The Resume Super Power: Highlight Your Achievements, Not Your Experiences

Ever wondered why you're not getting the job interviews you deserve? Despite having years of experience and numerous skills? The error might lie in the structure of your resume itself.

Many candidates still focus on their years of experience and roles, but in the tech industry, that's not what counts anymore. While these are still attributes that are valued, the priorities have shifted.

With the increase in complexity and technology the tech industry values innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills that lead to real results.

If we want to get you into the big leagues, we need to shift focus from your years of experience to your achievements. Prepare to transform your resume into a magnet for high-profile interviews.

In today's society, there's a misconception that work experience directly equates to value. "But I'm woking in this industry since many years!" is something that we hear very often, when we don't understand why we are not getting the job. While it's essential not to underestimate the value of practical experience, it's a misconception to believe that years of experience alone make a compelling argument.

We've moved from industrial repetition and consitency to a world driven by creativity and knowledge. The outdated principle of "time equals value" simply doesn't apply here anymore.

Nowadays, 18-year-old software developers land jobs at Google, outpacing the earnings of "ordinary" employees with 30 years of experience.

It's not about your time spent doing something, it's about the value you've delivered during that time.

Your key to standing out in the tech industry lies in your achievements. These are the times you’ve delivered value far beyond what your job description laid out. Showcasing your achievements doesn't mean bragging – it's about focusing on your impact and how your work has positively affected your company, clients, or the industry.

Here's a traditional resume excerpt from a Product Owner, focusing solely on the duration of his role and related activities. While it's not inherently bad, it's quite generic and lacks specific details.

What were the objectives, what challenges arose, and what were the accomplishments? This excerpt doesn't offer much insight into these critical aspects.

How to improve that? Here are the 3 steps:

1. For each role you've had, add a line that starts with "Achievement:"

2. Now ask yourself: What was the goal of our team/department? And what was the result of my work? How did my work improve the company, the clients, or the industry?

3. Write a concise sentence that highlights this achievement, in a way that a non-expert person would understand it

Here is the result:

In this example the goal description sets the stage, providing quick context for outsiders. Adding than the responsibilities to get an understanding how your work contributed to this goal.

Achievements, then, illustrate the impact of your efforts. A good practice is to start them with "increased", "enhanced", "improved" or "decreased", illustrating the positive improvements of your work. People who are familiar with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) will recognize this approach. Also an achievement doesn't necessarily has to be monetary. Any improvement that benefits your external and internal customers is an achievement.

As a whole, the second practical example is a bliss for anyone looking to hire you. It demonstrates the candidate's value-driven mindset and problem-solving skills.

By writing in a concise, non-expert language, you make it easier for cross-functional roles in the hiring process to recognize your value. You'd be surprised how many potential superstars miss out on job interviews, because the HR person who did the pre-selection didn't understand their value or lost patience going through lenghty explanations.

Moreover, you've already answered the challenging questions you'll face during your interview. Now, all that's left is to sit back, relax, and wait for the call from an excited recruiter to schedule an interview with you.

1. Shift your mindset: Start valuing your achievements over your experience

2. Showcase your achievements: Add "Achievements:" to relevant roles on your resume

3. Become the candidate companies can't wait to hire.

Remember, it's not about how long you've been around, but about what you've achieved in that time.

I wish you good luck. -Not that you would need it.