Accomplishments for a Resume: List of 70+ Good Examples
Accomplishments for a Resume: List of 70+ Good Examples
A dealbreaker. That’s how recruiters see an application without achievements. Don’t let that break your job hunt. Learn everything you must know about accomplishments for a resume.
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
Accomplishments for a resume are instances when you exceeded expectations. These can include saving money, boosting profits, increasing productivity, implementing new systems, winning awards, etc. Mention as many as possible, including at least one in the summary, experience, and education sections.
But making that happen may sound like a tall order. After all, perhaps you’re better with numbers than words, which is okay. The following guide works for everyone.
This guide will show you:
What accomplishments for a resume are.
How to add accomplishments to your resume.
Examples of achievements for resumes of many professionals, like customer service and teachers.
Samples for inexperienced candidates, like high school students and entry-level.
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Resume accomplishments show you can get strong results by sharing your track record of success. They also highlight your strengths and how much you improved things in previous jobs, making your resume more attractive to recruiters. They help you stand out, as recruiters get 5,000 resumes annually.
Expert hint: Studies show that people see proud individuals as more competent if they don’t overdo it and get arrogant. In an interview, be proud. Share your resume achievements. But be humble by mentioning collaboration and expressing gratitude for the opportunity received.
How to Identify Accomplishments for a Resume?
To figure out the achievements for a resume, ask yourself these questions:
Did you surpass your job’s primary goal?
Did you increase profits?
Did you save money?
Did you implement new ideas?
Did you own any projects outside of your primary duties?
Did you receive any awards?
Picture things like cutting costs, boosting productivity, or solving a problem. Here are a few examples of things that’ll impress the recruiter.
Examples of Professional Accomplishments for a Resume
Sales Achievements: Are you making a sales associate resume or a similar one? You can tell recruiters when you boosted sales or overdelivered on your sales goals.
Cost Savings: These are when you save your employers a good buck by implementing new systems, revamping procedures, or researching cheaper vendors and solutions.
Leadership and Teamwork: Mention achievements about the leadership skills you used to lead projects, give feedback to colleagues, or mentor junior team members.
Customer service: These include increasing satisfaction rates and the number of customers served. Companies want you to do the same for them.
Awards for a Resume
Putting job awards on a resume highlights your achievements, making you stand out. It shows that others recognized your hard work, making you more trustworthy. Awards also make your resume more interesting and easier to remember for employers. They prove that you're good at what you do and can bring special skills to a job.
Awards to Put on a Resume–Examples
Industry Recognition Award: Received the "Innovation Excellence Award" at the Annual Chemistry Summit for pioneering work in developing eco-friendly catalysts.
Leadership Accolade: Honored with the "Outstanding Student Leader" award for guiding a team of peers in organizing the university's Science Fair.
Customer Service Recognition: Recognized as "Customer Service Star of the Quarter" for consistently delivering exceptional service and resolving complex issues.
Community Service Honor: Received the "Community Impact Award" for dedicated volunteer work in organizing science outreach programs for underprivileged students.
Team Collaboration Recognition: Honored as a "Collaboration Champion" for fostering effective teamwork and cooperation in a high-pressure research environment.
Personal Achievements for a Resume
If you’re making an entry-level resume, mention personal achievements. Writing a student’s resume after learning a new language in two years shows your discipline. That’s a great example, but only one. So, see five more.
Personal Achievements for a Resume–Examples
Creative Pursuit: Try to connect it with the job you seek. Mentioning that you started a blog is a good idea if you’re writing a copywriter's resume.
Public Speaking: Communication skills should be more appreciated. Their absence can derail entire projects. Have you spoken at events? Include that on your resume!
Technological Mastery: Your technical skills can make recruiters go crazy if you’ve mastered an impressive skill like Natural Language Processing (NLP).
Lifelong Learning: Did you take a CCNA exam to improve your programmer’s resume? Recruiters appreciate those who are curious and want to boost their skills.
Mentorship: Mention the times you helped people improve, like tutoring high schoolers to boost their grades. It shows you have didactic and empathy, which is crucial if you want to lead a team one day!
Expert hint: Take advantage of hyperlinks. Do you have a portfolio or a website where recruiters can see your projects? Put a link to it on your resume’s header!
Resume Accomplishments vs. Job Responsibilities vs. Job Duties
Job responsibilities are your primary duties. Adding them to your resume is vital for recruiters to understand your skillset, but they aren’t achievements. Accomplishments are moments when you exceed your responsibilities. Here’s an example:
Job responsibility/job duty
Providing excellent customer service, addressing inquiries, and resolving issues.
Resume achievement
Provided excellent customer service, improving customer satisfaction by 10% in six months, according to in-store surveys.
How to Write Accomplishments for a Resume
There’s a formula you can use here. You may have forgotten the ones you’ve learned in algebra classes, but you’ll surely remember this one. To write an accomplishment for your resume, follow the steps below:
1. Decide What Accomplishments You Should Put on Your Resume
The job ad tells you what you need to know. It lists what the recruiter wants in a perfect candidate, and you can use this information to your advantage. Only include on your resume accomplishments that show you’re a good match for what they seek. Read an example.
Look at part of this ad seeking accountants:
What You'll Do:
Managing financial records, transactions, and reports with meticulous attention to detail.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure financial compliance and accuracy.
Contributing your expertise to budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
An accounting resume for this job should list achievements related to the topics above. So, a targeted resume for that position could look like this:
2. Determine How Many Accomplishments You Need
The more, the better! As long as they’re relevant. Organize them using bullet points on your resume. There you go. Now it’s time to put ink to paper.
3. Structure Your Accomplishment Statements Correctly
Too long? Boring. Too short? Confusing. You must find the sweet spot in the middle, which may sound complicated. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a fail-proof formula: Accomplishments statement = Action verb + project + result + number (by how much).
Here are some examples written using this formula.
Examples of Accomplishment Statements
Led the development of a new filling system, boosting productivity by 10%.
Mentored new hires, increasing onboarding satisfaction rates by 20%.
Revamped the inventory management process, reducing waste by 30%.
Developed a new sales technique, growing sales by 15%.
Let’s break down the last example:
Action verb: Developed
Project: A new sales technique
Result: Increased sales
Number (by how much): by 15%
But do you need numbers? You’ve improved things. Isn’t that enough? No. Read why below.
4. Be Sure to Include Numbers
Recruiters want to know how much you’ve improved things so they may understand the significance of your achievements. So, always include a way to tell that. Using numbers is the easiest.
But what kind of numbers can you include on your resume’s accomplishments? Think about your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Read below some examples to inspire you.
What to Put for Accomplishments on a Resume
Customer Retention: Implemented a personalized loyalty program that increased customer retention by 25% within the first quarter.
Efficiency: Introduced an automated task management system, improving team efficiency by 30%.
Leads: Executed a targeted social media campaign, generating 500% more leads than the previous quarter (Good for a marketing resume).
Quality Measures: Implemented rigorous quality control protocols, resulting in a 15% reduction in product defects.
Website Traffic: Optimized website content and structure, doubling organic traffic in three months (Great for an SEO specialist resume).
Cost: Found cheaper vendors without sacrificing quality, reducing operating costs by 20%.
Website Authority: Executed a comprehensive backlink strategy, boosting domain authority by 15%.
Delivery Time: Implemented a streamlined logistics process, reducing delivery times by 15% and enhancing customer satisfaction by 20%.
Social Media Engagement: Orchestrated engaging social media campaigns, leading to a 40% increase in overall engagement (Perfect for a social media resume).
Customer Satisfaction: Proactively addressed customer concerns, resulting in a 25% improvement in overall satisfaction.
ROI: Implemented data-driven marketing strategies, achieving an impressive ROI of 150% on advertising campaigns.
Membership: Launched an exclusive membership program, increasing sign-ups by 30% within the first month.
Conversion Rate: A/B tested and optimized landing pages, boosting conversion rates by 20% for key product offerings.
Employees Trained: Designed and delivered workshops for 5 junior team members (Works well for a life coaching resume).
Customer Turnover Rate: Implemented targeted retention initiatives, resulting in a 15% reduction in customer turnover.
Sales Figures: Developed and executed a strategic sales plan, contributing to a 25% increase in annual sales figures.
Market Share: Launched market expansion initiatives, capturing an additional 10% share within the industry.
New Customers: Executed successful referral programs, bringing in a 20% increase in new customer acquisition.
Quota Attainment: Consistently exceeded sales quotas, achieving 120% of the target for three consecutive quarters.
Installs: Orchestrated a successful product launch, resulting in a 50% increase in app installs.
Profits: Created a new business strategy, which boosted monthly earnings by 15%.
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6. Add the Right Keywords to Your Resume Accomplishments
ATS. These letters can make or break your career. They stand for “Applicant Tracking System,” the software recruiters use to find resumes by typing keywords. You want them to find yours. So, it helps if you use the right resume keywords, which is simple.
Read the job ad and put on your resume accomplishments that reflect what it wants. Also, pay attention to the precise wording the recruiters used, and try to use the same terms they did.
This step may seem like a detail, but it’ll make it easier for them to find you, and they will appreciate the effort. 71% of recruiters prefer personalized resumes.
7. Pick Where to Put Accomplishments on Your Resume
The best sections of your resume for accomplishments depend on your profile. Are you a seasoned professional? Add them to your resume’s summary and work experience sections. As the examples below show, they let you discuss your career with some context.
Example of an Accomplishment in the Resume Summary
Energetic cashier with 5 years of experience handling transactions accurately and providing excellent customer service. Looking to support Target in delivering seamless payment experiences by using extensive expertise in handling high-volume transactions. Implemented a new cash-handling procedure at Lowe’s, reducing monthly errors by 20%.
Example of Accomplishment in the Resume Work Experience Section
Cashier
Lowe’s, Charlotte, NC
June 2020–Present
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Processing customer transactions accurately and efficiently.
Handling cash, credit, and check transactions precisely.
Providing excellent customer service, addressing inquiries, and resolving issues.
Maintaining a clean and organized checkout area.
Key Accomplishment:
Implemented a new cash-handling procedure, reducing monthly errors by 20%.
There you go! But what if you’re an entry-level candidate, like a high school student or a recent graduate who’s writing a college application? Put your accomplishments on your resume’s objective and education sections. The examples below will show you how.
Example of Accomplishment in the Resume Objective
Enthusiastic college student with a BA in Sociology from the University of Las Vegas seeking an internship opportunity with Bright Sunset Inc. to use communication skills to help create effective social campaigns. Experienced in project planning, time management, and problem-solving, with notable achievements in research projects and the workplace. Organized and led 20 fundraisers in the local community, consistently exceeding the campaign goals by at least 20%.
Example of Accomplishment in the Education Section
Honors High School Diploma
Charlotte High School, Charlotte, NC
September 2016–June 2019
Relevant Extracurricular Activities
Coordinated with local businesses to organize charity events.
Organized a fundraiser for supplies.
Established and managed a school newspaper.
Earned first place and recognition at the regional science fair.
Academic Accomplishment:
Led a student-led coding club, leading to a 30% increase in student participation.
8. Track Accomplishments at Work for the Future
Make it easier on yourself. Create an accomplishment log. It’s a document where you register all the noteworthy things you’ve done. It’ll make updating your resume much easier, and you’ll never miss out on a promotion for forgetting half your achievements on your resume.
Expert hint: Since you’ve excelled at your duties, request a recommendation letter when looking for a new job. Ideally, you should ask one from someone familiar with your work, like a former manager.
Accomplishments Examples for Every Profession
What you’ve learned applies to all careers. And if you need some inspiration, below are sample accomplishments for resumes of several professions that you can tweak to your needs.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Key Points
Remember to mention accomplishments when writing your cover letter. For now, save your resume in a PDF to ensure recruiters can read your achievements without issues. After all, you should be proud of what you achieved with this advice:
Use your KPIs to determine your best achievements.
Always use numbers when describing your accomplishments.
Tailor your resume achievements to the job ad.
Put your accomplishments in your resume summary, experience, and education sections.
Are you still wondering how to list accomplishments on your resume? Not sure how to pick the best ones? Leave me a comment. Let’s chat!
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At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog annually.
Caio is an expert in professional development and holds a certification in resume writing. He has accumulated 4+ years of experience in this field. His approach is to merge entertainment concepts with resumes, thus making your application more captivating.