KPIs (key performance indicators) are excellent for showcasing your expertise. However, deciding which KPIs to include on your resume can be challenging. You might need to choose between your impressive sales track record, the number of leads you converted, and the retention rates you maximized.
Consider the big-picture impact, such as the bold financial opportunity you suggested that doubled annual cash flow. Selecting the right KPIs isn't a simple "this or that" decision. The KPIs you choose should create a data-led narrative of your past achievements.
Focusing on these success metrics, find out:
KPIs are metrics (e.g. customer engagement, ROI, etc.) that show your professional growth. Imagine them as the North Star that shines a light on how you achieve strategic goals.
Resume KPIs aren't just about boasting your "numbers"—they hint to recruiters how you define success and your ability to turn ideas into tangible outcomes, as well as pointing out what the value of working with you would be.
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Privacy guaranteedOne golden rule that differentiates good from bad KPIs is the way you quantify your success. Bad KPIs have no context—they are a long and endless list of responsibilities: I did this, and this, and that…
Good resume KPIs, on the other hand, quantify how you performed by using specific numbers and statistics, when possible.
Experience Sales Consultant DreamSails 02/2022 - 11/2024 New York, NY Finding new customers every month. Sold products. Retained customers. Worked in a team. WRONGThe sales consultant listed just a couple of responsibilities and outcomes of her role. There are no specifics as to what was actually achieved, the skills that were used, or how her efforts affected the company.
Instead of creating a similar, vague listing in your resume experience section, here’s what you should do.
Experience Sales Consultant DreamSails 02/2022 - 11/2024 New York, NY Growing the customer base by +5K or 45% per month via cold calls. Used email marketing to sell +25K units of the company's latest B2C software.Implemented strategy to improve customer care and retained 25 current customers in the first six months.
Helped 12 junior consultants improve their performance with one-on-one consultations, exceeding Q2 Sales Targets by 130%.
RIGHTNotice how the sales consultant has added a specific skill and KPI to each bullet? Thus, she has painted the full picture of her experience and capabilities, highlighting the best results of her work.
As you may know, recruiters will be scanning your resume, spending up to seven seconds to assess if you’re a good fit. These seconds are what makes the difference between the "Invite for an Interview" and "Rejected" piles.
How do you ensure that your KPIs always shine a light on your value as a professional?
Tailor your performance metrics to:
Choose your resume KPIs, based on how closely they're related to the job you're applying for. The more relevant the accomplishment, the closer to the top of your resume it should be.
Numbers play a deep psychological role on any reader. Think back to the last book or document you dove into. On the first read, what popped out more: the numbers or the words?
Quantify your KPIs to tell your professional story with data, like percentages, numbers, amount of sales, etc. Of course, if you don't have exact metrics, think about how you brought value to your role. We'll get more into this in the next section of this guide.
Businesses thrive on data and so numbers are the way forward if you want to add credibility to your experience. Use your performance metrics to paint the full landscape of your impact and your performance.
What is more, ensure your numbers are actually believable. It could be hard to convince someone that a junior sales representative could be responsible for a "500% increase in annual profit margins". Not impossible, but definitely sounds far-fetched.
Instead of cherry-picking the achievements you want to brag about, remember that tangible KPIs prove your skills. Select numbers that show you know how to lead, communicate, work with specific software, etc.
Recruiters would much rather receive a notion of your unique expertise and strengths than an endless list of “I did this and that…”
As a hiring manager, I like to see accomplishments that's unique to you because it helps me gauge your impact/responsibility and is a good starting point for a discussion.
DrDrCr, Hiring manager & Reddit user
Now that we've covered the basics of good KPIs, how do you include them on your resume?
First, you need to be clear about the metrics that would be impressive to recruiters. Select the ones that align with the job requirements and your work history.
Here are a few common scenarios, where you have:
Use non-confidential reports, analyses, surveys, feedback, or testimonials to calculate your KPIs. There are also plenty of online tools and formulas (e.g. to find % of click-through rates) to help you out.
Align job requirements to your current achievements. Present numbers, whenever possible, to define your outcomes and success.
While numbers are important KPIs, you have other worthwhile (and impressive) achievements, like how the project, team, and organization benefited from your work.
Illustrate your impact by:
Here are a few more tips and tricks you need to keep at hand:
