CMS Career Blog

Here are my suggestions for reviewing 2007 in order to find a better, higher paying, more excellent job in 2008.

•  Go through your calendar and list successes you have had this past year -  YOU get to define success.  Did you hit a personal sales high? Re-organize a process?  Write a training manual? Help increase company profitability?
• List personal success as well — did you organize a trip to Europe? Increase your credit score by 100 points? Complete a major home improvement project?
• Don’t forget volunteer activities — professional organizations, faith community, service organization. . .
• Quantify your successes — Numbers are the language of business.  To catch the eye of upper level (i.e. hiring_ managers) you need to show numbers.  How many?  How much?  How quickly?  How often?
• Use % sparingly — real numbers count.  Percentages can be misleading!
• Write a brief narrative of each success including — a) did what?, b) for whom?, c) resulting in . . .
• Pick the top one or two success narratives that fit your career objective and work them into your resume. 
• Get help if you need it — ask a friend to proofread, contact your career coach, ask a recruiter to check it over.

These are simple tips — but doing this at least once a year will give you a leg up for when it comes time to find a new job, get a promotion, or ask for a raise!