Accomplishment Statements
Accomplishment statements illustrate the skills you used or actions you took in your jobs and the results of your “work.” Avoid using “responsible for” and “duties included.” A well-formulated accomplishment has two parts:
- The results or benefits that came as a result of your work.These results should be stated in terms of the value added, tangible, and quantified. Quantifiers: %, $, frequency (daily, monthly, etc.)
- The action you took to achieve the benefits/results.
When drafting your accomplishments – ask yourself the following questions:
- What you did?
- Why did you do it?
- What were the results?
- What are the specifics (quantifiers)?
- Does your wording and content focus on information most relevant to your industry or desired job?
Accomplishments may include:
- Saving time or money (i.e.: finishing projects on time/early; projects being under budget)
- Increasing productivity or customer satisfaction
- Reducing costs or complaints
- Improving or streamlining procedures or products
- Increased productivity or customer satisfaction
- Eliminating problems (small and large scale)
- Overcoming small and large challenges
- Enhancing performance or quality
- Managing a crisis effectively
- Any unique contributions or special projects or assignments you worked on
Formula for writing accomplishment statements:
Action Verb + Object + Context + Results
Action verb: managed, planned, exceeded, initiated
Object: managed website design project, planned a promotional event, exceeded monthly sales quota
Context: (describe and quantify) who you did it for, time frame, number of people, size of budget, type of population
Results: the effect of your effort (quantify when possible) on the implementation, improved sales, increased enrollment
Good accomplishment statements
- Automated and refined monthly metrics reporting process utilizing advanced Excel functionality, saving the company $20,000 annually.
- Designed website and launched a social media campaign and electronic mail distribution list for the Drexel Marketing Association to increased member participation at club events by 35%.
- Used an electronic appointment system to schedule student appointments for staff of eight
- Scheduled over 425 employer appointments with students during on-campus recruitment
- Introduced approximately 50 students weekly to office services
- Increased annual sales of office career manual by 20% by creating display space
Poor accomplishment statements
- Made appointments for counselors
- Answered phones
- Showed students career library
- Sold Guide to Career Planning
- Helped improve processes