How to Write Resume Achievements That Get You Hired [Examples]

Key Points to Remember

• Resume achievements are your notable accomplishments, often described using an action verb, the task, a metric, and the positive outcome.
• Examining resume achievement examples can provide valuable guidance when crafting your own.
• Minova's AI Resume Builder can assist in creating more impactful resume achievements in less time.

Your resume provides a concise overview of your work history and skills. So, what can make it truly shine and capture a hiring manager's interest? The answer lies in effectively showcasing your professional accomplishments.

Many job seekers make the mistake of simply listing duties that mirror their job description. However, this doesn't demonstrate to employers why you're the right fit. Highlighting achievements in your resume's work experience section can help you stand out by providing a clearer picture of your capabilities.

Fortunately, you don't have to navigate this alone. You can leverage AI-powered resume builders to help write your achievements, ensuring you're never starting from scratch. This guide also explains how to craft compelling resume achievements manually, if you prefer.

What Exactly Are Resume Achievements?

Resume achievements are the accomplishments you highlight on your resume. They should focus on how you've contributed to a specific role, department, or organization, using concrete and measurable results. This includes any awards received and specific metrics, such as numbers or KPIs, to illustrate your impact.

Types of Achievements to Include

When showcasing your accomplishments, you can draw from various aspects of your life, provided they're relevant to the job you're targeting. Whether personal, professional, or academic, each type of achievement helps create a more complete picture of your qualifications and strengths. Here's a breakdown of the main categories:

Personal Achievements

These are milestones or accomplishments outside of your professional life. This could include volunteer work, personal projects, or relevant hobbies that demonstrate skills like leadership, creativity, or perseverance. While not directly related to the job, they can highlight valuable traits.

Professional Achievements

These are directly related to your career and demonstrate the impact you've made in previous roles. These accomplishments often focus on measurable results, such as increased revenue, process improvements, or successful project management. Highlighting these showcases your ability to drive results.

Academic Achievements

These reflect your educational background and accomplishments in academic settings. This could include awards, scholarships, high GPAs, or research projects. These are particularly important for those early in their career or transitioning to new industries where education is a key requirement.

Examples of Resume Achievements

Achievement examples serve as key highlights that show your ability to contribute effectively to a company or project. Below are examples covering problem-solving, growth-driving, and goal-achieving scenarios to inspire you.

Personal Achievement Examples

• Organized a charity event that raised $10,000.
• Completed an advanced Excel course, improving data skills and efficiency by 20%.
• Led a team of 15 volunteers for a community garden project.
• Attracted 5,000 monthly readers through a personal blog on digital marketing.
• Reduced waste by 30% through a neighborhood recycling initiative.
• Grew a local networking group to 50 members.
• Won a public speaking award after completing a course.
• Mentored five junior colleagues, improving their performance and productivity by 15%.
• Completed a self-paced Python course, improving task automation by 25%.

Professional Achievement Examples

• Increased website traffic by 52% in 12 months.
• Implemented cost-saving measures and reduced expenses by 30%.
• Streamlined bookkeeping protocols, reducing errors by 15%.
• Managed a team of 10 employees and increased customer retention rates by 7%.
• Consolidated vendors, saving the company $35,000 annually.
• Exceeded sales targets by 25% in Q1.
• Led the DEI committee, leading to a 91% company approval rating on workplace inclusivity.
• Secured five major partnerships for a media campaign.

Academic Achievement Examples

• Graduated with a 3.9 GPA in Computer Science.
• Completed a research project published in a peer-reviewed journal, attracting a $25,000 grant.
• Received a full academic scholarship for outstanding academic performance.
• Led a team of 6 to win a national business case competition, resulting in internship offers for all team members.
• Earned Dean’s List honors for six consecutive semesters.

How to Effectively Write Resume Achievements

Writing an effective achievement statement is straightforward. Here's a framework to transform any work accomplishment into an attention-grabbing resume highlight:

Resume Achievement Formula:

Action Verb + Noun + Metric + [Strategy Optional] + Outcome = 1 bulleted achievement

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of this formula:

Action Verb

Begin each achievement with a strong action verb that highlights what you did. Examples include "led," "designed," "increased," or "improved." This creates an active statement that clearly defines your role.

Noun

The noun describes what you worked on or influenced, such as a process, project, team, or product. This provides context for your action and connects it to something tangible.

Metric

The metric demonstrates the impact of your achievement. It can be a percentage, dollar amount, or any quantifiable data that shows the significance of your work. Including metrics makes your achievements more concrete and impressive.

Strategy (Optional)

If applicable, add details on the strategy, method, or skills used to achieve the result. This provides extra depth and relevance.

Outcome

Finally, state the positive result or impact of your action. Focus on outcomes that align with the target role, such as cost savings or productivity increases.

Example:

Led a team (Action Verb + Noun) to redesign the company's website (Noun), improving user engagement by 25% (Metric) and increasing sales conversions by 10% (Outcome).

Step 1: Identify Your Achievements

A common question among job seekers is, "How do I write my achievements in my resume?" Showcasing your achievements can be challenging, but breaking it down with the right questions simplifies the process.

Consider these questions:

• What did I improve?
• Did I help reduce company costs?
• How did I contribute to increased efficiency?
• Where did I exceed a goal or KPI?
• Was I recognized with an award or honor?

Adding quantifiable data further enhances your achievements, demonstrating the impact you made. Numerical metrics are a great way to showcase results, highlighting the scope of your responsibilities, the percentage of improvement, savings achieved, or how much a goal was exceeded.

When listing your accomplishments, combine personal and professional achievements. For those with less work experience, personal achievements like academic awards or significant hobbies can be valuable, especially if relevant to the role.

Step 2: Select Strong Action Verbs

An action verb demonstrates a specific action. Choose verbs that tell interesting stories about what you're most proud of achieving. Select scenarios where your actions led to significant results. Be concise and specific, using action verbs like increased, elevated, created, and revamped.

Consider these action verbs:

• Analyzed
• Directed
• Integrated
• Conducted
• Produced
• Generated
• Administered
• Organized
• Facilitated
• Evaluated
• Coordinated
• Demonstrated
• Tested
• Developed
• Communicated
• Overhauled
• Taught
• Guided
• Collaborated
• Trained

Step 3: Quantify with Metrics

Metrics provide measurable evidence of your success. Instead of a vague statement like "Saved the company money," specify, "Saved the company $75,000 by reducing the operating budget." Quantifying helps employers understand the concrete impact you've had.

Common resume achievement metrics:

• Annual revenue
• Profit
• Conversion rates
• Retention rates
• Project completion time
• Customer satisfaction
• Sales

Different professions may focus on other metrics. Research common OKRs and KPIs for your industry to craft compelling and relevant achievements.

Examples of achievement metrics:

• Increased follower count by 100,000 across social media accounts.
• Implemented a new SEO strategy, boosting website traffic by 52% in the past year.
• Analyzed hundreds of online reviews to develop a strategy to increase customer satisfaction.
• Created a new curriculum, raising test scores by 23% from the previous school year.

The best metric depends on your industry and role. Choose the one that sounds most impressive, whether expressed as a percentage, dollar amount, or time saved.

Step 4: Include Your Strategy and Skills

Adding the strategy you used and the skills that contributed to your achievements provides more depth. Including how you accomplished something gives hiring managers insight into your problem-solving abilities, thought process, and expertise.

Examples of achievements with strategy and skills:

• Increased open rate by 31% for the company newsletter in 4 weeks by implementing A/B testing and email segmentation.
• Developed a training program using cross-functional collaboration tools that helped onboard 10 new employees in three months.
• Created and executed a sales strategy focused on customer retention, increasing revenue by 65% in two years.

By showcasing the strategy and skills involved, you give potential employers a fuller picture of your capabilities.

Step 5: Focus on the Outcome

When writing achievements, the outcome truly matters. It shows the direct impact of your actions and helps employers understand the value you brought to previous roles. A measurable outcome, such as a timeframe or specific result, makes your achievements stand out even more.

Examples of outcome-focused achievements:

• Increased open rate by 31% for the company newsletter in 4 weeks by implementing a new strategy.
• Trained 10 new employees over three months, improving onboarding efficiency and reducing ramp-up time.
• Developed a sales system that increased revenue by 65% in two years, contributing to the company’s overall growth.

What Achievements Should You Include?

When crafting your resume, include different types of achievements to showcase your diverse capabilities and impact:

• Revenue & Sales: Meeting or exceeding sales targets, increasing revenue, or improving profit margins.
• Process Improvements: Streamlining workflows, reducing costs, or implementing new systems.
• Leadership & Team Management: Growing and managing teams, improving team performance, or successful project leadership.
• Customer Success: Improving satisfaction rates, reducing complaints, or expanding the client base.
• Technical Innovations: Implementing new technologies, developing solutions, or improving systems.
• Training & Development: Creating training programs, mentoring colleagues, or improving team skills.
• Cost Savings: Reducing expenses, negotiating better contracts, or optimizing budgets.
• Awards & Recognition: Industry awards, company recognition, or professional certifications.

Quantify these achievements whenever possible with specific metrics or percentages to demonstrate your concrete impact.

Achievement Examples for Your Resume

Below are examples of achievements you can include. These will help you understand how to highlight your contributions in a way that resonates with potential employers, whether they're professional, personal, or academic.

Achievement Examples for Students

If you're a student, you may have limited work experience, which is perfectly normal. You can still highlight accomplishments by including your GPA, academic awards, and volunteer opportunities.

Student achievement examples:

• Maintained a 3.8 GPA over four years.
• Received the Best Innovative Scientist award.
• Volunteered at Memorial Hospital, reading to sick children.
• Created a short film used at new student orientation.
• Learned X, Y, Z programming languages.
• Completed a year abroad in Spain, becoming fluent in Spanish.

Achievement Examples for New Graduates

Graduating is a milestone, marking the end of one chapter and the start of another. Joining the job market can be daunting, especially with limited job experience. Here are some pre-career achievements to consider:

Recent graduate resume achievement examples:

• Graduated with honors.
• Contributed to a successful launch of a new product during a marketing internship.
• Organized the end-of-year fundraising drive for the Arts Department, leading to $20,000 in donations.
• Presented original research at the Future of Biology conference.
• Completed training to become a certified crisis counselor at the Crisis Text Line.
• Worked part-time at the Office of Student Affairs while attending school full-time and maintaining a 3.9 GPA.

Achievement Examples for Management

Experienced managers have a range of achievements to consider. Choose the most impactful ones that relate to the job description.

Resume achievement examples for managers:

• Identified new revenue streams and increased profits by 40% in 18 months.
• Increased retention rates by 50% in two years after implementing new employee programs.
• Reduced a $500,000 budget by 15% by streamlining vendor relationships.
• Managed a team of 23 agents working collaboratively with other departments.
• Elevated new employees’ skills through career development initiatives, reducing project completion time by 30%.
• Maintained a roster of clients with an average of 93% customer satisfaction for five years.

Achievement Examples for Sales

If you're in sales, you know how to sell products. With resume accomplishments, you need to sell yourself. Sales is a metric-heavy industry, so you likely have recorded data in your CRM to pull from.

Resume achievement examples for sales:

• Generated $600,000 in revenue over the past year for a new product.
• Created upselling protocols, increasing the average transaction by 23% in six months.
• Trained five new sales consultants in three months, resulting in a 200% increase in sales.
• Transitioned to a new CRM, reducing reporting errors by 20%.
• Established major partnerships, increasing brand visibility and boosting sales by 37%.
• Increased closing rate by 41% in two years.

Achievement Examples for Nonprofits

Nonprofit employees work in a range of industries. Listing achievements is key to landing your next role or transitioning to the private sector.

Resume achievement examples for nonprofits:

• Increased volunteer participation by 60% in two years.
• Developed new educational programs, serving 2,000 low-income community members.
• Managed various grants from 20+ funding partners over three years.
• Led a team of 10 teaching artists providing free art classes to 500 students over the school year.
• Organized a gala, resulting in $250,000 in donations in one night.
• Improved community outreach, resulting in 28% higher participation in six months.

Achievement Examples for Human Resources (HR)

HR professionals are often the backbone of a company, wearing many hats. When writing achievements, HR pros should include their diverse range of experiences.

Resume achievement examples for HR:

• Implemented a new employee wellness program, reducing healthcare costs by 27% in one year.
• Facilitated sexual harassment training among all employees every two years to comply with local laws.
• Mediated employee conflicts and disputes, reducing complaints by 42% in two years.
• Managed 10+ vendor relationships as part of the employee benefits package.
• Redesigned an employee training program, saving the company $10,000.
• Developed a new system for employee reviews, increasing satisfaction by 33% in one year.

How to List Achievements on Your Resume

Now that you know how to write achievements, it’s time to order them appropriately.

Where do you list achievements?

While you can highlight some achievements in your resume summary and cover letter, most will be resume bullet points within the work experience section. This makes it easier for a hiring manager to scan and focus on your past experiences.

Here's a breakdown of what you need for each section:

Professional Summary

Your professional summary should include 1-2 of your top accomplishments. Focus on those that have driven results in the way the company is looking for.

Work Experience

Your most recent position should have three to five bullet points. Older positions may only have a couple, or none at all. This draws attention to your most recent, relevant roles and avoids lengthy resumes.

Cover Letter

While not part of your resume, your cover letter is part of your application package. Don’t just repeat everything in your resume. Instead, focus on highlighting one or two key achievements that demonstrate why you're the best fit for a specific role. Use your cover letter to provide context, explaining how these accomplishments align with the company's needs.

Including Awards

Your resume achievements section should convey how you’ve contributed to the company. Should you include awards?

If you’re a recent graduate or have taken a break, it can make sense. Additionally, if the award is related to your career, it can add more credibility to your work experience. Add an awards section and include relevant information like the award name, organization, and date received.

Why Resume Achievements Matter

One of the most common resume mistakes is not being specific. Job seekers who simply repeat their job duties won’t stand out. Highlighting your specific accomplishments makes you stand out to hiring managers.

Speaking to your achievements in your resume summary and work experience sections can bring your job duties to life and show more of your characteristics, skills, and abilities. It shows that you not only did your job, but also excelled, especially when tied to relevant experience that aligns with the role.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I quantify achievements in my resume if my role was not sales or target-driven?

To quantify achievements in non-sales roles, focus on the impact of your work. Use metrics like time saved, efficiency increased, customer satisfaction scores, or the number of projects completed. For example, "Streamlined the onboarding process, reducing new employee training time by 30%."

What are examples of achievements on a resume?

Examples of resume achievements include measurable accomplishments such as "Increased sales by 25% in Q1" or "Reduced operating costs by 20% in a fiscal year." These achievements should focus on the impact you've made using specific metrics that demonstrate your contribution to a company or project.

How do you identify your top 5 achievements?

To identify your top 5 achievements, reflect on moments when you made a measurable impact, such as improving efficiency, saving costs, or hitting targets. Consider areas where you exceeded expectations or received recognition, then quantify these achievements with numbers to show their significance.

How do you put your achievements in your resume?

To include achievements in your resume, use a bullet point format under each relevant job experience. Start with a strong action verb, mention the task or project, and then highlight measurable outcomes using metrics, like "Led a team to increase revenue by 30% in six months."