Highlighting the right numbers on your resume

Numbers on a resume illustrate your claims. To get recruiters' attention, use real, eloquent, and positive numbers, chosen carefully for the job. Forget the inflated, confidential, or irrelevant ones.
When discussing numbers on a resume, the example of sales resumes immediately comes to mind. It's normal; "a salesperson is there to generate numbers; in addition to their turnover, a recruiter expects them to differentiate between recurring and new business to quickly position them as a cultivator or hunter," says Samuel Lachaud, recruitment consultant at Rhésolution. However, it quickly becomes clear that, from supply chain to human resources, including management control and marketing, all profiles can talk numbers.

1-Real numbers
Resume numbers illustrate your claims. They show your results, the scope of your work...They push you towards precision, a precision that reassures the recruiter. In theory. And only if the numbers are real. Let's remind those who like euphemisms that inflating, exaggerating, amplifying, padding, and doctoring have a synonym in recruitment: lying. Feel free to sabotage your application—many of you practice this sport—we will continue to remind you that once a recruiter's trust is lost, your reputation is made in a small world where everything is known.

2-Numbers that highlight your value
Real numbers, yes, but ones that highlight your value. You may not have reached your objectives for various reasons, including some circumstantial ones? The numbers you're thinking of are double-edged? Leave them out.

3-Numbers relevant to the job
A number must be a reference for the reader; it must speak. "A salesperson who indicates the company's overall turnover must specify the percentage they developed themselves," specifies Samuel Lachaud. Are you a buyer? It's the purchasing volume that will interest the recruiter. While a community manager should mention the size of their community on different social networks and the frequency of their posts, a recruitment manager can specify the conversion rate (number of recruited candidates compared to the number of candidates received for interviews). Digital marketing roles will be well-advised to mention KPIs (key performance indicators: volume per website, number of page views, etc.). Providing context avoids a pitfall: an overload of numbers. By choosing them judiciously, you also demonstrate your analytical skills.

4-Numbers that position your employer
When working in a well-known company, indicating its size and turnover is unimportant. However, when your former or current employer's name is not well-known, it's useful to mention them to position it.

5-Beware of confidential data
Some fields readily cultivate secrecy, particularly IT and defense. While IT professionals often specify the version number of an operating system, they don't mention the size of the company's IT infrastructure, for example. "The issue of confidentiality is present in many roles; therefore, use discernment in choosing the numerical information you include in your resume," concludes Samuel Lachaud.

Sophie Girardeau.

Monster.fr