How to articulate your professional achievements

Resume writers can be roughly divided into two categories: those who lie and don’t blush, and those who don’t lie and blush.

Based on statistics, only 38 percent of applicants attribute non-existent merit to themselves. The remaining 62 percent either beautifully present their successes, or are afraid to once again indicate their professional achievements, examples of which we will consider today, so that you do not have a feeling of embarrassment or excitement.

Let's first look at what a resume is.

Summary

This document provides assistance in searching for vacancies and applying for a job. It briefly indicates biographical information, education and describes work activity.

A resume is a truthful advertisement of oneself; it can be read in 1-2 minutes. Since there may be more candidates for one vacancy than for a budget place at the institute, the HR specialist has to look through tons of similar information. In this case, the human factor comes into play, and bright information will catch the eye of even an experienced recruiter.

Relationship and difference between responsibilities and achievements

A simple example. Your main responsibility is organizing and conducting events. Then your achievement could be: “Collected more than 200 thousand rubles. from 100 visitors during a charity evening.”

Why is this so important? The person reading your resume needs to know more about you. Personnel officers already know what responsibilities are required for a specific position. When you list obvious facts, you are only wasting valuable space on your resume as well as the decision maker's attention. Each phrase about you should have a specific purpose, namely, to prove to the employer that you are the best candidate for the position.

Key resume points

Last name, first name and patronymic, date of birth, address, marital status, telephone number and email must be indicated.

The following describes the goal, that is, what position you are applying for.

The next stage is a list of all educational institutions in which you had to study, special attention is paid to higher educational institutions.

You can supplement the previous paragraph with completed courses, trainings or webinars. You need to indicate those that directly relate to the future position.

Experience. If you started working at the age of 11, selling apricots at the market, this is commendable, but you should not include such a fact in your resume. The most important are your last three jobs.

In additional information, you can talk about your useful skills: knowledge of computer programs, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.

In “personal qualities,” applicants often write: sociability, determination. This is great, but these advantages appear so often on resumes that employers simply miss them and consider them a lack of creativity. Ability to learn quickly, prioritize work, and introduce rationalization proposals. Such an employee is the dream of any manager.

Examples of professional achievements on a resume include job responsibilities that were completed, completed, and caused a positive change in the organization or benefited someone. For example, your responsibilities include searching for new candidates and conducting interviews, then indicate that over the last year the staff was replenished with 50 employees and 100 interviews were conducted.

Competent wording

When listing your accomplishments, remember that they should not reflect your daily responsibilities, but rather what goes beyond them. They must show that the specialist took the initiative or followed the instructions of the manager, which went beyond the scope of his previous experience.

When describing your achievements, it is important to understand that a potential employer must see the problem and your actions. The result obtained is also important.

For example, this formulation can be seen in the following variations:

• introduced a satellite monitoring system for sales agents, which made it possible to increase sales efficiency by 23% per year;
• trained new employees in 2 weeks in a way that allowed them to immediately reach the sales level established in the company;
• conducted training on customer service, explained the main functions of a manager, thanks to this the number of purchased tourist tours increased by 18% compared to the same period last year;
• Managing the delivery department, I was able to achieve a 2-fold reduction in order processing times by introducing a logistics system and staff training;
• organized and conducted a full-scale study of the fermented milk products market in the city, which made it possible to introduce a new product;
• conducted successful negotiations, thanks to which the supplier provided a discount, and the company was able to save more than 7% of the amount allocated for installing new software.

Good to know: Examples of professional skills and abilities in a resume

Such wording allows the future employer to see your achievements in your work; for a resume, they should be formulated briefly and clearly.

What is considered professional achievement?

The question is not easy, and the answer to it will be different for everyone. After all, one type of activity is difficult for someone, and the second is easy. It is important not to confuse professional achievements with personal ones.

If you worked in a social service and you managed to save many families from such an unpleasant procedure as deprivation of parental rights, this will be a professional achievement. This might not have been particularly difficult for you, because you are an altruist by nature, but mastering the Excel computer program was a real challenge, but you did it. Do you feel the difference?

The second point is your personal source of pride, but the employer will appreciate the first one.

It’s very good if you can count your professional achievements. Examples: “I assisted doctors on 200 operations”, “Five of my students received prizes at regional competitions”, etc.

If you work as a cashier, then you should not count the number of customers served per day and multiply by the number of working days per year. It is better to indicate the fact that during the work there were a small number of emergency situations.

Not destroying, not letting go down and preventing is sometimes a greater achievement than promoting, increasing and achieving.

Examples of achievements in a resume

I want you to see not just examples of achievements on your resume, but also standard errors, so I made a sign in the style of “right - wrong.”

Think about how to describe achievements in your resume in a way that is tasty - look for good wording. This determines whether they will invite you for an interview.

Here are a few more examples of successes and achievements from real resumes:

• Organized the transition from GAAP standards to IFRS standards.
• Organized the merger of two CASCO/OSAGO databases into one database of a single format.
• Made the transition from 1C 7.7. on 8.2.
• Successfully passed 4 tax audits.
• I discovered a direct loss - selling products at prices below cost.
• Licensed 18 fuel filling stations.
• Took first place in terms of clothing models produced and sold in a year.
• Increased the base of regular English-speaking clients by 70%.

What is not considered an achievement?

Some very stupid phrases may sound below, but this also happens:

• “managed to achieve personal success in professional activities”;
• “during my tenure as secretary, the flow of clients increased sharply”;
• “we managed not to reduce turnover, achieved communication skills during work,” etc.

First phrase. What is personal success? This is the result of personal growth. A very commendable phenomenon, but no one will take your word for it. In this case, this is equivalent to the statement “I have become much better.”

The second phrase is similar. It is unlikely that the flow of clients will depend on the secretary, unless of course you are Aphrodite. This phrase can be reformulated: “I am very beautiful and charming.” This is great, but you also need to shine with your professional skills. But if you supplement it with the following words: “... the number of clients has doubled in a year,” then it will have the right to life.

The third phrase can be an example of the main professional achievement in life if you are a crisis manager. If a person managed to turn a successful, developing company into just a stable one, there is no point in talking about it.

The fourth case is your personal achievements. It is likely that this girl had communication problems. She managed to work on herself and achieve success, there is no need to shout about it. The employer may regard this achievement as narrow-mindedness.

Basic rules of description

You must be able to present an example of work achievements in your resume correctly. To do this, follow 3 basic rules.

1. Let's be more specific. Do not describe the basic principles and methods of your work. When giving examples, please include your most significant professional accomplishments. Do it in the following way: “increased the percentage of sales by...%”, “accelerated the task completion time by... minutes/hours/days”, “trained... employees”, etc. And it doesn’t matter at all in what units you measure your achievements - the main thing is give clear numbers. If this is problematic, try to clearly but concisely outline the essence of the work done.
2. Tie your main professional achievements to a specific place of work. As a rule, in their resume, potential employees indicate 2–3 companies where they worked before and provide a short list of their merits.
3. Prove that you are qualified for the position you are trying to apply for. If you previously worked as an economist, look for a job based on this criterion. Do not apply for the position of chief accountant with skills and experience in the field in which you worked previously. A sample of your achievements as an economist in a resume for the position of chief accountant will be more than impractical. Most likely, you will immediately receive a refusal from the head of the company.

Question. So, what examples of achievements can you include on your resume? It all depends on which position you are applying for. If it's a leadership position, take care to describe your characteristics from a manager's perspective. If we are talking about an ordinary ordinary employee, stick to this line without deviating from it.

Why list your achievements?

• Any company is interested in employees who will lead it to prosperity, and not just perform their duties at an average level, so your success in previous jobs will demonstrate your promise.
• It’s better not to indicate a couple of personal qualities in your resume, but confirm them with facts in your “professional achievements.” Commitment must be demonstrated in action.
• A bad soldier is one who does not dream of becoming a general. “Bad soldiers” are unlikely to interest a successful, promising company.
• You don’t have to list your successes on your resume, but then don’t be surprised if you don’t even get called for an interview.
• You must describe yourself as an ideal “victim” of a headhunter, then a good company with a high motivation system will fall for you.

Is it worth adding credit to yourself?

If you want to get a position, then keep in mind that employers are interested in recruiting professionals. If you have nothing to brag about, you are radically changing your field of activity, or you are finding a job for the first time, then it is better to skip this column altogether.

Please note that the recruiter is able to check any achievements, be it:

• sales increase by 40% due to a change in negotiation strategy;
• introduction of accounting automation at retail outlets;
• development of new products as a technologist;
• introduction of a new labor incentive system that increases worker productivity.

An employer is unlikely to want to hire a person who has attributed non-existent achievements to himself on his resume, thereby trying to increase the likelihood of employment.

Good to know: What to write in your resume about the reasons for dismissal

Examples of professional achievements of an accountant

• Reducing the staff of economists by half as a result of the introduction of automation of calculations.
• 10 successfully completed tax audits.
• Enterprise software update.
• 5 checks on insurance contributions to the Pension Fund were successfully completed.
• Availability of a diploma of professional retraining.
• 12 completed inspections for compliance with labor laws.
• Three articles were published in the newspaper “All about Accounting”.
• 9 successful completions of external audit.
• She has a certificate of a professional accountant and is certified as a “Chief Accountant”.
• She was the supervisor-mentor of five student interns.

Teacher's professional achievements

• Certificate of honor from the Education Department for conscientious teaching work.
• Gratitude to the Ivanovo District Administration for the high-quality preparation of the winners and prize-winners of the regional research conference.
• Letter of gratitude from the Administration of the Petrovsky Municipal Formation for preparing the winner of the regional local history conference “My Land is Beautiful.”
• 15 open lessons were held.
• Participation in 5 regional and 7 district conferences.
• Organization of the “Skilled Musician” circle.
• 8 seminars were organized for city teachers.
• 5 webinars were held to exchange experiences among geography teachers.

Professional achievements of a doctor

• 250 successful operations were carried out.

• We managed to purchase new medical equipment: 3 fetal monitors and a Doppler.

• I have a training course certificate for the Medical Massage program.

• Successfully completed 10 medical equipment inventories.

• Completed a 6-hour first aid training course and have a certificate.

• Participated in an international scientific and practical conference.

• I have a certificate of honor from the mayor of the city for organizing and providing highly qualified medical care to the population during the epidemic.

Examples of teachers' achievements

What to write in a resume, what professional achievements can a teacher have? Taking into account all the above description rules, the following examples can be given:

• Receiving the title “Teacher of the Year”, winning competitions related to professionalism, obtaining certification, advanced training.
• A successfully written and defended doctoral dissertation or any other scientific work in the field of teaching.
• Organizing events for students with a high turnout rate.
• Involving third parties in the learning process who have had an important influence on the mentees (scientists, celebrities, well-known people).
• Successfully attracting and motivating students to volunteer, help those in need, and improve public life and the environment.
• Fruitful participation in the lives of children with poor living and social conditions, assistance in adaptation.
• Creation and maintenance of clubs, sections, interest groups.

A teacher is a person who participates in shaping not only the level of education of his students and knowledge about a specific subject, but also in drawing a picture of the world, establishing mental health and balance. All these points can increase the value of the personnel for the educational institution.

Professional achievements of a programmer

• Managed to save 20% of funds for the purchase of new equipment due to software optimization.

• Developed the organization's website.

• Developed a program that facilitated the process of converting archival documents into digital format and saved 10% of money.

• Reduced the number of emergency failures by 4 times by improving the functioning of the server.

What wording will not attract a recruiter?

We looked at examples of achievements in professional activities that can be indicated in a resume. Below are phrases that you should not write.

• Increased the efficiency of the department.
• At previous places of work, I performed my work efficiently and on time.
• After a year of work, I was one of the contenders for the position of head of the department.
• During 3 years of service I have not received a single reprimand.
• Resolved personal conflicts with the boss.

Block “Achievements” - examples and samples for resumes

Sep 24, 2012 A person who is seriously looking for a job is waiting for a call with an invitation to an interview in order to demonstrate his skills and knowledge. However, in order to be called to a meeting, your resume must be of interest to the employer. To do this, the applicant must fill out all the points correctly and competently.

As a rule, the “major achievements” item in a resume raises many questions among applicants. Candidates are at a loss for fear of appearing immodest. As a result, at best there will be one line indicated in this paragraph, at worst there will be a dash. Let's take a closer look at what to write in your achievements and why it is necessary.

Why does an employer need to know about your achievements?

To begin with, it is worth noting that if the employer is interested in this, then it is important and this point should not be left empty. Of course, your experience and skills play a major role in your resume. However, from this information it is impossible to understand how proactive a worker you are, how successfully you coped with your responsibilities and whether you are able to evaluate your successes.

The word achievement means setting a clear goal and obtaining the final result. This point will tell you how goal oriented and conscious you are. If your professional achievements have been recognized by management, please include this information in your resume. Emphasize that you were noticed, you were able to stand out among your colleagues.

It is also useful for candidates themselves to evaluate their achievements at work. From time to time, evaluate your experience and think about what you really did for the company and for your professional development. This will help you determine your future career path.

So, the main responsibilities of the “resume achievements” function are as follows:

• How much have you improved your skills as a professional during your career;

• Are you able to take responsibility;

• Can you evaluate your successes;

• Are you a goal-oriented person?

It is advisable that your answers correspond to the specified points.

How and what achievements should I list?

As you begin filling out this item, answer the following questions:

• How have you benefited the company since you started?

• What interesting experience did you learn from this?

• Think about what significant project you have completed?

• Are you trusted with work that goes beyond your responsibilities?

• What were you praised for at work?

• What successes did your management note?

Even in the most routine work, significant events can occur. Demonstrate your willingness to solve all tasks until the final result. For example, using effective words and expressions: not “I made successful reports on working with clients,” but “I made the work of creating reports on working with clients as effective as possible,” not “implemented” but “implemented.” In other words, describing a completed process.

Also, employers evaluate results presented in numbers more effectively. For example, he increased the number of transactions by 100%, brought 20% of new clients to the company, conducted 50 trainings for new staff, etc.

Don't write vaguely. The “achievements” section of your resume should be clearly structured, like other points. For example:

• Trained 10 new sales managers;

• Established office life support from scratch. Concluding contracts for the supply of water, lunch, and also with a cleaning company.

• Created a database for maintaining incoming and outgoing mail, where recipients and senders could track the status of their letters and documentation. As an achievement, I can note that not a single document was lost during my work.

Please note that if your achievements at work are a trade secret, and you cannot indicate indicators and figures, then you should indicate the information more vaguely, without violating your agreement with your previous employer. When trying to impress a recruiter, don't break the law. And even at an interview you shouldn’t say, “Actually, this is a secret, but I’ll tell you.” How can you be trusted after this?

If you want to get a position at a level higher than your current one, in other words, you want your career to grow vertically, focus on the following:

• Independent decision making;

• Substituting for a manager during his business trips/vacations/illnesses;

• Experience in planning, strategy development and management of ____ people.

If you would like to horizontally develop your career, expand and change responsibilities and functions, then it is worth indicating the following:

• Solved problems beyond the scope of my duties;

• During my work, I learned programs (name the skills and knowledge that you acquired).

Phrases that should not be included in achievements

• Increased the efficiency of the department. If this is your merit, describe in more detail how you did it, using numbers. This wording is vague;

• Set up work from scratch;

• Performed his work efficiently. These are not achievements, but your work responsibility;

• During my work I did not receive a single reprimand. Of course, you can be proud of this, but this information is definitely not for a potential employer;

• Providing sales. Everything related to sales must be presented in numbers.

Such formulations convey that you simply went to work and carried out your duties, even without reprimands or tardiness. In your achievements, you should highlight the most striking moments and describe them.

What achievements should a retail employee write, sample

• Retained clients during the crisis by developing an individual system of discounts and offers;

• Increased the company's profit by 20% by expanding the network in the market;

• Increased sales volume by 30%;

• Became “Best Seller of the Month” four times;

• Over the past year, he brought 50 new customers for our products to the company.

Of course, what exactly to write is up to you to decide when evaluating the result of your work.
Our tips will help you formulate your thoughts correctly. After you have compiled a list of achievements, look through the eyes of a recruiter, would you be interested in such an employee? Or you will have questions and something remains unclear to you. Then you will understand what points need to be changed to attract the attention of a potential employer. job search writing a resume resume achievements