How to Write About Your Accomplishments in a Resume

A resume should be more than a list of jobs and degrees. In order to achieve this goal, consider incorporating accomplishments in a resume you plan to send out to a perspective employer. So, which accomplishments should you mention and what's the difference between accomplishments and similar listings on a resume like job duties and skills? Here are some tips to sort out the confusion and help make your resume as effective as possible:

What Are Accomplishments?

To put it simply, duties are the tasks you performed while working for a particular employer. Skills are things that you're capable of doing such as speaking more than one language or using MS Word applications. Accomplishments are the results of your work-related efforts, such as completing an especially complex project on time or developing a more efficient invoice processing method.

Compiling a List of Your Accomplishments

If you're not exactly sure what your work-related accomplishments are or how to go about listing what you've accomplished, take a moment to make a list. You can worry about how to present it on your resume later. Think about what you did while working at each job, going as far as listing your basic duties for the purpose of helping you to identify you accomplishments. Did you receive any special recognitions or assist with any significant tasks? Did you earn praise for taking the initiative to perform tasks without being asked? Answering these questions should give you a list of accomplishments worthy of inclusion on your resume.

Narrow Down Accomplishments in a Resume By Relevance

Now that you have a list of accomplishments, it's time to decide which ones to put on your resume. A long list of accomplishments by itself is not going to impress an employer if half of what you've achieved isn't relevant to that particular employer. Take a moment to read the job description to get an idea of what you'll likely be doing if you're hired. If, for instance, you'll be managing an office staff, then you'd want to, for example, include any steps you took to improve efficiency for previous employers and mention computer skills, especially anything to do with MS Word or similar applications. When writing about your accomplishments, consider the following tips:

• Keep descriptions of your accomplishments as direct as possible

• Eliminate redundant accomplishments

• Use bullet points to list your accomplishments (for easier reading)

Examples of How to Write Your Accomplishments In Your Resume

Receptionist

• Learned how to troubleshoot phone system issues rather than calling on IT all the time.

• Received a special recognition for improving office efficiency.

Sales Associate

• Earned performance bonuses on a regular basis for exceeding department quotas.

• Implemented effective online promotional tactics (with supervisor approval).

Accomplishments in a resume aren't cast in stone. Remove accomplishments that aren't likely to matter an employer and include any new accomplishments that occurred after you last updated your resume. Finally, take some time to read your resume out loud, paying special attention to your list of accomplishments. How's the flow? How does the wording sound? Does anything sound redundant? After checking for spelling and grammar issues, you should have a resume that's ready to be submitted to a potential employer.