Accomplishments for a Resume

Check out work accomplishment examples and perfect the art of highlighting achievements on your resume to impress recruiters and secure your desired job.

Incorporating achievements into your resume is crucial for attracting employers. While many candidates focus on detailing duties and responsibilities, employers can infer your actions from your job title. Compiling a list of your accomplishments for a resume demonstrates your performance and actual achievements.

This comprehensive guide provides:

– 90 examples of resume accomplishments.
– Strategic placement of career or personal achievements in a resume.
– Techniques for listing accomplishments to leave a lasting impression on recruiters.
– Guidance on identifying your most pertinent accomplishments to feature on a resume.

What do achievements on a resume entail?

Resume accomplishments refer to your work achievements, showcasing your job application to impress recruiters. Unlike duties and responsibilities, accomplishments hold greater weight as they are quantifiable, unique to your experience, and directly pertinent to the desired position.

Here are some facts about resume accomplishments:

• The most effective examples of resume achievements are those that are both pertinent and remarkable.
• While emphasizing achievements from your professional life is common, it’s worth considering accomplishments from other areas, like education, especially when crafting an entry-level resume.
• Personal achievements, such as receiving a professional award, securing a job promotion, or attaining a new degree, can also be noteworthy additions.

Given that 73% of recruiters face challenges in identifying suitable candidates, it’s crucial to demonstrate your relevant skills and accomplishments that align with their company. To ensure your top achievements capture recruiters’ attention, leverage the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula. This approach not only highlights your achievements but also distinguishes them from routine responsibilities by showcasing concrete results.

Where to Put Resume Accomplishments?

The placement of your resume achievements can vary based on their origin. It is contingent upon the source of these accomplishments as to where they should be included in different sections of your resume.

Work Experience Section

The most critical segment of your resume is the work experience section. Employers primarily examine resumes to assess your professional history.

Here’s how to list examples of achievements in the resume work experience section:

• In each work experience entry, utilize a maximum of 6 bullet points along with action verbs.
• Concentrate on the business outcomes of your actions and quantify your achievements.
• Conclude each work experience entry with a section labeled “Key Achievement” at the bottom, detailing your proudest and most remarkable professional accomplishment.

Education Section

For recent graduates, current students, individuals seeking internships, or those lacking relevant work experience, incorporating achievement examples in the education section of the resume is a beneficial strategy. This is particularly crucial in such situations, considering that the education section holds more significance in your document.

Here’s a list of accomplishments for the resume education section:

• Making the Dean’s list
• Being involved in a study abroad program
• Finishing relevant coursework
• Participating in academic projects
• Achieving an exceptionally high GPA
• Graduating with honors
• Taking part in extracurricular activities
• Being a Phi Beta Kappa

Resume Profile

The initial impression employers get from your resume comes from the resume profile. Constructing it effectively involves three approaches:

1. If you possess extensive relevant experience, your resume’s heading statement will be a resume summary.
2. For candidates with limited experience, a career objective is essential.
3. Highly experienced candidates with numerous relevant accomplishments may opt for an extensive summary of qualifications, a heading statement commonly used in combination resumes.

Extra Sections 

If you have personal achievements that are pertinent to the position you’re seeking but don’t neatly align with the experience or education sections of your resume, consider utilizing additional sections to incorporate these accomplishments.

Which additional sections of your resume can contain relevant achievements?

• Incorporating awards on your resume indicates tangible achievements and the pursuit of your career objectives.
• Certifications and licenses on a resume signal that you are a proficient professional with acquired knowledge and readiness for work.
• Attending conferences as an active participant showcases genuine passion and eagerness for ongoing development.
• Publications on a resume don’t just position you as a professional but as an authority in your field.
• Including hobbies on your resume can effectively complement your soft skills.

How to List Your Achievements on a Resume?

Roles in prominent companies can attract up to 250 resumes. The more thoroughly you articulate your achievements, the more you distinguish yourself from other candidates. To optimize this, ground your accomplishments in one of these three factors:

1. Resume Accomplishments Based on Frequency

• How frequently could you perform specific tasks each week or month?
• What volume of work were you able to accomplish within specific timeframes?
• What was the duration and complexity of the projects you successfully completed?

Review these instances of accomplishments derived from frequency:

2. Achievements on a Resume Anchored in Magnitude

• What was the size of your team?
• What were the budgets you managed like?
• In how many countries or regions was the company operational?

Observe practical examples demonstrating how it operates in these achievements informed by scale:

3. Achievements on a Resume Informed by Scope

If you’re unable to determine the precise numbers, it’s acceptable to provide estimates, as long as the range you specify is well-founded.

Examples of Career Achievements for a Resume

Recruiters anticipate encountering specific professional accomplishments on your resume to deem you an appealing candidate.

Catalog of Accomplishments in the Professional Realm for Your Resume

• Promotions to higher positions you got in your job
• Additional training you completed and professional certifications you received
• Funding, grants or scholarships you received
• Popular publications, reports, or presentations you (co)authored
• Blogging and influencing on social media
• Media coverage you gained for the company
• Other accomplishments, such as volunteering or achievements in sports
• Revenue or sales you increased for the company
• Money you saved for the company
• Time you saved for the company
• Problems you identified and solved
• Ideas or innovations you introduced
• Procedures or systems you developed, implemented, or optimized
• Special projects you worked on
• Industry awards you won (i.e., Best Digital Marketing Campaign Award)
• Work-related awards you won (i.e., Salesperson of The Year)

Resume Accomplishments for Administrative Jobs

Administrative Assistant

Examples of Achievements in Sales and Customer Service Professionally

Sales Representative

Examples of Achievements in the IT and Programming Professional Field