If you're aiming to land more job interviews, one of the quickest ways to stand out is to swap vague, abstract statements for specific, numbers-based anecdotes. It’s a simple trick, but it works wonders in catching the attention of hiring managers.

But here’s the big question: What if you don’t know the exact numbers?

Let’s say you worked as a sales clerk. You probably didn’t track how many customers you served each day or how much money you brought in through upselling. Most people don’t keep tabs on these things!

However, if you can turn “responsible for serving customers” into something like “served 36,000 customers over five years and upsold $72,000 worth of products,” you’ve immediately grabbed the hiring manager’s attention. It adds credibility and a sense of achievement that the vague description just doesn’t deliver.

How do you estimate numbers when you don’t know them?

Here’s where a little educated guesswork comes in, and that’s totally okay—as long as you do it in good faith.

Let’s take our fictional sales clerk, Sarah. She worked at a retail outlet for three years. She estimates that she served about 50 customers a day, five days a week, for around 48 weeks a year. That works out to about 36,000 customers. For upsells, she estimates she brought in an extra $2 per customer on average. That comes out to $72,000 over the course of her time there.

These numbers are “guesstimated,” but they feel reasonable and accurate based on Sarah’s experience. And here’s the thing: recruiters and hiring managers aren’t going to check your math. They’re not going to ask for proof. As long as the numbers make sense and aren’t wildly exaggerated, they’ll trust your estimates.

Why numbers matter on your resume

Numbers give hiring managers something tangible to latch onto. They provide a concrete sense of your contributions and make you stand out from other candidates. Plus, putting numbers to your accomplishments makes them more memorable.

For example, which statement stands out more?

• “Managed company social media accounts.”

OR

• “Grew social media following by 35% in six months, leading to a 15% increase in website traffic.”

See the difference? The second one gives a much clearer picture of the impact you had.

How to start “guesstimating” your accomplishments

Grab a cup of coffee, sit down, and take a trip down memory lane. Think back to your past jobs and try to assign numbers to the work you did. Here are some tips to guide you:

1. Customers Served: If you worked in customer service or retail, think about how many customers you typically interacted with in a day or week. Multiply that by the length of time you worked there.
2. Revenue Generated: If your role involved sales, estimate the average sale or upsell value and multiply it by the number of transactions you handled.
3. Projects Completed: If you managed or contributed to projects, try to recall how many you worked on over a specific time period.
4. Team Impact: If you led or worked with a team, think about how many people were involved and what your role contributed to team success.
5. Time Savings or Efficiency: Did you implement any changes that saved time or improved processes? Estimate the percentage of improvement and what that meant for the team.

Bonus Tip: Use percentages or ranges when exact numbers are tricky

If coming up with an exact number feels impossible, don’t sweat it. Use percentages or ranges to give an approximation. For example:

• “Increased efficiency by approximately 15% by streamlining workflow processes.”
• “Helped onboard 10-15 new clients per month.”

Why this matters

The truth is, if you don’t add numbers to your accomplishments, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. Your resume will blend in with the rest, and hiring managers won’t have a clear sense of what you’re capable of. But when you quantify your experience—even with educated guesses—you make your contributions stand out and give yourself a much better shot at landing an interview.

So, the next time you’re updating your resume, take a few extra minutes to add some numbers. It might just make all the difference!