Open Doors to Opportunity : Include Achievements in Your Resume

In a previous post we talked about the importance of ACHIEVEMENTS. An achievement is similar to an accomplishment, in other words, it is thinking about what you have done in the past and provides value or solutions to your employer.

It’s simple:  you did it before, you can do it again, and, maybe, you have the solution for the potential employer’s problems.  Maybe you are “the one” they have been looking for. If you are, you may get that opportunity that you want so much.

We shared with you some questions to help you think about what you have done so that you can present your achievements to your potential employers as you put together your resume.  We also promised that we would show you how to turn them into achievements. 

Let’s look again at each one of those questions.

• How many whatevers did you sell?
• Suggestions:
• Sold (number) whatevers in six months surpassing initial sales goals by xx%.
• Exceeded sales goals of whatevers by xx% receiving recognition from Division Manager.
• Established record for selling whatevers in department during XYZ promotional event.
• How did you save your company money?
• Suggestions:
• Reduced expenses in office supplies by XX% after negotiating contract with vendor.
• Created information sharing tool for internal clients to conduct queries about status of their orders.  Prepared quick reference guide for users.  
• What problem did you help to solve?
• Suggestions:
• Collaborated in team that established new procedure for xxxx.
• Identified solution to (challenge) teaming with  X, Y, and Z departments.
• What new ideas did you bring to your team?
• Suggestions:
• Proposed alternative to engage customers while waiting for service resulting in xx% of cross-sales.
• Implemented daily group huddles to motivate team at the beginning of each shift.
• How did you lead others?
• Suggestions:
• Obtained xx% participation in employee survey.
• Supervised team of XX non-exempt employees in call center that operated 24/7.
• What projects did you complete?
• Suggestions:
• Led implementation of new financial application with the support of (number) external vendors.
• Designed and executed plan to increase repeated business from key accounts.
• Which processes did you redesign?
• Suggestions:
• Streamlined process to complete (process) by (time) leading to cost savings of $XXX.
• Identified unnecessary steps in (process) decreasing cycle time by xx%.

Are you ready? . . . Remember:

·         Start each sentence with an action verb in past tense. You already did it.

·         Quantify your achievements. Employers value numbers.

·         Use different verbs. Show your vocabulary.

·         Include the result or benefit.  Employers will pay you to get or do something.

·         Decide which ones are more important for the position that you want.  Put those at the top.

Your past achievements will help you to create a new future.