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How to Write and Sell Work Achievements in your Resume

05.02.2009

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Achievements are an important part of your resume, more so perhaps than responsibilities and should be given prime resume real estate. If you have achievements already listed in your resume, be sure that they are engaging to the reader and actually quantify and or qualify what you achieved. If they are fairly un-inspiring due to how you have presented them or if you have more exciting and relevant examples, please include these. Think of the reader. A couple of great achievements well written paint a postive picture and outshine a long list of basic and poorly written achievements.

Consider reading the following statements whilst reflecting on your more recent jobs. Take down notes of situations that come to mind.

• Have you designed or introduced a new process that may have increased efficiency or sales?
• Have you solved a difficult problem?
• Have you received any awards?
• What has been your experience with managing or training people?
• Have you mentored or coached colleagues or those external to your business?
• Have you developed a new system, a product, etc?
• Have you designed something?
• Can you think of something you have done for the first time?
• Have you prepared any reports, papers, articles etc that others could not?
• Have you saved your company or department money?

It is worth forming the habit of documenting your achievements regularly, have a word document or somewhere where you compile this information in enough detail that you when you go back you can recall what you did. With these examples at hand, it will help enhance your resume and create more compelling stories for the interview.

When documenting your achievements, it is important that they are detailed, relevant and engaging to the reader. Below is a weak and strong example of the same achievement.

Weak Example:

The introduction of new rebate initiatives, that was successful in saving the company a substantial amount of money.

Strong Example:

I successfully negotiated revised annual trading terms by offering lower rebate terms to the company's key accounts through incentive targets and the introduction of promotional rebates. This initiative generated a cost saving of $700,000 within six months of the change.

To assist in writing your achievements, review our word booster list. These relate to everything from data to people and systems. Using powerful action orientated words will create a positive impression.

Accomplished Administered Analyzed Built Completed Composed Conducted Controlled Coordinated Created Decreased Delivered Demonstrated Designed Developed Directed Eliminated Established Evaluated

Expanded Founded Generated Guided Implemented Improved Increased Initiated Instructed Invented Launched Led Maintained Managed Modified Motivated Negotiated Organized Originated

Participated In Performed Planned Produced Proved Provided Recommended Reduced Re-organized Researched Revised Saved Sold Solved Streamlined Supervised Trained

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