How to write accomplishments on your resume with examples

Having a well-written resume in your job search arsenal will give you an edge over the other candidates. A great resume gives you a chance to highlight your skills, experiences, and achievements in a captivating way, impressing potential employers. One thing your resume must do in order for you to get called for an interview is highlight your professional accomplishments.

Listing achievements on your resume is important because they make you stand out from the competition. While another candidate may have the same educational background and past experience that you have had, it is very rare for someone else to have made the same achievements as you.

Why must you add achievements to your resume?

• You will be highlighted among other candidates who have only listed job duties in the career summary.
• You will get a chance to demonstrate the skills and abilities you possess by highlighting your accomplishments on your resume.
• Your accomplishments will prove that you can perform the job at a high level.
• They will act as proof of your significant contributions to past companies and will show that you can do the same thing in your new role.
• Employers are constantly searching for workers who will drive their companies forward. Your accomplishments will show them that you are up to the challenge.
• Your resume will have a much more confident tone when you list several professional achievements instead of job duties.

How can you write captivating accomplishments for your resume?

Start with the impact

State the impact of your actions whenever you talk about an accomplishment on your resume. Instead of saying, “Developed marketing campaign,” say that you “Drove sales up by 20% by developing a marketing campaign.”

Use numbers and statistics

Your accomplishments become several times more impressive when you use numbers and statistics to back them up. Always try to quantify the results of your accomplishments on your resume. For example, say that you, “Lead a team of 10 members and introduced processes that increased productivity by 25%” instead of saying, “Managed a team.”

Tailor your accomplishments to the job

While you may have amassed a large number of professional accomplishments over the years, not every achievement will belong on your resume. Just like you tailor your work experience section to the job description, you must tailor your accomplishments to the job you’re applying for.

Use action verbs

Action verbs are the words that make your resume an interesting read. Use action verbs to bring your achievements to life and emphasize your involvement in the tasks. Try to use a different action verb every time you write an accomplishment on your resume. Accompanying your action verbs with descriptive adjectives is also a great idea.

Here are some sample accomplishments for your resume

• Planned and implemented a new customer rewards program to drive sales up by 50% within a quarter.
• Increased website traffic by 25% and lead generation by 15% by executing a paid marketing campaign.
• Established new OSHA principles and policies to reduce workplace incidents by 30%.
• Completed 30 interior decoration projects within a quarter to receive 80% positive customer feedback.
• Supervised, guided, and mentored a team of 20 junior accountants to improve the efficiency of the team by 30%.
• Reduced onboarding time by 50% by creating and implementing a new recruit training program.
• Introduced a comprehensive employee benefits package to reduce employee turnover by 60%.
• Managed a $50 M budget across 4 major construction projects.