Accomplishments and Achievements – What Have You Done For Me Lately

As a Career Advisor for private college, I’ve seen thousands of resumes. Typically it is the same format and design (objective, education, professional experience, skills).

While most people think it is important to give a laundry list of duties and responsibilities many hiring managers prefer to see a list of accomplishments and achievements.

Examples of Accomplishments/Achievements

1. Successfully increased sales by 85%

2. Decreased spending by 42%

3. Served as a liason on a $45 million dollar construction project

4. Negotiated price on supplies which decreased cost by 50%

5. Reduced staff by 40% by reorganizing responsibilities and hiring part-time workers

Employers want to see where you have added value and how you will add value to their company.

Remember: everyone has accomplishments, they just may not be that easy to determine. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take out a separate sheet of paper for each position you have held.

2. Brainstorm – For each position jot down your accomplishments. Don’t be too concerned with punctuation and grammar.  

3.  Now go back to each sheet and fill in the details. Revise your statements.

4. Let someone else read your accomplishments. Any well thought out ideas should be incorporated.

You can always visit our website http://www.build-a-career.com for a complete list of employment resources, resume tips and interviewing techniques.