Add numbers to your resume lines: a simple three-step method

Step 1. Write what you did

Start with an action word and the work itself. 'Handled customer calls' becomes 'Resolved customer complaints by phone and email'.

Step 2. Find the measure

Ask yourself how the work could be counted: how many, how often, how fast, how much money, how many people. Look at old reports, emails or targets you were given. If you do not know an exact figure, a fair range that you can explain is better than a guess.

Step 3. Add what changed

Connect the work to a result: 'Resolved about 40 complaints a week and brought the average reply time from two days to one'. Use only numbers you can stand behind in an interview.

A few before and after examples

• Before: Managed social media. After: Posted three times a week on Instagram and grew followers from 800 to 1,500 in six months.
• Before: Helped with sales. After: Followed up 25 leads a week and closed 6 new accounts in one quarter.
• Before: Prepared reports. After: Built the weekly sales report in Excel, cutting preparation time from three hours to one.

If you do not have numbers

Say what the work covered: the size of the team, the number of clients, the tools you used or how long the project ran. A line with some detail is still more useful than a bare duty.