Do I list successes in the cover letter or my resume?
by Rob
(Madison, WI USA)
Cover letters introduce resumes. In each of my last 3 jobs I've had many important responsibilities (6-10 per job). I've also had many successes, for example, "Freshman application volume rose 53%", "International student applications increased 95%", "Average SAT scores rose 20 points". (I'm in college admissions).
I think I list the responsibilities in the resume under each job, but where do I list the successes (8-10 total, mostly in my middle job)? In the cover letter to "grab" the reader, or in the resume to tie the successes to responsibilities?
Thank you for providing this important service.
ANSWER: Great question, Rob! Actually, it's not all that effective to list responsibilities in the resume. Much more effective is to list the types of things you describe above as successes. So definitely include them on the resume. BUT... you may also want to call attention to a couple of them as "highlights of your career" in the cover letter.