Take your hourly resume from basic to brilliant

When creating a resume or an online profile, any work history is better than no work history, even when applying to hourly jobs. You can take that boring summer of folding shirts and turn it into a great addition to your resume. 

To really make your application stand out, take your resume from basic to brilliant with this trick: go beyond simply listing out your responsibilities by describing what you accomplished for the business using your skills. 

It sounds complicated, but it’s not! Here are some ideas for different types of jobs to get you started. 

Job example: Retail sales associate

A basic resume says: 

• Ringing up customers

• Cleaning and organizing the stockroom

• Restocking the children's shoe department

A brilliant resume says: 

• Achieved top customer satisfaction scores working register by providing efficient, helpful, and friendly customer service

• Saved 3 hours of employee time each week by improving stockroom tracking procedures

• Increased sales in children’s shoe department by keeping sales floor well-stocked

Why it works: By showing how using your skills for each task helped the business make or save money, you’re telling future employers that you’re a great candidate because you’ll be a top performer on the job.

Job example: Fast food worker

A basic resume says: 

• Prepared food

• Kept dining area clean 

• Took food orders and payments from customers

A brilliant resume says: 

• Prepared food to maintain quality and efficiency standards

• Ensured a clean and welcoming dining environment for guests

• Efficiently handled customer interactions, leading to an improvement in our average customer satisfaction ratings. 

Why it works: Fast food restaurants succeed by delivering their customers consistent, predictable, and efficient experiences. By highlighting your attention to the reasons why your tasks were important (meeting customers’ expectations about food, cleanliness, and speed), you show a prospective employer that hiring you will help their business succeed. 

Job example: Warehouse associate

A basic resume says: 

• Picking and packing orders for shipping

• Record keeping

• Maintaining a clean work area

A brilliant resume says: 

• Quickly assembling and filling large and small orders to be shipped to customers; picked all orders with 100% accuracy despite high speeds. 

• Maintained a speed average in top 5% of all pickers.

• Used delivery sequencing software proficiently to efficiently assemble orders and keep accurate records and reports, averaging 99.5% error-free rate.

• Maintained a clean work area, meeting 98% of inspection requirements. 

Why it works: Warehouse operations run on numbers and statistics about efficiency and accuracy. Show you understand not just the tasks but the importance of hitting your numbers. Now you’re telling future employers that you’re a high-performing no-drama llama.

Job example: Restaurant server (waiter / waitress)

A basic resume says: 

• Took guest orders

• Entered orders into POS

• Delivered food from kitchen to table

• Accepted payments

A brilliant resume says: 

• Took guest orders while increasing guest check averages by promoting appetizers and specialty selections

• Adeptly used POS system to convey order information and coordinate kitchen-service flow of orders

• Monitored guest satisfaction throughout visit and delivered food and drinks to table

• Processed guest payments accurately and quickly to provide a high level of customer service.

Why it works: Restaurants with table service thrive not only on repeat business, but also on encouraging guests to cheerfully spend more. By highlighting how the tasks you performed promoted higher sales, greater guest satisfaction, and minimal drama, you make yourself a more attractive candidate. 

Job example: Cashier

A basic resume says: 

• Rang up purchases and counted cash drawer at start and end each shift

• Answered customer questions

A brilliant resume says: 

• Rang up purchases and counted cash drawer at start and end of each shift quickly and accurately, resolving discrepancies and reducing losses

• Increased customer satisfaction scores and performance to sales goals by providing excellent customer assistance locating items, completing purchases, and signing up for loyalty programs.

Why it works: If you’ve been a cashier, you know your boss didn’t just care that you rang up purchases – they cared that your numbers were right at the end of the shift and all the expected payments were accounted for, so it’s important to show that you met or exceeded those critical needs. And when it comes to the customer service part of the job, cashiers are often the public face of the store as a whole, so by fleshing out your performance in terms of making customers happy to come back again you show that you’d be the best hire for the job.

In summary

Don't stop here—apply these strategies to all your job applications and watch the opportunities roll in. Don't overthink anything, and don't let worrying about the 'perfect' resume stop you from taking action. It's better to apply with a simple resume than miss your chance, but these strategies can certainly help you stand out from the crowd.

Your perfect job is just a few clicks away, waiting for your unique blend of skills and dedication. Happy job hunting!