When I review resumes, one of the most common problems I see is bullets that simply say: “I did my job.”
On the surface, that seems fine. After all, you want to show you can do the role. But here’s the problem: every other qualified candidate can say the same thing. And if they’ve updated their resume to show impact, while yours just lists duties, you’re instantly at a disadvantage.
This came up in a recent coaching call with “Jakub Singh” (not their real name).
From Benefits to Impact
Jakub’s first reaction was fascinating. He said:
“For the past two and a half years as a product leader I’ve been pushing other product managers not to talk about features, but talk about benefits. That’s exactly what you’re doing to me and I am loving it!”
He was right — but with a twist.
Yes, moving from features → benefits is progress. But on a resume, benefits aren’t enough. You have to go further: show the impact.
An accomplishment is a benefit. But what hiring managers care about is the difference your work made:
- Did you help your company regain lost market share?
- Did you beat a competitor?
- Did you stop revenue from sliding and turn it into growth?
That’s the kind of story that makes you stand out.
Why Product Managers Have an Edge
This is especially true for product managers. Our work almost always involves situations that are far from business-as-usual:
- Markets in flux.
- Competitors pressing in.
- Customers leaving.
- Teams struggling.
And yet, product managers step in and drive change. Those stories of turning things around — of creating real, measurable impact — are gold.
Yet they rarely show up on resumes. Which is tragic, because that’s exactly what hiring managers want to find.
The Aha Moment
By the end of the session, Jakub got it. He said:
“I’ve seen the magic. This has been great. It’s really insightful and I can’t thank you enough.”
That’s the shift: from “I did my job” to “Here’s how my work made a difference.”
And that’s the kind of resume that wins in a competitive field.
What to Do Next
- Pull up your resume. Do your bullets read like job duties, benefits, or impacts?
- Rewrite one bullet to show the difference your work made — not just what you did.
- Ask yourself: Would this story make a hiring manager think, “I want to know more about that”?
That’s how you stop looking like “one of many” and start looking like the candidate they can’t ignore.