Learning to write accomplishment statements takes your resume from being a list of tasks, duties, or responsibilities to a demonstration of how you performed those tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
Hiring Managers and Recruiters already know what the required duties are, and simply matching them in your resume is not enough to get noticed. Qualify your statements by demonstrating how you performed your tasks and quantify your accomplishments to demonstrate value to the employer.
Ask yourself the following questions to brainstorm accomplishments from your previous or current experience. Think about what sets you apart and how you can relay this information as a candidate who can demonstrate their value in a clear and confident manner.
In each job, think about what things you did to set yourself apart:
When answering the above questions, quantify your results with numbers (#, $, %). Employers love numbers as an easy way to understand your past achievements.
| Task, Duty, Responsibility | Improved Task Statement | Accomplishment Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Planned an event | Planned annual charity event | Organized a sold-out annual charity event for 300 people raising $25,000 for a local non-profit organization. |
| Trained team members | Trained team members to operate new software | Conducted annual software training for 5 team members and served as subject matter expert for the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. |
| Answered phones | Operated multi-line phone system | Received up to 25 incoming calls on a multi-line phone system and forwarded them to appropriate team members, ensuring all callers were greeted in a friendly and efficient manner. |
| Saved company money | Saved company money by finding ways to cut costs | Implemented new payroll and tax accounting systems, resulting in a savings of $10,000 in personnel costs over two years. |
| Customer service | Greeted customers | Welcomed customers in a friendly manner and provided clear directions or assistance in locating product items. |
Create an accomplishment statement inventory to use when targeting a specific job. Use your inventory list to include information that is relevant to the position and remove statements which make you “differently qualified.” Creating a clear vision of how you would perform the duties or tasks helps the Hiring Manager or Recruiter see you as a valuable candidate and worthy of an interview.
A good formula to use when constructing your accomplishment statements is as follows:
Action Verb + What You Did = Result (quantitative – #, %, $ and/or qualitative)
Refer to the tips sheet on Power Verbs for Resumes for action verbs to start your accomplishment statements. Ensure your statements are varied, targeted, and clearly communicated.
