An impact statement communicates the strategic value and significance your work had in a
given role. It tells the story not just of what you did, but why it mattered. Impact statements
can be used in cover letters, resumes and professional profiles to help define what you
bring to a role.
How to write an impact statement?
An impact statement consists of 3 components:
Your skill or capability - state the skill or capability you want to write about
The impact - briefly describe the impact your skill or capability had
Quantification - quantify the result of your impact
Quantification is important, and should be included wherever possible! Human brains love numbers - we take them seriously. Even a number that doesn’t seem important to you can make a statement feel more impressive to the reader. For example, “presented over 10 Ames to audiences of 50-100 people last quarter” feels more impressive to a reader than “presented frequently to large audiences”.
Note that impact statements look a little bit different for chronological and skills-based resumes, so be sure to know what you’ll be writing your impact statements for. Once you’ve decided which one is right for you, apply those impact statements across your professional profile, resume and cover letters.
Chronological impact statement examples
If you’re highlighting your impact for a chronological resume, lead with your role, then describe what you did and the results it produced.
General Statements |
| Impact Statements |
As a business associate, I developed and | As an effective business associate, I developed | |
As a sales manager, I led a team and increased | As an experienced sales manager, I motivated a diverse team through positive reinforcement and ongoing communication/feedback to increase our quarter-over-quarter sales results by 150%. |
Skills-based impact statement examples
If you’re highlighting your impact in a skills-based resume, lead with a verb, and then what skills you used, followed by the associated results. Be sure to leverage both paid and unpaid work along with academic or life experience.
General Statements |
| Impact Statements |
Volunteered on the Silent Auction committee for a local fundraiser, and gathered donations to raise money. | Led the Silent Auction committee for a local | |
Developed a social media strategy as coursework and received top marks. | Created and presented a social media strategy to a large company as part of my university |
Using your impact statements
Don’t forget to take time to review your statement and proofread it. Ask yourself:
Does it accurately represent my achievement?
Did I quantify my impact?
Did I spell all the words correctly?
Now that you have successfully learned how to create impact statements, add your statements to written pieces, such as your professional profile, resumes and cover letters. Good luck!
Interested in learning more? Check out our blog on 10KC.com