When you’re looking for new IT contracting jobs or any other kind of position that could take your career to the next level, having a stellar resume is a must. Often, an achievement-oriented resume is an ideal approach. By focusing on accomplishments, you aren’t just telling the hiring manager that you have the right skills; you’re showing them through enticing examples.

Many professionals struggle with creating achievement-oriented resumes. However, by looking at your career challenges, you can identify accomplishments worth discussing. If you aren’t sure how to turn your career challenges into resume achievements, here are some tips that can help.

Outline Your Career Challenges

As you prepare to update your resume, spend some time reflecting on any notable career challenges you faced in the positions you’re going to feature. Identify the core problem as a starting point. Next, consider the steps you took to reach a resolution, focusing on the skills you used along the way. Then, determine what the solution was and the overall outcome.

By using that approach, you create a narrative. It makes your achievements a story, allowing you to create a more engaging resume.

Use the Right Writing Approach

When you’re adding an achievement to your resume, embrace brevity. By using concise, punchy statements, you make your application more compelling. Plus, you don’t waste any space, allowing you to fit more accomplishments onto your resume.

In most cases, you want to limit yourself to just two lines per achievement. It’s also wise to start with your result, ensuring your accomplishment is the leading point.

When you discuss how you solved the problem, mention skills you used along the way, ideally, you want to make any skill listed in the job ad as a must-have a priority. Additionally, use the same spelling or phrasing that you saw in the vacancy announcement. That way, you increase your odds of looking like a strong match to both the hiring manager and any automated screening solutions the company might use.

As you write, don’t use “I” statements. Additionally, favor action verbs as you outline your accomplishments. Action verbs are far more impactful, giving your resume some extra oomph.

Quantify the Details

When discussing your achievements on a resume, quantifying the details is crucial. Numbers give the hiring manager critical context about your accomplishments, allowing them to understand the magnitude of what you achieved with greater ease.

Additionally, numbers stand out visually on a resume. By using them regularly, you’re drawing the hiring manager’s eye to more portions of your application, increasing the odds that the entire document will get more attention than a quick skim.

Ultimately, whether you’re searching for IT contracting jobs or any other type of opportunity, focusing on achievements when you write your resume is essential. It’s far more compelling than listing your duties. Plus, it helps the hiring manager see the value you bring to the table, increasing the odds that you’ll get called in for an interview.

Apply to Your Next IT Contracting Position Today

If you’d like to get some help in your job search, the team at Alpha Consulting wants to hear from you. Contact us today.