Which resume bullet point would make you more inclined to hire the candidate if you were in the position of searching for a new office manager?
– Managed office supply inventory
– Generated a Google Sheets spreadsheet to monitor the monthly usage and stock levels of 20+ common office and kitchen supplies, resulting in a cost savings of over $X per month by avoiding over-ordering and duplicate ordering.
The second one is probably the preferred choice, isn’t it? That’s because the first bullet point only provides a list of job responsibilities, while the second one highlights an achievement. It not only showcases what the person has accomplished, but also demonstrates their proficiency with certain tools.
So why on earth are you still just listing your job duties? Here’s how you can instead showcase your achievements on a resume in a way that truly highlights your capabilities.
Why you should totally showcase your accomplishments on your resume
When you submit an application for a job opportunity, it is highly likely that there will be numerous other candidates with similar qualifications. You are not the sole applicant who possesses the necessary experiences and skills that align with the job requirements. However, it is important to emphasize the unique achievements and successes you have attained throughout your professional journey, along with their intricate details and outcomes, as they belong exclusively to you. These exceptional qualities effectively convey to hiring managers the powerful message: “Take a moment to consider the remarkable accomplishments I have successfully delivered for my previous employers. Just imagine the immense potential I possess to contribute to your organization.” In a competitive job market, standing out from the crowd is crucial. While other candidates may possess similar qualifications, it is your individual accomplishments that set you apart. For example, you may have successfully led a team to exceed sales targets, implemented cost-saving measures that significantly improved the company’s bottom line, or developed innovative strategies that drove substantial growth. These specific achievements demonstrate your capacity to deliver exceptional results and make a significant impact within an organization.
Where you can mention accomplishments on a resume
Resume summary
Activities Section
Education section
Project section
How to add accomplishments on your resume
Choose the appropriate achievements
Refer to the job description of the position you are applying for. Take note of any skills or experiences you possess that match the required or preferred qualifications, as well as the job responsibilities you will be tasked with. Then, consider which accomplishments best demonstrate these skills and experiences.
If you are having difficulty, begin by reflecting on your primary responsibilities. What were your objectives? For example, if you were in charge of managing a social media account, were you expected to schedule a specific number of posts or increase the number of followers? Achieving one or more of these objectives is considered an accomplishment—and surpassing them is even better.
Including the outcomes
Including the outcomes when crafting your resume bullet points. Opting for strong and descriptive action verbs will provide a wealth of information regarding your achievements. Did you perhaps innovate a new process or streamline an existing one? Moreover, it is crucial to diversify your verb choices so that the initial word of each bullet point varies. Employing powerful action verbs is essential in creating an impressive resume. By utilizing dynamic and descriptive action verbs, you can effectively communicate the extent of your accomplishments. For instance, have you ever spearheaded the development of a new process or optimized an existing one to enhance efficiency? It is essential to showcase your ability to take initiative and drive positive changes in the workplace.
Include the abilities and tools you utilized
Remember to explicitly mention the skills you’re trying to highlight with each accomplishment, using similar wording as the job posting. For instance, if the job posting required experience with Salesforce, make sure to state that you utilized Salesforce to schedule all those meetings in your previous position. To effectively showcase your skills, it is important to provide specific examples and details. For instance, if you are highlighting your ability to manage a team, you could mention that you successfully led a team of 10 employees to achieve a 20% increase in sales within a quarter. This demonstrates your leadership skills and your ability to drive results.
Including the outcomes
Including the outcomes is crucial when highlighting your achievements. Even if you vividly describe your actions and the effort you put in, it may still leave the reader wondering, “So what?” Therefore, it is essential to showcase how your accomplishments have benefited your team, department, company, or clients. For instance, you can provide specific details and examples of how your efforts have directly contributed to the success of your organization. For example, if you have helped save or generate revenue, you could mention the specific projects or strategies you implemented that resulted in significant financial gains. This could include launching a successful marketing campaign that boosted sales by 20% or implementing cost-saving measures that led to a 15% increase in profit margins.
Add numbers
When possible, it is beneficial to quantify your achievements by incorporating numbers to provide a sense of scale. This can be done by including information such as time frames and frequencies for tasks, the number of times a task was completed or the amount of work products handled, the amount of money saved, earned, or managed, the number of employees, clients, or stakeholders managed, coordinated, or assisted, the percentage of growth observed, and the percentage of goals and key performance indicators achieved. Additionally, mentioning the size of your audience can also be impactful.
7 example accomplishments for your resume
Here are some example achievements that you can use to inspire your resume:
Entry-level job accomplishment examples
If you are creating a resume for a job at the entry-level or your very first job, you will likely focus on accomplishments from your education and extracurricular activities. For example:
– “Successfully managed communications for a club consisting of over 60 members, resulting in a 30% increase in average meeting attendance and doubling the turnout for fundraisers. As a result, we were able to raise an additional $3,000 at the annual Singing Challenge.”
– “Collaborated with a team of 10 students to conceive, design, and implement a communications strategy for a local nonprofit organization. The objective was to educate the public about COVID-19 safety. This project led to a 200% growth in followers and over 200 students being vaccinated at on-campus events as part of our senior capstone project.”
Teacher accomplishment examples
– “Incorporating practice examinations and tutorials for test-taking led to a 20% increase in STAR YOUNG reading scores and a 19% improvement in STAR YOUNG math scores from 2022 to 2023.”
– “The implementation of student-directed learning strategies, such as the “When Will I Ever Use This?” approach and the weekly “Questions Board,” resulted in a significant 30% enhancement in classroom participation grades.”
Marketing accomplishment examples
– “Prepared comprehensive promotional presentations for client meetings, resulting in a 15% growth in spending from existing clients.”
– “Utilized Looker and Tableau to analyze data from previous Twitter marketing campaigns, identifying the most and least effective strategies and providing recommendations for future campaigns. This led to a 50% increase in click-through rates on Twitter quarter after quarter.”
Financial analyst accomplishment examples
– “The executive team was provided with an analysis of two potential acquisitions, which included an assessment of financial records, risks, debt, and expected growth. Based on this evaluation, recommendations were made that led to the successful acquisition, resulting in increased profits for two consecutive quarters.”
– “I conducted a weekly analysis of the financial well-being of four companies. This involved examining balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and other financial records to identify any potential credit issues and risks to the company’s capital. I then reported my findings to management through written reports and presentations.”
Customer service accomplishment examples
– “Achieved a consistent weekly call volume of over 300 customers.”
– “successfully recommending new products and services based on customer needs, resulting in the generation of more than 25 new sales leads every week.”
Project manager accomplishment examples
– “Successfully oversaw the development of a tutorial tool for clients, effectively training and onboarding over 500 users. As a result, clients who utilized the tutorial experienced a 20% increase in their renewal rate compared to those who did not. Additionally.”
– “I played a key role in driving product launch strategies across various digital platforms, including websites, social media, and digital advertising. With a budget of $1M, I managed to achieve an impressive 200% growth in customer reach.”
Software engineer accomplishment examples
– “Played a crucial role in the development and successful launch of a customer-facing application based on microservices within a short span of three months using a rapid application development (RAD) approach.”
– “Collaborated closely with the Agile product team in revamping the customer-facing website to incorporate cutting-edge front-end technology and advanced JavaScript functionality, resulting in a remarkable 30% increase in the success rate of user tasks.”
Human resources (HR) accomplishment examples
– “Effectively managed highly complex employee conflicts, resulting in enhanced performance and a positive organizational atmosphere as evidenced by a 25% increase in favorable responses to organization-wide climate surveys”.
– “Successfully negotiated agreements with three different labor unions, averting a potentially difficult labor dispute and reaching mutually beneficial contract terms.”
– “Developed and executed a fresh leadership curriculum, training 60% of key organizational leaders within a span of 7 weeks, leading to improved employee morale and retention rates in units supervised by managers who participated in the training.”