How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume

How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume Adding professional  accomplishments to  your resume shows that you are an achiever who can go above and beyond your duties. It demonstrates that you can bring something extra to potential employers, and it is an effective way to make your resume stand out.Dont make the mistake of being modest and hiding your key  accomplishments. Many candidates simply write a list of their duties and responsibilities in their job descriptions but this is generic and will make your resume look like everyone elses.What is an accomplishment?    the definition of an accomplishment is something positive which you have achieved. On your resume, you should give specific examples of how your actions helped a situation. It could be a problem which you resolved, something you improved, or something you did well.Everyone has  personal accomplishments. Its just a case of thinking of them and identifying them. Writing an accomplishment-based resume  is simple if you follow this guide using a  resume  builder.Ho w to include accomplishments on your resume?Follow these tips on how to add accomplishments to your resume. If you take it step-by-step it is simple to work your achievements into your resume.Write a list of your achievementsRack your brains, think about your past professional positions, and write a list of accomplishments. Think about any positive comments youve received from your bosses and colleagues, problems youve dealt with, any honors or awards youve received, and if youve reached or surpassed any targets.If you have worked in a team, what did your team achieve? You were an integral part of the team so any team accomplishments count as yours. If youre struggling for ideas ask your boss and colleagues. See the industry-specific accomplishment examples in the final section of this guide for inspiration.Focus on the key accomplishmentsYou need to customize your resume for each job application so dont simply include the accomplishments which you think are the most impressive. Rea d through each job description and think about what the employer is looking for.Use the keywords in the job posting to identify the most important job requirements. Then think about which of your accomplishments demonstrate these abilities and match them together. Include your achievements which are most relevant to the position youre applying for.Using a resume template is the most time-effective way of tailoring your resume for each position.Use actions verbsStarting sentences with action verbs makes your resume seem more dynamic as it places emphasis on the action youve taken. It is a concise way of writing and it grabs the readers attention.For example, increased sales by 20% or implemented a new system of filing reads better than their passive or longer equivalents. Try to avoid long-winded descriptions in general when writing your resume. Read our guide on how to write a resume for more tips.Use numbers to focus on resultsUsing numbers to demonstrate the value of your accompli shments is effective. If youve improved performance or efficiency, surpassed your targets, increased sales, generated a readership, or improved exams results, you can quantify it with numbers.For example, you can say Improved office efficiency by 15%, Surpassed my sales targets by 10%, or Saved the company $5,000 by improving efficiency.Where to include your accomplishments?This will depend on your resume format and what suits you best. You can include your accomplishments in the job descriptions of your previous job roles as it demonstrates your duties as well as your achievements. Alternatively, you could include them in your skills section to highlight your abilities.If you have a few particularly impressive accomplishments which you want to emphasize, you could create a career accomplishments section. It can which include a bullet-pointed summary of accomplishments or a concise accomplishments statement. When you add your accomplishments make sure you avoid the most common resum e-writing mistakes  Examples of accomplishments to put on a resume: by industryHere are some industry-specific examples of achievements which you can use to give you ideas and to help you write an accomplishment-based resume.AccountingBalanced an annual budget of over $600,000Saved the company 7% over a 5-year periodAdministrative AssistantResponded to over 30 emails a day and resolved customers problemsDesigned email templates which were used throughout the departmentCustomer ServiceOperated a cash register and handled over $10,000 a weekAssisted 20 customers a day making tailored recommendationsInformation TechnologySaved the company $10,000 by implementing efficiency softwareReduced the hours lost through IT problems by 8%NurseProvided high-quality care to over 20 patients dailyMentored and led a team of 12 newly-qualified nursesSalesTop salesperson in the team for 3 years runningBoosted sales by over 25% in 2016Students (for a student resume)Helped to run the History Society whi ch had over 800 membersTutored 6 freshman students and improved each of their gradesTeacherImproved students scores in math by an average of 12%Received three Best Teacher Awards   in 2012, 2014, and 2015.