Resume Accomplishment Statements

A common weakness with many resumes is the absence of accomplishment statements embedded within the listed experiences. It’s easy to write the general expectations for a particular job, internship, or volunteer opportunity, but it is more important to explain what YOU did well. This is done through accomplishment statements.

A well-formulated accomplishment statement has two parts:

The results or benefits that came as a result of your work. These results/benefits should be stated in terms of the value added and in as tangible and quantified a manner as possible.
The action you took to achieve those benefits/results.

An employer talks to students at a job and internship fair.

How to Write Accomplishment Statements

An accomplishment is service that goes beyond your usual job description. The best accomplishment statements describe how you added value by increasing efficiency, saving time, and saving money.

Always start with an action word

Good: “Responsible for leading team for classroom assignments.”
Better: “Directed team of 4 classmates to complete assignment on time”

Attempt to quantify

Good: “Routed calls to Annual Giving staff.”
Better: “Routed over 100 calls daily to Annual Giving staff of 10.”

State first the benefit to the employer and then what you did to accomplish the result

Good: “Developed a marketing strategy that increased student involvement by 15%”
Better: “Increased student involvement by 15% through a creative marketing strategy."

Gathering Information

As an exercise to gather your career achievements, review your former jobs and roles and responsibilities within each position. Ask yourself what tasks you performed. What did you do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Now think about the challenges you faced while performing these duties. Accomplishments are often the result of creative solutions to unique or ongoing challenges.

Think of times when you:

Increased profits
Reduced costs
Reduced errors
Reduced conflict
Improved teamwork
Changed the status quo
Foresaw a need
Foresaw a problem
Found an easier solution
Found a cheaper solution
Found a new opportunity
Accomplished the same with less
Accomplished more with the same
Accomplished more than others
Prevented a problem
Solved a chronic problem
Developed a new procedure
Created something from scratch
Overcame obstacles
Received an award