Should You List Epic on Resume
In today's competitive job market, showcasing unique skills that set you apart from other candidates is essential. While the term "epic" might not be a common skill found on resumes, it could serve as an effective way to demonstrate exceptional abilities in certain contexts. However, its inclusion should be strategic and thoughtful, considering regional differences and industry standards.
In the United States, job seekers often emphasize tangible skills and experiences that are easily understood by hiring managers. In contrast, some international markets might welcome a more creative approach to resume building, where "epic" could fit in as a catchall term for extraordinary abilities.
Why to List Epic on Resume
- Demonstrates creativity: Showcasing an "epic" skill can help employers visualize your potential contributions beyond traditional job descriptions. It can set you apart from other candidates and encourage them to explore your unique qualities in depth during the interview process.
- Highlights exceptional abilities: If you have achieved something remarkable in your professional or personal life, listing it as an "epic" skill can help communicate its significance without explicitly saying so.
- Fills resume gaps: Including an "epic" skill can help fill potential gaps in your work history by providing context for unusual experiences or accomplishments.
Where to List Epic on Resume
- Summary/Profile: Highlighting "epic" skills here allows employers to quickly grasp your unique abilities and qualifications.
- Skills Section: If "epic" truly represents a distinct skill you possess, it should be included in this section alongside other relevant professional abilities.
- Projects/Achievements: Listing "epic" skills in this section can help emphasize the exceptional nature of your accomplishments and give hiring managers a better understanding of the impact you've made on past projects.
Examples of How to List Epic on Resume
Example 1: Project Management
Project Management - Epic Delivery
- Led a diverse team of 20+ members through a complex, time-sensitive project, delivering ahead of schedule and under budget while maintaining a collaborative and positive work environment.
In this example, the candidate showcases their exceptional project management abilities by labeling them as "epic." The bullet point emphasizes the candidate's unique achievements in project delivery while also highlighting their leadership and teamwork skills.
Example 2: Sales
Sales - Epic Closure Rates
- Consistently achieved top-tier performance by closing an average of 70% of prospects, exceeding sales targets and setting company records for exceptional closure rates.
In this example, the candidate demonstrates their outstanding sales abilities by labeling them as "epic." The bullet point focuses on a key performance indicator (KPI) to showcase their remarkable achievement in closing deals.
What to Avoid While Listing Epic on Resume
- Vague or subjective descriptions: Be specific about the "epic" skill you're showcasing, and avoid using overly generic terms that don't add value to your resume.
- Overuse of "epic": Using this term excessively can dilute its impact and make it seem like an empty marketing tactic rather than a genuine representation of your abilities.
- Misuse of terminology: Make sure you're accurately representing your skills by using "epic" only when they truly deserve that designation. If the skill is more common or easily attainable, use a more appropriate term.
How to List Business Development on Resume
Best Practices for Listing Business Development Subcategory
-
Highlight Achievements: Quantify your success in business development by highlighting key achievements such as increasing sales revenue, expanding market share, or negotiating strategic partnerships. For example:
- Developed and executed a strategic growth plan that increased sales revenue by 30% within the first year of implementation.
-
Use Action Verbs: Use strong action verbs to describe your roles and responsibilities in business development. Some examples include identified, negotiated, facilitated, strategized, and cultivated.
- Identified new market opportunities and successfully negotiated partnerships with key industry players, expanding the company's presence in the APAC region.
-
Focus on Results: Instead of listing your daily tasks, focus on the results you achieved from those tasks. This will help demonstrate your impact on the business.
- Facilitated training sessions for sales teams, resulting in a 20% increase in closing rates and a 15% boost in overall sales performance.
-
Tailor to the Company: Customize your business development section to match the company you're applying to. Research their goals, values, and strategies and demonstrate how your skills align with their vision.
- Demonstrated a deep understanding of Epic's expansion into the healthcare sector by identifying potential partnership opportunities with key industry players in this space.
-
Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords from the job description, such as 'business development,' 'strategy,' 'partnerships,' and 'growth,' to make your resume more discoverable by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
- Led a cross-functional team in developing and executing a growth strategy focused on expanding Epic's market share in the technology sector.
Example 1: Business Development on Epic Resume
Business Development Manager | Epic Health Solutions | [City, State] | [Start Date - End Date]
- Identified and cultivated partnership opportunities with key industry players to expand Epic's presence in the healthcare sector.
- Led a cross-functional team in developing and executing a growth strategy focused on expanding Epic's market share in the technology sector.
- Negotiated and closed strategic deals, contributing to an 18% increase in annual sales revenue.
Example 2: Business Development in Epic Context
Business Development Manager | Epic Health Solutions | [City, State] | [Start Date - End Date]
- Demonstrated a deep understanding of Epic's expansion into the healthcare sector by identifying potential partnership opportunities with key industry players in this space.
- Worked closely with the sales and marketing teams to develop targeted pitches for these partnership prospects.
- Successfully closed three strategic partnership deals, resulting in a 10% increase in market share within the healthcare sector.
How to List Technical Achievements on Resume
Best Practices for 'Technical Achievements' Subcategory:
-
Quantify Your Accomplishments: Always include numbers and metrics when describing your technical achievements. This helps to give context to the impact of your work. For example, "Reduced server downtime by 30% through implementation of a new monitoring system."
-
Focus on Results: Highlight the outcome or benefit that resulted from your technical achievement. Instead of stating what you did, explain how it improved efficiency, productivity, or solved a problem. For instance, "Developed and deployed a machine learning model to streamline data analysis processes, resulting in a 40% reduction in time spent on repetitive tasks."
-
Use Relevant Keywords: Incorporate industry-specific keywords that are relevant to the position you're applying for. This demonstrates your understanding of the role and increases the chances of your resume being noticed by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). For example, "Implemented DevOps practices within our software development lifecycle, leading to more efficient deployment and scalability."
-
Highlight Collaborative Efforts: If you've worked on a team or with other departments, emphasize the role your technical achievement played in achieving common goals. This shows employers that you are adaptable and can work effectively within a team environment. For example, "Collaborated with product management and design teams to develop a new feature for our mobile app, which resulted in a 20% increase in user engagement."
Example 1: Technical Achievements on Epic Resume
In the context of a software engineer applying for a role at an Epic Games, the Technical Achievements section might look like this:
- Optimized Game Performance: Developed and implemented algorithms to optimize game performance, resulting in a 20% reduction in CPU usage during peak load times.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Designed and coded a game engine feature that ensured compatibility with various platforms (iOS, Android, PC), expanding the potential user base and increasing revenue by 15%.
- Reduced Development Time: Implemented a new code generation tool that reduced development time by 40%, allowing for faster iteration on game design and features.
- Improved Game Stability: Fixed critical bugs in the game engine, enhancing overall stability and reducing crashes by 75%.
Example 2: Technical Achievements in Epic Context
For a technical artist applying for a role at Epic Games:
- Enhanced Visual Effects: Developed new visual effects for our game's character models, contributing to an increase in player engagement and positive feedback from the community.
- Improved Material Editor Efficiency: Collaborated with the engineering team to optimize the material editor, reducing load times by 50% during complex scene rendering.
- Innovative Texturing Approach: Introduced a novel texturing method that greatly reduced texture memory usage, enabling more detailed environments while maintaining optimal performance.
- Trained Junior Artists: Mentored and trained junior artists in the creation of high-quality game assets, ensuring the continued growth and development of our team's creative output.
How to List Team Leadership on Resume
Best Practices for Including 'Team Leadership' on Your Resume
-
Quantify Achievements: Highlight your team leadership skills by providing quantifiable results of the projects you managed or the teams you led. For example, "Led a cross-functional team of 7 engineers in the development and launch of a new feature, resulting in a 30% increase in user engagement."
-
Specify Your Role: Clearly define your role as a team leader. Provide context on the size of the team, project objectives, and any unique challenges encountered during the project. For example, "Managed a remote team of 15 designers for a high-profile client rebranding project, ensuring timely delivery and client satisfaction."
-
Use Active Verbs: Use action-oriented verbs that convey leadership and management skills, such as managed, led, coordinated, mentored, and motivated. This helps to emphasize your role and contributions within the team context. For example, "Coordinated and mentored a team of 4 data analysts in delivering accurate and timely reports, fostering a collaborative work environment."
-
Highlight Soft Skills: In addition to technical skills, demonstrate soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. For example, "Resolved interpersonal conflicts within the team, promoting open dialogue and maintaining a positive work environment that resulted in increased productivity."
-
Showcase Epic Results: If you have experience working with Epic software or other similar project management tools, make sure to highlight this. Emphasize how your use of these tools contributed to your team's success. For example, "Utilized Epic software to streamline project planning and tracking, reducing delays by 25% and increasing overall project efficiency."
Example 1: Team Leadership on Epic Resume
- Led a cross-functional team of 9 professionals in the development and launch of a new product on Epic software.
- Successfully managed timelines, resources, and risks to ensure on-time delivery.
- Implemented Agile methodologies to foster collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement within the team.
- Utilized Epic's reporting features to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions.
- Collaborated closely with stakeholders to gather requirements and ensure alignment between business needs and project deliverables.
Example 2: Team Leadership in Epic Context
- Managed a remote team of 6 developers in the implementation of a critical system upgrade on Epic software.
- Developed a comprehensive project plan, assigning tasks to team members based on their strengths and expertise.
- Employed effective communication strategies to keep the team engaged and motivated throughout the project.
- Leveraged Epic's issue tracking and resolution capabilities to swiftly address any technical challenges that arose during development.
- Conducted regular progress meetings and retrospectives to assess team performance, celebrate successes, and identify areas for improvement.
How to List Project Management on Resume
Listing your project management experience effectively on a resume is crucial in demonstrating your skills and capabilities to potential employers. Here are some best practices:
1. Quantify Achievements
Highlight the results of your project management efforts. Use metrics such as budget savings, time reduction, or team efficiency improvements to quantify your achievements. For example, "Reduced project timeline by 20% while maintaining a budget under $50,000."
- Reduced project timeline by 20% while maintaining a budget under $50,000
- Streamlined project workflows, improving team efficiency by 30%
- Successfully managed a portfolio of projects with combined budgets exceeding $150,000
2. Use Action Verbs
Utilize action verbs that convey leadership and management. Examples include manage, lead, coordinate, plan, and implement. These verbs help demonstrate your active role in project management.
- Managed a team of five while delivering projects on schedule
- Coordinated cross-functional teams to ensure seamless collaboration
- Planned and implemented project strategies for successful execution
3. Highlight Key Skills
Emphasize relevant skills such as risk management, problem-solving, decision-making, and communication. These skills are vital in project management and demonstrate your ability to handle complex situations effectively.
- Demonstrated strong risk management abilities by identifying potential issues early and devising mitigation strategies
- Exhibited effective problem-solving skills through careful analysis and timely decision-making
- Communicated project statuses clearly and effectively to stakeholders, ensuring alignment on objectives
4. Use Keywords Relevant to the Job Advertisement
If a job advertisement mentions specific tools or methodologies, ensure that you include these in your resume. For instance, if the job description mentions Epic as a project management tool, make sure to highlight any experience you have using it.
- Proficient in utilizing Epic for project management, including planning, tracking, and reporting
- Leveraged Agile methodologies to manage iterative and incremental software development projects
Example 1: Project Management on Epic Resume
In this example, a candidate who has managed projects using Epic wants to emphasize their experience with the tool in their resume.
Project Management (Epic)
- Managed a portfolio of 10+ projects within Epic, delivering on time and under budget
- Streamlined project workflows within Epic, improving efficiency by 25%
- Communicated project statuses clearly to stakeholders using Epic's reporting features
Example 2: Project Management in Epic Context
In this example, a candidate who has used Agile methodologies with Epic wants to highlight both their Agile and Epic experience.
Project Management (Agile, Epic)
- Led cross-functional teams using Agile methodologies to deliver software solutions on time
- Utilized Epic for project management, planning, tracking, and reporting within the Agile framework
- Adapted project strategies in response to changing priorities while maintaining a focus on delivering high-quality results
How to List Innovative Solutions on Resume
Best Practices
-
Highlight the Impact: Describe how your innovative solutions addressed a challenge or improved a process. Quantify the impact where possible, such as cost savings, increased efficiency, or enhanced user experience. For example:
- Implemented an AI-powered predictive maintenance system that reduced equipment downtime by 30%, resulting in a yearly savings of $500K.
-
Use Action Verbs: Begin each bullet point with action verbs like "Developed," "Designed," "Implemented," or "Initiated" to convey the active nature of your contributions. This helps to make your resume more dynamic and engaging. For example:
- Developed a novel data analytics platform, enabling real-time insights for decision making and improving operational efficiency by 25%.
-
Showcase Originality: Emphasize the uniqueness of your solutions. If you can demonstrate that your ideas were original or trailblazing in some way, this will catch the hiring manager's attention. For example:
- Designed a proprietary machine learning model that automated routine tasks, reducing manual labor by 80% and earning recognition as an industry-leading innovation.
-
Incorporate Keywords: Include relevant keywords from the job description to demonstrate your understanding of the role and industry. Using keywords like "innovative solutions," "epic," or "technology" can help optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS) and increase visibility. For example:
- Incorporated cutting-edge AI technologies into project deliverables, positioning the company as an industry leader in leveraging epic solutions for digital transformation.
-
Showcase Collaboration: If you worked with others to develop your innovative solutions, make sure to highlight this collaboration. This demonstrates that you can work effectively within a team and have a strong communication skillset. For example:
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design and deploy a successful proof-of-concept for an IoT-based smart city platform, leading to the subsequent launch of a pilot project.
Example 1: Innovative Solutions on Epic Resume
In the context of a software development role at Epic Games:
- Developed and deployed a real-time analytics dashboard using Unreal Engine for monitoring game performance, leading to a 20% improvement in player satisfaction.
Example 2: Innovative Solutions in Epic Context
In the context of a data scientist role at Epic Games:
- Collaborated with developers and designers to create an AI-powered system for dynamically adapting game difficulty based on individual player skill levels, resulting in more engaging and immersive gaming experiences.