Concrete information goes a long way when you’re writing a resume.
That information comes in the form of metrics – the quantifying data and information that demonstrates your achievements to a hiring manager. With metrics, you’re not just telling the recruiter what you can do. You’re proving it with hard figures and facts that the recruiter can ask about when they check your references.
Yet, so many candidates fail to add metrics to their resumes, likely because they don’t understand their importance or they never considered the services of a professional resume writer. Don’t be one of those candidates. Read on to discover what metrics are in a resume and why it’s so critical that you incorporate them.
What Are Metrics?
A metric is any data point or clear measure that demonstrates the value you delivered in a previous role that you cite on your resume.
For instance, let’s say that you worked as a project manager in one of your previous roles. In your case, a metric would be anything related to productivity, project deadlines, or budget. Raising your team’s productivity by 20% is a hard metric that shows that your claims of driving efficiency aren’t just fluff to fill space. Demonstrating how you completed a project under budget by talking about how much money you saved with specific actions or decisions is also a metric.
Metrics are the concrete proof that you can do what you claim to be capable of doing. Think of them as context to your claims – the context that helps an employer see your worth.
What Are the Different Types of Metrics?
Though it’s easy – and not altogether wrong – to say any quantifiable number of data you can add to your resume is a metric, the term roughly divides into five categories.
1. Financial Figures
Any proof that you can make, or save, money for a business is a financial metric that a hiring manager wants to see. The example about bringing projects in under budget is a financial metric, assuming you can put a specific dollar figure to the achievement.
Another example relates to sales. If you’re a sales rep, being able to say something like “Closed 15 deals in the final quarter of 2023 that amounted to $55,000 in revenue” showcases your value.
2. People Metrics
These metrics apply to customer-facing and internal roles. For instance, an HR professional may be able to say that they resolved a certain percentage of disputes to the satisfaction of the employer and employee.
Alternatively, somebody working in a customer service role could talk about how they – or their department – achieved an X% customer satisfaction rate.
3. Performance Metrics
Did you have key performance indicators (KPIs) or targets that you needed to meet in a previous role? Those are performance metrics, and anything you can do to showcase how you reached or exceeded those metrics should go into your CV. For instance, the salesperson who made $55,000 in revenue in the previous example could also discuss how that achievement was a specific percentage above their target.
Other examples relate to time management, such as the project manager who delivered work X days or weeks ahead of schedule.
4. Marketing Metrics
Marketing is one of the easier jobs to quantify because so much of your work revolves around increasing numbers. The amount of leads you generated in your role is a great example, as are increases in website traffic and social media follows for somebody in the digital marketing sphere. If it’s a number that shows you’ve brought more eyes to a company, it’s a number that should be in your resume.
5. Product and Service Metrics
Did you take part in the launch of a new product or the improvement of an existing one? If so, you may have access to metrics that you can add to your resume. On the basic level, this could involve how many products you’ve launched in a specified time frame, such as “I helped launch six new products in three years.”
Another example may come from the feedback your company collected from customers following the launch. For instance, a web developer may be able to say that their redesign improved the user experience by X% based on customer feedback.
Why Do Metrics Matter?
The first reason why metrics matter has already been covered – they offer concrete proof of the value you delivered in previous roles. Hiring managers want to see those specifics to get a better idea of what you’ll bring to the role if they hire you.
However, there are several other reasons why metrics matter.
Metrics Show That You’re Results-Oriented
Hard skills are what 88% of hiring managers say they want to see on a resume, so any metrics that display that you can put those types of skills into practice are a must. With online marketing, for instance, you can back up the hard skills of SEO and social media management by pointing to traffic and engagement increases. Both show that you don’t just have the skills – you can get results with them, too.
Metrics Complement ATS Keywords
With 99% of Fortune 500 companies using ATS software, along with about 70% of large companies, you need to sprinkle keywords throughout your resume. Metrics help you to do that. For example, a job description for a software programmer that mentions the Python language means that “Python” should be mentioned in your resume.
However, adding to that Python mention by talking about specific accomplishments, such as writing a Python program that improved the efficiency of a large language model by X%, allows you to use metrics to add context to the keyword.
Metrics Make You More Credible
This reason is simple.
When it comes down to a choice between two candidates with similar skills, the one who uses metrics to showcase how those skills make money or create tangible improvement wins. That candidate is more credible, meaning they’re more likely to be hired.
More Metrics Equals More Interviews
By adding quantifiable data – be it percentages or financial numbers – you add context to a resume that would otherwise seem generic. That context is crucial to your success. Hiring managers want to see it because context separates you from the pack by showing how you use the skills you claim to have to accomplish tasks.
Don’t let your resume be metric-free. Expert Resume Pros can help you write a metric-enhanced resume that impresses hiring managers and lands you an interview.