bullet, keeping it concise, and quote the related numbers and metrics.
Those are shining examples of showing (not just telling) what you achieved in your job. In turn, this will show what a positive influence you are on the company and it’s bottom line. These examples can be used in any internal job retention or a promotional opportunity. It should be the same process for writing your resume when searching for a new job or career opportunity. Examples of achievements won’t focus so much on the job description tasks and responsibilities, but rather on your achievements, versatility, and your capability – regardless of the job title or industry.
It’s great to have general job skills that support your job or the career position for which you are applying. Show you are capable of achieving many value added bullets via your resume indicates the type of positive, and strong, work values and ethics many employers are seeking today. Prove how versatile you can be by documenting achievements considered ‘outside the normal job task’ parameters. Volunteer or trade organization activities – including holding an office or performing in a position similar to your paid career posts – documents a commitment to a strong community influence (great for business development). It also demonstrates commitment and willingness to be a team player. Those should be listed to illustrate your broad interests, as well as versatility.
Regardless of your career stage, you should be revising and updating your resume every six months with relevant and key factors about how well you perform in your job. Keeping an active record of achievements also assists you in pointing out positive influences to your company for performance evaluation records, as well as keeping you fully prepared for finding that next career opportunity.

Dawn Boyer is the owner of D. Boyer Consulting – a career services coach, social media management, human resources and business development consultant. She can be reached at Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com or https://dboyerconsulting.com for resume writing services, career social media management, or LinkedIn training.



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