You can create an accomplishment statement by describing what you did (the action you took), the context in which you did it (with whom, for whom), and the results or outcomes of your actions. Sometimes, when you don’t know the outcome or result, you can substitute your goal by indicating what you intended to have happened. Ask yourself WHY did you need to complete that particular task?
BEFORE
Responsible for laundering towels and cleaning tanning beds
AFTER
Maintained facilities by strictly adhering to management procedures in order to meet health and safety standards
BEFORE
Served food to customers
AFTER
Assessed dining preferences of diverse customers and fulfilled requests within a high-volume environment resulting in loyal customers and average tips 20% greater than those of other servers
BEFORE
Started a tutoring program for college students
AFTER
Created new tutoring program for 10 college algebra students resulting in 25% improvement in exam grades
When thinking about what to include on a resume, people often make the mistake of focusing on what they did the most on their job when describing their work experiences. It is more important to focus on what is most relevant to the job you’re trying to get and what you accomplished in your prior positions, even if you did something only once. For example, if you spent a lot of time answering phones, you should not make your first bullet point (or ANY bullet point) about answering phones, unless that’s the kind of work you want to continue doing.
As you begin to analyze your work or volunteer experiences, no matter how minor they may seem, think about the following:
Also, think about times you may have: