Achievements are a powerful addition to your resume. They show potential employers who you are and what you’re capable of. They reinforce your proposition to the interviewers when they are wondering why they should hire you.
So, being able to present your accomplishments impressively in your resume goes a long way to help you stand apart from hundreds of other applicants.
However, it can be difficult to develop ideas for showcasing all the good things you’ve done in your career so far. What to write, what to prioritize, how to express, and where to list these achievements are some of the questions that may bother you!
In this post, we’ll discuss 10 different options that will help show off your success and get noticed by potential employers: from volunteer projects and courses taken to awards won and more – so read on if you’re looking for something unique people will take notice of!
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How to List Achievements in My Resume Professionally
Let us look at a simple yet potent way of listing your achievements in your resume. If done well, your resume will become mighty and attractive to recruiters.
7 Steps to Impressively Showcase Achievements on a Resume
1. Start with your Most Recent Achievement
When listing your achievements, starting with your most recent ones is important. This will give the employer a sense of what you have been up to lately and what skills and experience you offer.
2. Use Bullet Points
When listing your achievements, it is helpful to use bullet points. This will make your resume more readable and easier for the employer to scan.
3. Be Specific
When listing your achievements, be sure to be as specific and relevant as possible. Generic is boring and sometimes meaningless!
For example, instead of simply saying “increased sales,” you could say “increased sales by 10%.”
4. Use Action Verbs
When listing your achievements, be sure to use action verbs. Action verbs such as “achieved,” “improved,” or “increased” will help to make your achievements sound more impressive.
5. Quantify your Achievements whenever possible
Try to quantify your achievements. For example, instead of saying ” improved customer service,” you could say “improved customer service rating by 5%.”
Quantifying your achievements will help the employer better understand your accomplishments’ scope.
6. Include the Results
When deciding which achievements to add to my resume, focus on those that include results. Quantifiable milestones clearly show what you could accomplish in a given position or project and serve as strong evidence of my abilities.
Examples may include promotions received, awards achieved, completed projects, or customer feedback. These achievements demonstrate the value that you brought to the field and hint at the impact that it can have on future employers.
For example – Spent just $22,000 on advertising campaigns and achieved a remarkable return of 1.8x on the initial investment!
7. Focus on Relevance
You may have figured out many impressive accomplishments or feats to showcase. But interviewers are interested in achievements that are relevant to the job position.
So, choose the achievements that highlight the skills and capabilities central to success in the position you have applied for.
Also, if your achievements fall in line with your career aspirations, they will showcase your focus and your drive to the interviewers!
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[ Here is a deep dive on this – How to Smartly Write Achievements in Resume ]
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Where Do I List Achievements in my Resume?
When your goal is to capture the recruiter’s attention, you must demonstrate what makes you an exceptional candidate. Achievements in your resume can do just that!
1. Include a Separate “Achievements” Section
If you have significant accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for, you should include a separate “Achievements” section on your resume. This will allow you to highlight your accomplishments in a way that is easily visible to potential employers.
2. Under the “Work Experience” section
Achievements can generally be placed under your resume’s relevant Work Experience section; this will help employers immediately identify what sets you apart from other applicants. Although it might be tempting to list every achievement under its heading, it is important to maintain readability and consistency to showcase why you are the right fit for the role.
For example – Experienced project manager with over 4 years of experience seeking employment at Company Y. Past professional background includes development and software projects for top-tier clients such as Client A and Client B.
3. In the Resume Summary
Your Resume summary section is like your calling card – the part of your Resume where you have a chance to showcase your most impressive achievements. It’s an opportunity to draw the hiring personnel’s attention and tell them why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Take some time to think about what accomplishments are going to make employers take notice, and list those prominently in this summary section. Having concrete examples of past successes here can be a major plus, giving yourself the best chance at having your resume stand out from the rest.
4. In the Projects & Volunteering section
A (situational) projects & volunteering section is a great way to showcase the awards, bonuses, or other achievements you’ve achieved in past work experience.
For optimal impact, choose a handful of accomplishments that highlight your strengths and are relevant to the job you are pursuing and include them here.
Don’t forget to mention any validation you may have received (e.g., awards, accolades) for completing projects or successfully performing certain tasks. This information can help you stand out from the competition and give potential employers insight into the type of worker you are.
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80+ Top Examples of Achievements in Job Resume
5 Examples of Achievements for Human Resources Professionals
- Instrumental in developing a new onboarding process that reduced training time by 25%, increasing team productivity.
- Implemented a new payroll system that reduced processing time by 25%, improving efficiency and savings of over $100,000 annually.
- Successfully recruited and onboarded 15 new employees in three weeks while optimizing cost-to-hire ratios by 10%.
- Successfully recruited, screened, and onboarded 15 new employees in three weeks while optimizing cost efficiency and ensuring quality assurance.
- Spearheaded the implementation of a new human resources management system that streamlined employee onboarding and improved data accuracy by 10%.
7 Examples of Achievements for Sales and Support Professionals
- Exceeded sales goals by 20% for three consecutive quarters, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue from new and existing customers.
- Exceeded quarterly sales goals by 20% for three consecutive quarters, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue from new and existing customers.
- Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, achieving the company’s desired target ahead of schedule.
- Successfully resolved 500 customer queries within the given timeframe while maintaining high customer satisfaction ratings.
- Provided technical support to over 500 customers, resulting in 100% satisfaction ratings on all surveys.
- Helped decrease customer wait times by 15% by streamlining processes and implementing new technologies.
- Successfully managed 40 customer service inquiries daily, resolving each issue in less than 30 minutes.
7 Examples of Achievements for Administrative Achievement Professionals
- Streamlined office procedures, resulting in a 15% increase in efficiency.
- Developed and maintained a filing system for all paperwork, reducing manual search time by 20%
- Coordinated scheduling of meetings and activities between 10 stakeholders
- Managed travel arrangements for executives to remote locations
- Facilitated smooth onboarding process for new hires, introducing them to company culture and team members
- Improved office efficiency by 30% by developing and implementing new organizational systems for filing, tracking data, archiving records, and managing calendars
- Spearheaded the implementation of new organizational systems that streamlined daily tasks, reducing administrative overhead by 20%
12 Examples of Achievements for Accounting and Finance Professionals
- Reduced bookkeeping costs by 20% over 12 months through streamlining processes and implementing cost-saving initiatives.
- Decreased bookkeeping costs by 20% over 12 months through process streamlining and cost-saving initiatives such as automating payments, utilizing online banking methods, and modernizing inventory tracking software.
- Developed and implemented an automated fiscal tracking system that improved the accuracy of financial reports by 30%.
- Successfully managed an accounting system with zero errors resulting in accurate financial statements for five clients.
- Streamlined the accounting process, resulting in a 15% reduction in costs and a 20% increase in accuracy.
- Reduced costs by 15% through effective budgeting and forecasting initiatives.
- Optimized cash flow management by instituting a financial risk assessment program, resulting in improved liquidity and reduced credit exposure.
- Developed an audit tracking system that decreased the time spent on compliance audits by 25%.
- Successfully analyzed financial statements for ten clients, suggesting cost-saving measures that increased profits by 20%.
- Reduced costs by 10% in the first year of a new financial system deployment and increased efficiency by 20%, resulting in overall savings of $3 million.
- Achieved an 8% average return on investments in the stock market by researching and analyzing company performance, economic indicators, and global trends.
- Managed a budget of $500,000 and successfully reduced expenses by 10% without compromising service quality.
12 Examples of Achievements for Marketing & Advertising Professionals
- Developed and implemented successful marketing strategies resulting in a 20% increase in sales within three months.
- Developed an integrated marketing campaign that increased brand reach by 500% within six months and drove a 20% increase in sales.
- Achieved a 3x increase in online sales through effective email campaigns and targeted advertisements.
- Increased web traffic by 40% in 6 months through organic search optimization and targeted social media campaigns.
- Successfully planned, organized, and executed three major product launches resulting in a 20% increase in sales for the quarter.
- Drove a 25% increase in website traffic and conversions over six months through creative online marketing campaigns.
- Increased brand awareness by 15% through targeted social media campaigns and implemented successful strategies to increase user engagement.
- Designed and launched an effective marketing campaign that resulted in a 25% increase in website traffic.
- Uplifted brand awareness by 20% through creative content marketing strategies.
- Secured 10 new partnerships, increasing revenue for the company by 15%.
- Reduced the cost of advertising campaigns by 30% while increasing overall reach by 15%, resulting in a higher ROI.
- Developed an innovative series of viral digital ads that generated over 500,000 impressions and raised brand awareness by 20%.
15 Examples of Achievements for Software Developers and IT Professionals
- Successfully implemented a new IT infrastructure for 10 offices across the region, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity.
- Led a five-member team to upgrade the corporate network infrastructure, reducing system downtime by 25%.
- Developed and implemented an automated system for managing customer data, resulting in improved accuracy of information.
- Implemented security protocols that secured all shared data systems against cyber threats.
- Managed multiple IT projects concurrently while ensuring that team members met all deadlines and industry standards,
- Achieved a 90% success rate in resolving customer technical issues within the first call.
- Implemented a new system architecture, resulting in increased productivity and cost savings of 20%.
- Developed an application with a custom user interface that streamlined client requests by 28% over three months, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and greater operational efficiency.
- Developed a mobile app for the Android platform, which resulted in a 25% increase in user engagement within two months.
- Managed and optimized databases, resolving issues with data integrity and increasing overall performance by 20%.
- Developed a web-based application with automated features in five months, reducing manual labor and increasing user satisfaction by 20%.
- Designed and developed a web application that increased user engagement by 40%, increasing revenue by 30%. Additionally, reduced the development time of new features from two weeks to one day.
- Developed and implemented a secure payment processing software that reduced transaction times by 30% and improved the accuracy of payments.
- Successfully implemented a new database system for the company’s customer information, resulting in improved data accuracy and faster response times.
- Developed an application that automated processes from scratch, resulting in a 50% reduction in manual labor hours per week.
12 Examples of Achievements for Education and Teaching Professionals
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, achieving a 4.0 GPA and completing an honors thesis project.
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a degree in Computer Science and a 4.0 GPA. Received the Dean’s Award for outstanding academic performance during my junior year.
- Graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a 3.5 GPA.
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a 4.0 GPA in Computer Science. Recognized as the Valedictorian of my graduating class and was awarded Presidential Scholar for outstanding academic achievement.
- Successfully developed and implemented an engaging curriculum for a class of 25 high school-aged students, resulting in improved scores on standardized tests among the student body.
- Successfully mentored ten students in basic coding principles, leading to 9 out of 10 achieving a perfect score on their final exams.
- Helped increase student pass rate from 50% to 85% in a single semester by incorporating new, interactive teaching methods.
- Successfully taught a course on branding fundamentals to 15 students, helping them develop comprehensive strategies for successful marketing campaigns.
- Successfully developed and taught two semester-long classes on leadership skills, resulting in a 10% increase in student engagement.
- Developed and instructed a course on web development for 20 students, resulting in an average grade of 80%. Awarded the ‘Exceptional Teaching award’ by the college for this achievement.
- Assisted over 80% of my students in finding jobs by providing individual counseling sessions.
- Successfully taught a class of 25 students the technical and soft skills needed to prepare them for the job market, resulting in a 100% student satisfaction rate.
10 Bonus Examples of Achievements in Job Resume
- Awarded Employee of the Year in 2018 for creating and implementing innovative marketing strategies that resulted in a 25% increase in sales.
- Successfully navigated organizational change by leading cross-functional teams to restructure processes, resulting in a 15% decrease in operational costs.
- Developed and launched two new initiatives that increased customer engagement by 30%.
- Completed an online coding course with certification.
- Formulated a new algorithm and implemented it in existing software to reduce development time by 25%.
- Attended two international conferences as the representative of my organization and presented papers on research topics.
- Successfully implemented a time-tracking software that reduced labor costs by 15%.
- Developed an innovative customer loyalty program that increased sales by 20%.
- Created new protocols and procedures to streamline the onboarding process, resulting in 30% faster onboarding times.
- Received the company’s highest peer award for consistently showing dedication to customer service.
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[ Related – 27 Carefully Crafted Sample Answers for – What is Your Greatest Achievement ]
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What’s Next?
Overall, many options for accomplishments can be added to your resume apart from the above. If you have trouble picking which ones to include, try focusing on your recent experiences and tailoring them to match the job opening you are applying for.
Experiment with different wording and keep track of what works best for you. Remember to update your achievements regularly, so your resume stays sharp and relevant.
And finally, if you’re ever feeling stuck or need help jump-starting your job search, remember that we are always here to assist you.
Let us know in the comments below which option from the list was your favorite or if there are any we need to include!
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