Over 80% of the applicants to a job advertisement will meet all the requirements of the role, but less than 10% will actually be called in for an interview. Show
How can you get into that 10%? By writing Achievements in your Resume! There’s no better way to stand out from the crowd and make your CV shine than by showing off your accomplishments. In this blog post, we’ll cover what an achievement is, why you should include them, and how to write achievements into your CV. We’ve also got a few examples for your reference! What is an Achievement?An achievement is a short-term accomplishment that you attain at work that goes above and beyond your usual activities. It could be finishing a particularly difficult project, bringing in new business, or improving a process at work. Achievements are tasks that:
A good achievement makes you look like a passionate candidate with a unique set of skills. When a hiring manager, recruiter, or employer reads your CV and sees an achievement, they will think: “Oh hey, I can see this candidate doing the same thing at MY company.” Why Should I Write Achievements in my CV?The goal of every resume or CV you send in is to secure a job interview. Unfortunately for you, everyone else has the same goal. It’s also likely they’ll be perfectly qualified for the job. Employers aren’t looking for average; the difference between a resume that gets passed over and one that gets shortlisted is a candidate who seems exceptional. So how do you make your Resume shine? The best way to do that is to include achievements in your CV. Listing achievements will:
How to Write Achievements in a ResumeWrite Achievements under a separate heading within each work experience listed on your resume. This differentiates your standout traits from regular job descriptions. Employers can see your accomplishments at a glance and identify how you’ve gone above and beyond your usual role. Your application becomes more memorable as a result! Every achievement should follow what we call the “3M Formula”. They need to have:
How Writing Great Achievements Improve Your Application: An ExampleFor example, Tim is a candidate looking to get into a senior role in Sales. He had a particularly good year in his current position and decides to list it as an achievement, but it looks like this: Grew sales within the department in 2021 while serving as Associate Sales Manager. What’s wrong with the above line? Well, it doesn’t tell us much, if anything, about what Tim is like as a job candidate. Now, if Tim added merits, metrics, and methods to his achievement, it might look something like this: Achieved sales growth of 35% YOY; created new sales collateral and installed clear reminders to contact clients during buying process to ensure follow through and closure of purchase of investment instruments. Suddenly, we see that Tim is an incredibly effective, organised leader who knows how to conduct thorough client follow-ups to close deals! These details are crucial to describing your achievements and showing how they bring value to a potential employer. A short and simple way to remember it is this formula: “Secured [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z].” Types of Achievements to Include in a CVThere are all sorts of different experiences and accomplishments that would look good as a CV achievement, but it’s important to match your achievements to the job you’re applying for. Keep your resume short and sharp, so don’t pad it with unnecessary achievements. Here are some examples of Types of Achievements that might inspire you:
Type 1: Making The Firm More MoneyInstead of writing this:
Why not write this? Achieved sales growth of 35% YOY; created new sales collateral and installed clear reminders to contact clients during buying process to ensure follow through and closure of purchase of investment instruments Type 2: Saving The Firm MoneyInstead of writing this:
Why not write this? Saved over 12 million USD annually by negotiating long term supply contracts with vendors; liaised closely with legal team to ensure inclusion of exit clauses for firm in the event of demand drop Type 3: Increasing ProductivityInstead of writing this:
Why not write this? Created automated balance sheet that pulls data from multiple locations; new automated process saves over 16 man hours weekly Type 4: Solving A Critical ProblemInstead of writing this:
Why not write this? Instrumental in resolution of server failures from high traffic spikes; minified page code and purchased content distribution network to reduce load on home servers. New changes resulted in page uptimes of 99.99% Type 5: Leading A Large ProjectInstead of writing this:
Why not write this? Played key role in managing merging of systems post acquisition of bottling plant; mapped out processes at new factory, identified redundancies as well as synergies. Led change management and achieved annual costs savings of 20% per unit from economies of scale ConclusionHopefully these guidelines and examples give you a basic idea of how to write achievements in your resume. Still unsure where to start? Consider checking out our free resume analysis service and paid resume-writing packages! How do you write your achievements to your boss?A few tips for describing your achievements
If possible, quantify your achievements with figures, percentages and statistics. If you can't quantify them, describe a qualitative achievement. Avoid using pronouns, such as “I” and “we.” Speak the employer's language (key words).
How do I tell my boss about my achievements?Take a semi-formal approach and go for an immediate one-on-one meeting with your boss. Make an outline of what you want to say. Cover how you solved a problem or achieved a new milestone, who benefited, and how. Note any cost or time savings to your company or the customer.
How do you share achievements examples?Here are seven ways to talk about your accomplishments without sounding like a braggart:. Keep The Emphasis On Your Hard Work. ... . Don't Belittle Other People. ... . Give Credit Where It's Due. ... . Stick To The Facts. ... . Express Gratitude. ... . Don't Add A Qualifier. ... . Avoid The Humble-Brag.. How do you describe your achievements examples?List of achievements. Re-organized something to make it work better.. Identified a problem and solved it.. Come up with a new idea that improved things.. Developed or implemented new procedures or systems.. Worked on special projects.. Received awards.. Been complimented by your supervisor or co-workers.. |
