What To Put Under Accomplishments On A Resume

When Duties Arent Achievements

Remember not to confuse duties or responsibilities with achievements. Your key skills have enabled you to secure a previous role at a certain level of responsibility, but you need to talk about the impact you made in that role.

Here are some examples of how duties might be written in a CV:

• Managed the Customer Relationship Management system.

• Organised the monthly email newsletter that was sent out to clients.

Here are examples of how you might write achievements based around those duties:

• Improved CRM accuracy by 34% by implementing a weekly clear up session involving all staff.

• Increased open rate of the monthly email newsletter by 78%.

How To Track Your Achievements

If you track your achievements on a regular basis, your future self will thank you. You never know what opportunity could be around the corner, so rather than throwing together a last-minute list , it’s better to maintain an ongoing record. That way, you’ll be prepared to apply and avoid the small things that could stop you from getting a promotion, and instead be able to find a new role or negotiate your salary at a performance review.

Tracking your achievements need not be difficult in fact, it can be as simple as recording your details in a work diary. The more creative or technically proficient among you may prefer to build an online portfolio.

We also recommend keeping a record on a master copy of your CV. It doesn’t need to be perfect or pretty, as long as the key information is on there including dates. Then, when you’re ready to take your next step, you’ll simply need to copy the relevant details onto your tailored CV. LinkedIn serves equally well, with the advantage of having your successes immediately visible to your network. You may even find that your newly updated profile leads to job offers before you’ve even started applying!

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Writing An Effective Accomplishment Statement

By India Purnell, Faculty Assoc., School Of Social Work

No matter what experience you have, well written accomplishment statements are key to every successful resume. What may seem at first an inconsequential task, can into a true highlight of skills to prospective internships and employers.

Accomplishment statements communicate that you have achieved results and that you have developed transferable skills and professional competencies necessary to be career and internship ready. Accomplishment statements should be composed of the following: action verb, project, positive outcome.

Three quick tips:

For more examples and information on crafting successful accomplishment statements please follow the links below for additional resources.

Why Should I Place Accomplishments On My Resume

Accomplishments on a resume serve as an indicator to an employer that you have a particularly strong work ethic or skillset.

Including your achievements on a resume is key to showcasing your strengths and talents while also improving your likelihood of landing the job you are applying for.

There are two main ways to place accomplishments on your resume:

Including accomplishments in not one, but both of these sections on a resume can help to accentuate your skills in a way that will stand out to potential employers.

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Examples Of Accomplishments To Put On A Resume: By Industry

Here are some industry-specific examples of achievements which you can use to give you ideas and to help you write an accomplishment-based resume.

Balanced an annual budget of over $600,000

Saved the company 7% over a 5-year period

Responded to over 30 emails a day and resolved customers problems

Designed email templates, which were used throughout the department

Operated a cash register and handled over $10,000 a week

Assisted 20 customers a day, making tailored recommendations

Saved the company $10,000 by implementing efficiency software

Reduced the hours lost through IT problems by 8%

Provided high-quality care to over 20 patients daily

Mentored and led a team of 12 newly-qualified nurses

Top salesperson in the team for 3 years running

Boosted sales by over 25% in 2016

What Are Technical Or Hard Skills On Your Resume

When listing hard skills on your resume, include specific proficiencies and certifications. Front-end web developers, for instance, would report their level of expertise in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and other technologies the company lists in its job posting. A financial controller, meanwhile, might claim a strong foundation in GAAP or SEC reporting, and an administrative professionals resume skills could advertise a CAP or MOS certification.

Here are some hard resume skills for 15 in-demand fields:

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How To Write Achievements In Your Cv

When writing your CV you need to cover your basic job responsibilities but without just mentioning the routine. Keep your duty summaries concise and try to concentrate on the results that came out of your everyday work. So, highlight your achievements, not your duties

Achievements are things you did that had a lasting impact for your company or client. It is a result that you personally bring about while fulfilling a particular role. Typically they are things that you created, built, designed, sold or initiated. It is not the same as responsibilities that come under a job description, as these remain fixed no matter who is employed in the post. An achievement is unique to your experience and tells the employer that you can deliver. So, keep your duty summaries concise, and focus instead on unique accomplishments.

Many people are uncertain how to express their achievements vs. responsibilities. This is because many responsibilities can often seem to be achievements and most achievements can appear to be responsibilities. To avoid any confusion, you must focus on determining which of the experiences that you have gained through the workforce can be classified as achievements and which ones can be classified as responsibilities.

How To Write Your Personal Achievements In Your Cv

Step 1: Decide on the format

There are two popular formats in which applicants write their achievements:

1. Include it in a separate Achievements section

This is the most common way of presenting your attainments and accomplishments on your CV.

Benefits:

• It stands out due to its prominent position.
• It acts as a quick list of your personal selling points.
• It encourages the prospective employer to read your CV in more detail.

We generally recommend following this format.

Your achievements section should be located just before the education section and just after the personal profile statement. Check out CV format and layouts for more information.

2. Include it across different parts of the CV.

In this format, applicants do not have a separate section but mention their accomplishments in the other various sections of their CVs.

For example, educational accomplishments would be added in the education section professional accomplishments would be added in the employment section, etc. This makes it easier for the employer to quickly identify the area in which this achievement is relevant

Which format should you choose? Both are effective, so its up to you!

Step 2: Make a list of your achievements

The time has come to make a list of your achievements in life, education and employment. Think back on some important moments of your life and find instances which made you proud and happy about your performance.

When listing down your attainments, bear in mind the following:

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+ Resume Accomplishment Examples & Ideas To Boost Your Resume

If you need to know how to add more resume accomplishments, youre in the right place.

In this article, well show you how to identify and optimize your top career successes.

Also included are 20+ resume accomplishment examples that youll find at the bottom of this article.

So, why are accomplishments so important?

Theyre important because they are the key notables that set you apart.

Its one thing to claim you can do something.

Its better to show how well youve done it .

This is a key reason for including accomplishments within your resume.

Hiring companies want professionals who can improve the business/department/team.

Resume accomplishments focus on core areas, such as:

• Sales & Revenue Increases
• Cost & Overhead Elimination
• Staff Transformations

Here are several examples of fill in the blank accomplishments that you can use to identify accomplishments for your resume:

• Introduced ___ system, which reduced invoice errors by ___%.
• Cut costs by ___% by doing ___ and ___.
• Increased revenue by $___ after implementing ___.
• Built a recession-proof client portfolio by doing ___.
• Received ___ award for ___.
• Achieved ___ in annuity donations in just 6 months first in non-profit history.

Accomplishment Examples For Resumes

Take a look at how to use achievements and accomplishments for seasoned job seekers. For applicants with experience, recruiters want to see measurable results. Now that you know where to place those, lets see how that translates into some examples.The below could go under a specific employer as part of your work history. That looks as follows:

• Maintained a customer satisfaction rating of 95% for the past two years, which led to a promotion.
• In 2019, averaged 35% for bringing in new accounts, beating the department average of 15%.

If you cannot quantify, you still have ways to demonstrate skills rather than just listing job duties. Samples include:

• Designed a new training program from scratch.
• Trained 25 staff members on a new CRM system.

Now, examine why those examples work:

• The first one shows the applicant had no help. This speaking to skills and the ability to perform the job.
• In the second example, the applicant quantified the number of people trained. However, in the second one, when taking a closer look, the candidate could take it a step further.

The more-quantified version becomes:Trained 25 staff members on a new CRM system, which resulted in the most well-received training program in the companys history follow-up surveys averaged a 98% satisfaction rate.A professional achievement or accomplishment applies to volunteer work too. Consider including volunteer work when a job is:

• Community based

Additionally, include volunteer positions when:

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How To List Accomplishments On A Resume In 2021

Showcasing your achievements is what can be the cherry on the cake to help you stand out from the crowd as a top performer and really attract employers.

Achievements, accomplishments, and awards can all serve as major highlights and points of interest on a resume and can help you to get a leg up on the competition.

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about including achievements on a resume, from what kinds of accomplishments to include to where to place them.

How Should You List Awards And Achievements On Your Cv

The achievements sections should always be bulleted. The bullet points not only helps the reader to pick out key points but also forces you to write concisely. One or two lines per achievement is plenty, with around three to six achievements per role.

Start each bullet in your CV with an action verb, such as delivered, succeeded, accomplished, saved, increased and so on. Then state the positive outcome for the business, ideally, by quantifying the results. Saying you increased sales by £5,000 is far better than saying you increased sales. You can also include a brief summary of how you achieved this.

Awards should be listed with the title of the award, the awarding body and the year in which you won it.

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How To Include Your Sports Experience On Your Resume

All your resume is, is your personal introduction to any employer. It is often times the first glimpse of you a company or hiring manager will get.

Weve all heard the old saying First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions, so its very much worth your time to spend the effort and energy to make it stand out when applying for jobs. Throughout the internet, there are many resources that can help you build a powerful resume. You can find formats, verbiage, and samples to guide you. While it is important to take advantage of them, you might think it’s hard to find one suited specifically for athletes.

A format that is commonly used with student-athletes who are just entering the workforce is what is called a behavioral resume. A behavioral resume focuses more on the character, traits, and accomplishments of the individual than the work history since most athletes don’t have extensive work experience. This works great for transitioning students with lots of talent and potential, but little experience.

Remember, most companies looking for entry-level talent are generally more interested in whats in your head and your heart than your experience. They love student-athletes because they believe that all the dedication, determination, focus and goal orientation and other traits developed through your sport will translate into a being a peak performing employee. Use this to your advantage.

Types Of Awards To Include On A Resume

Here is a list of common awards to include on a resume. Remember, the accomplishments you include should remain relevant to your current career goals.

• Academic or athletic awards

• Awards of excellence in voluntary activities

• Academic achievements

• Dean’s list or honor roll

• School leadership positions

• Professional association awards

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What If I Dont Have The Data

This is a very common question among job-seekers.

Unless you were actively keeping track of your results at your job, you probably dont know how much impact, exactly, did your work have.

The solution here is pretty straightforward: just reach out to your previous employer and ask for the data. They should be more than happy to send it over!

Moving forward, though, wed recommend really keeping track of your results and achievements in your next job.

Youll thank us for it later!

How To Write Resume Accomplishments

It can be challenging to sit down and actually lay out your resume accomplishments. To start generating ideas for your summary of accomplishments, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I make or save the company money? If so, exactly how much?
• Did I reach my goals quickly? If so, what was the exact time period?
• Did I exceed my goals often? If so, to what degree?

When answering these questions, think primarily in terms of money and time. High-quality resume accomplishments are quantifiable and measurable. Dollar amounts, timespans, volume, and percentages are all great ways to quantify your accomplishments on a resume.

Consider the CAR formula if you get stuck. CAR stands for Challenge, Action, and Result. Every accomplishment should include the problem or challenge, the action you took, and the stellar result of your hard work. You can also invert this formula by leading with the result. Starting a sentence with a dollar figure or percentage will garner more attention.

Make sure your accomplishments are taken seriously by including context when possible. Saved $100,000 doesnt mean much on its own. Saved $100,000 year over year is an improvement but still doesnt paint a complete picture. Saved $100,000 YoY, decreasing operating budget by 52% is better.

Along with measurable results, resume keywords can make resume accomplishments stand out. Reference the job posting to figure out which keywords the hiring manager will be looking for most.

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Know The Difference Between A Duty And An Achievement

Whitfield says the most common mistake she sees people making on their resume is listing the duties they had in previous jobs, rather than describing their achievements in those roles. They write about what they did, not what they achieved, she says.

Youll know youve done this if you use phrases like responsible for or duties included. Duties dont tell the full story of your impact in your job, and thats exactly what you need to do if youre going to spark the interest of employers and hiring managers.

Your resume must tell a story, Whitfield says. How did what youve done lead you to the right combination of skills, experience and education for the job you want? What can you do for the company that no one else does?