Your resume is the employer’s first glimpse into what you can do and how you can bring value to a company. Each section of the resume provides compelling evidence about your professional abilities and why employers should hire you. One of the most important aspects of a successful resume is your sense of achievement in your previous experiences. Experts suggest using achievements in resume writing to show off your past success.
The achievements in a resume help employers see a candidate’s impact on previous work experiences. Throughout the work history, skills section, and professional summary, it’s a good idea to have some achievements included. Omitting these accomplishments from your resume could impact your ability to stand out from a large pool of qualified applicants.
How to Write Achievements in a Resume
Including achievements in resume writing is one of the top tips hiring managers and human resources staff recommend. The first step you should take is to look back at your career and recognize your greatest professional accomplishments. Many candidates don’t realize how many achievements they actually have and fail to include these important details on their resume.
The most effective achievements are details about how you personally helped the company improve something. Other helpful achievements that would impress a hiring manager on a resume are details about your work ethic and habits. The most important thing to remember to include for achievements are measurable details, such as percentages, numbers, and costs.
After you’ve thought about your past accomplishments, you need to start crafting them into powerful statements. You can place achievements in several different resume sections, including the professional summary, skills section, or the work history section. Make sure each accomplishment relates to the position you’re trying to land; avoid including achievements not relevant to your chosen industry.
Employers also want to see an example of your ability to get results. Including a large selection of achievements throughout your resume can help them get this information. For each achievement you write for your resume, include details about the end positive result from your contribution.
The verbiage you use for your achievements can also make a big difference in how your resume portrays you. Avoid writing your achievements with too many unnecessary details and words. Instead, create succinct and powerful statements that use keywords from the job posting and plenty of specific metrics related to your success.
Here are some example achievements that could demonstrate value to an employer:
* Won Employee of the Month award three times in a row for 100% perfect attendance, 98% customer satisfaction scores, and a positive attitude
* Improved the new employee retention rate by 45% by creating a new training class and assigning existing employee mentors
* Increased monthly sales by 37% by focusing on new customer contacts and keeping existing customers educated about new products
5 Achievements in Resume Must-Haves
1. Avoid being too humble and missing opportunities to promote yourself
Focusing on your achievements throughout your resume could give your document more impact. If you’re someone who rarely brags about yourself, you’ve got to change your mindset. Your resume is your chance to market yourself and your top attributes. Your achievements can help you give the hiring managers a reason to schedule an interview and eventually hire you.
2. Use figures and facts to back up your proudest achievements
The best way to position your achievements is to pair them with specific, measurable details, such as facts and figures. Your achievements are sure to be much more impressive to the hiring managers if you provide some context with metrics. Metrics can include specific details, such as dollar amounts, percentage points, number of people, and other figures, that help bring your accomplishments to life on the page.
3. Align skills and attributes from the job description to your achievements
If you have a list of top achievements from your past work experiences, you may need to trim your list down for better results. Check with the job posting to see what kind of skills and knowledge the employer wants from the candidate. Then, look back at your accomplishments and determine which achievements are most related to the job posting’s must-have skills. This can help give your document more power and make your candidacy more successful.
4. Fill your work history section with plenty of achievements
The best place for achievements is your work history. While it’s common to use the work history section to include all your typical duties and responsibilities that are similar to the job posting, you want to avoid creating a boring list of mediocre details. Employers would like to see information that shows them why you’re special, which is why achievements can help you really shine here. It’s a good idea to have at least one or two achievements listed in each previous job entry.
5. Use academic achievements if you don’t have much employment history
New graduates and those who don’t have a long employment history can give hiring managers a taste of their talents by using achievements in the education section instead. Graduating with honors, leading an important project, heading a group, or organizing events for your school could be great examples of your top attributes.
Top Achievements in Resume Takeaways
Your resume can truly shine if you focus on making yourself stand above other candidates. Incorporating achievements in resume writing can help you succeed with this. Your main goal is to show the hiring managers you’re special and deserve consideration for the position.
There are many different types of achievements you can include on your resume. Most jobseekers use achievements to make their work history come alive and be more compelling. Achievements can also impress hiring managers if you use them in your education section, skills list, or professional summary. If you pick the right achievements, hiring managers may find you more suitable for their next open position.
