Five Steps to Writing about Achievements on a Resume

Beth Rifkin reports:

"Brainstorm about work accomplishments for five minutes. Set a timer and write down any work-related achievement that comes to your mind, no matter how small it may seem. This exercise can help you think beyond everyday tasks in terms of accomplishments. Include any special projects on which...you worked, [any time] that you received praise, promotions, challenging assignments or anything that made you feel proud while performing your jobs...Choose your favorite three to five accomplishments for each position on your resume and quantify them. Placing achievements in measurable terms can help the hiring manager see how you contributed to the bottom line in the companies where you worked. Rather than saying, 'Developed a company-wide system that reduced the use of paper,' include a measurable factor such as, 'Developed a company-wide system that reduced the use of paper by 47 percent.' Depending on the size of the company, 47 percent less paper can translate into a considerable amount of money...Include action words in your achievement statements. Action words can make your statements more powerful. Instead of, 'Was in charge of the organizational project,' say something like, 'Spearheaded a multilevel organizational project, hand-picking a specialized team of engineers to bring the project to a swift and successful conclusion that resulted in a decrease in company-wide energy use by 12 percent.'...Place the greatest achievement at the top of the list under the respective position. Starting the explanation of your duties and responsibilities with an ambitious achievement can really make your resume stand out among the competition...Include any customer satisfaction statements that you received with your accomplishments. Customers are the crux of consumer-based businesses. Having a positive customer service experience is certainly [bragworthy]. Turn the experience into a professional action statement."