how to write accomplishment statements in resume

Sample List of Accomplishments for Resume (35+ Examples)

By Biron Clark

Published: March 1, 2024

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

Listing accomplishments on your resume can get you more job interviews and get you hired faster.

Yet many job seekers don’t know the right way to list accomplishments and professional achievements on a resume.

Coming up, we’ll look at:

• 35+ resume accomplishment examples
• How to brainstorm your own list of achievements to write about
• Where on your resume to include this information

35+ Professional Achievement and Accomplishment Examples

Below are 35 examples of good accomplishment statements for your resume. Coming up after this, I’ll share more on how to brainstorm a list of your own achievements.

Accomplishment Examples for Students and New Grads:

• Led class project to research and present financial forecasts for global markets
• Dean’s List 2019
• Delivered presentation on diffusion and osmosis as a part of Biology 301 course, earning a 100% grade in the class
• Active member of university debate club
• Varsity soccer, 2018-2019

As you can see, you can mix a variety of academic awards, club and sport participation, presentations and projects, and your grades! These are all fair game when writing resume achievements as a student.

When you don’t have any full-time work experience yet, your academic work is your experience, so it’s important to show details beyond the name of your university and the degree you earned! Share more detail and you’ll stand out from other students and entry-level candidates.

Sample Accomplishments for Administrative Assistants:

• Administrative assistant to 12-person digital marketing team responsible for driving $1.9 million in annual revenue and an average of 180 new business leads per month
• Administrative assistant to a team of 10 Account Managers, overseeing $109 million in client accounts and growing 19% in 2020
• Promoted from Administrative Assistant to Senior Administrative Assistant due to consistent above-average performance and recognized as a “rising star” in 2020, an award given to just 2% of new employees
• Spearheaded a record-keeping process reorganization that led to a 20% time savings across the administrative team in Q4 2020
• Scheduled and coordinated meetings and travel arrangements for 11 managers and supervisors with 100% accuracy
• Trained two administrative assistants during a period of company expansion to ensure attention to detail and accuracy of work
• Implemented new document filing and organizational procedure resulting in a $9,200 annual savings in contracted labor costs

Note that you can vary how you begin each resume bullet. While many of your bullets should begin with verbs like, “Spearheaded,” you can also start others with a job title, like “Administrative Assistant.” You can see this in the first two examples in the list of bullets above.

Having some variety in language makes your resume more interesting to the reader, and using your job title in a few bullets is an effective way of adding some great keywords to your resume to get past any automated application systems the employer is using.

Accomplishments for Customer Service:

• Achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 98.2% in 2020, 3rd best among customer support team of 100+ employees
• Addressed an average of 200 inbound customer requests per week while also educating the customer about up-sells and additional ways our company could help them, which led to an additional $188,000 in revenue in 2019
• Decreased average customer wait time for service requests by 3% company-wide by creating email response templates for the department
• Managed training and onboarding of new customer service associates, in partnership with Department Head, for all 12 new customer support associates hired in 2020
• Managed 50+ daily inbound enterprise customer requests via phone and email in support of enterprise division’s 244% year-over-year growth in 2020

As you can see from the examples above, you can mix in achievements that highlight your day-to-day work, but also any projects you led, process improvement actions you implemented to save the department time or money, etc.

You can also mention any leadership skills used, such as training new team members, participating in the interview process when hiring new staff, etc.

These work achievements all show potential employers that you were trusted by your previous company and can bring valuable skills to your next position!

Accomplishments/Achievements for Sales & Marketing:

• Increased division revenue by 4% by achieving 212% of personal sales quota in 2020
• Developed cross-selling promotional campaign to bundle 3 top-selling products, increasing department revenue by 12% in 2020
• Orchestrated new social media marketing campaign resulting in a 309% increase in online leads generated in Q1 2020
• Achieved third-highest sales total in 2019 among a team of 50+ sales associates
• Increased sales by 9% through the successful rollout of a new subscription service spearheaded by myself and 3 team members

Sales jobs tend to be some of the easiest in terms of coming up with professional accomplishments on a resume, so I won’t put too many here.

Just remember, always look at the job description and demonstrate skills that are relevant to the jobs you’re applying to now.

And always think about how your duties and responsibilities can be quantified.

Accomplishment Examples for Human Resources:

• Trained and onboarded 22 new team members in Q4 2020, ensuring an understanding of company policies, goals, and mission
• Managed 12 contract recruiters and successfully hired 19 new team members in 2020 to help the company grow 22% year-over-year
• Implemented new onboarding process resulting in 20% less manager time required to onboard new employees through the use of software learning tools
• Promoted from Human Resources Associate to Human Resources Supervisor position in 2020
• Facilitated successful move to new office in 2019, coordinating more than 200 employees across 6 different departments to limit downtime and maximize productivity during office transition

Accomplishments for Software Developers:

• Managed the development of new subscription video platform, which earned the company $3.1 million in the first year after launch
• Performed code optimization on online customer dashboard, eliminating 2,000+ lines of code and reducing server resource usage by 19%
• Managed and led 9-person development team building the company’s new mobile apps (iOS and Android), successfully launching both projects in 2020, with an average app store review of 4.6 stars
• Spearheaded quality assurance project for company’s new Android app, diagnosing and eliminating 104 bugs/errors in the first 3 months after launch, resulting in a 22% increase in average user rating in the following 3 months
• Interviewed 22 potential new software engineering candidates for our company, ensuring adequate knowledge of software development and computer science, as well as cultural fit

Work Accomplishments for Managers/Directors:

• Oversaw 12-person marketing team responsible for 22% of the total revenue in the business, while growing the team 108% in 2020
• Managed 22 staff, overseeing 25+ projects per quarter with total project budgets exceeding $2.5 million
• Developed new recruiting & hiring plan, helping the department fill average job openings 29% faster compared to prior year
• Managed 29 staff (11 direct reports; 18 indirect) across 2 office locations and 2 business divisions, including hiring, performance reviews, and day-to-day guidance and oversight
• Saved business $29,000 in 2019 by implementing new customer service process that reduced refund requests by 9%

Next Steps: What Are Good Accomplishments for Your Resume?

The best accomplishments to put on your resume are work accomplishments, especially those that are relevant to the jobs you’re pursuing now.

Always check the job description when deciding which achievements are best to mention. This will help you stand out from other candidates.

Your work accomplishment examples should demonstrate to a hiring manager that your past work prepared you to step into their job and succeed now.

That’s the main goal of listing achievements on a resume.

Always review the duties and responsibilities from the job description and then think about which of your achievements relate to that type of job. That’s what you should emphasize on your resume.

Also, hiring managers will view your accomplishments and work experience as more relevant/significant if you performed them somewhat recently. So your resume should include more achievements that occurred in your two or three most recent positions.

For example, for your most recent role, you may want to include eight to ten bullet points. For the next role, maybe only six or seven. After that, for older positions, you may want to include even fewer.

Types of Accomplishments to Include on a Resume:

Numbers paint a clearer picture and grab the reader’s attention on your resume, so include numbers and data when possible. Consider including the following:

• Dollar amounts
• Percent increases or decreases
• Number of people (for example, the number of people you supported as an administrative assistant, the number of people you managed or trained as a supervisor, the number of customer requests you handled per day if you’re in customer service)
• Time periods (for example, saying you helped the company acquire 25 new customers in three months or that you completed a specific project in six weeks and ahead of the deadline)

Of course, you can also include non-numerical achievements, such as:

• Industry awards
• Academic achievements (if you’re a recent graduate or student)

You may need to ask colleagues and coworkers for ideas or do some research to quantify everything, but the more you can assign specific numbers and results to specific job tasks on your resume, the better.

This article has examples of good power words and verbs for a resume to help you start brainstorming. It also explains why you never want to start bullets with, “Responsible for…”

List Team and Company Accomplishments Along With Individual Results

You can also name group and company achievements to give context to the impact of your work. For example, if you’re an administrative assistant supporting a certain team, you can talk about how much revenue that team brought in.

Even if you only played a small role, you were a part of that effort!

The bottom line is, don’t feel like you can only include individual resume accomplishments. If you were part of a group, list what your group achieved, too!

Why Do Employers Care About Past Achievements?

Now that we’ve looked at some resume accomplishment examples above, let’s talk about why it’s so important to show specific accomplishments in your resume.

The reason resume accomplishments are so powerful is that they provide proof of your past successes and abilities, and also paint a detailed picture for the employer in terms of what you could do for them.

Sharing a few examples of past successes is the best way to prove that you’ll have strong future performance as well.

For example, if an employer sees that you helped your last company grow a key metric or succeed and grow, they’ll be thinking, “Wow, imagine what this person could do for us now!”

It’s always more convincing and memorable to provide specific proof of what you’ve achieved rather than only listing duties and responsibilities on a resume.

Here’s an example of what a great professional accomplishment on a resume can do for your job search…

Imagine you’re writing your resume and trying to describe your contribution to developing a new product.

If you’re like most people, you might write a bullet point like this:

• Assisted in the development of new product suite launched in 2020

Now imagine you list this work accomplishment on your resume like this instead:

• Key member of development team for company’s new product suite in 2020, earning $12 million in the first 10 months after launch

In the second example above, instead of just talking about your basic duties, you’re showing the exact impact your work had on a company’s success. That’s going to set you apart and make recruiters and hiring managers more excited to talk to you.

Final Step: Write Your Own Work Accomplishments

To start writing your own accomplishment list for your job search, it may be helpful to look at past job descriptions of the roles you’ve held. Or, use your memory and begin to write down your typical work in a day, week, and month.

What were your main job duties?

Where did you spend the bulk of your time? What were you responsible for? Most importantly, what did you help the company achieve or improve?

That last part is the most important for impressing a hiring manager and winning interviews.

A list of resume bullets starting with, “Responsible for” is generic and NOT going to win over a hiring manager.

So always think about how your work tasks and duties actually helped the company, and then quantify them as much as possible!

Resume Format: Where to Place Accomplishments on Your Resume

The best place to list accomplishments on your resume is under your work experience, particularly in your bullets. Your resume bullets are the ideal place to list work accomplishments because bullets stand out visually and grab the reader’s attention. They are almost always one of the first places that recruiters and hiring managers look at on a resume.

You can also write a couple of key accomplishments in your resume summary paragraph at the top of the document. But then list even more in your bullets under your employment history.

Those are the two most important places to put this information on your resume.

Should You Include a Separate “Key Achievements” Resume Section?

If you read everything above, you now know that the best place to list key achievements on your resume is in your chronological work experience and your professional summary.

But if you want to provide some additional info, then you can consider adding a dedicated “Key Achievements” section.

This can help you include some additional keywords on your resume and variations of keywords. And if you’ve racked up many professional awards and impressive results across a long career, it allows you to show everything in one place at-a-glance.

However, I recommend keeping the list short (eight to ten bullets or fewer).

As a recruiter , I prefer to see context for where/when you used each skill, which I see in your resume work history. So that’s where most of your time/effort should go in terms of writing your resume.

Anything you include in a “Key Achievements” section should also be listed under your work experience.

For more help structuring your resume and deciding which sections to include and where, read this article about everything to put on a resume.

Bonus Tip: Use LinkedIn to See Real-World Examples of Work Accomplishments

Different positions and industries will have vastly different accomplishments.

So one more way you can write a stand-out list of achievements and separate yourself from most candidates is to look at top talent in your industry on LinkedIn.

Most people list key accomplishments beneath their various jobs on LinkedIn.

So you can gather far more examples there, and see some of the best achievements of your industry peers.

This may remind you of your own work achievements, and will surely give you more examples to take inspiration from.

Or, if you’re an entry-level job seeker, look at other recent graduates and see how people are listing their academic awards and other relevant accomplishments.

If many other people are listing their academic achievements in a certain way and have good jobs now, it’s a sign they’re attracting potential employers.

You’re more likely to get an interview for a position if you list results and accomplishments on your resume, especially if those results are relevant to the employer’s needs.

Don’t think of your resume as just a list of what you were responsible for in past roles. Instead, share achievements and results, and quantify them whenever possible.

There are a variety of achievements you can list, from managing a project, training a new team member, helping to sell more products, creating a new process, or receiving an award.

Find as many accomplishments as you can for your resume, and you’ll stand out from other job seekers.

If you take this approach with your resume, you’ll get more job interviews.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), career change interview tips, resume tips and more, how much does a resume writer cost (average price and ranges), walk me through your resume: answer examples, applying for jobs out of state this resume tip can help, how long should a resume be, how to put direct and indirect reports (and other data) on your resume, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, 11 common resume mistakes to avoid, career change resume: examples and tips from experts.

How to Write Achievements in Your Resume (+ Examples)

3 key takeaways

• Effective resume achievements often include an action verb, noun, metric, and outcome.
• Professional achievements differ from personal achievements. ‍
• Teal’s AI Resume Builder is a tool that can help you write resume achievements.

Your resume offers a quick snapshot of your work history and relevant skills. But what can make it stand out and grab the attention of a hiring manager? Short answer: Effectively communicating your professional accomplishments. 

Most job seekers make the mistake of simply listing duties or tasks you’d find in their current job description. But that doesn’t tell potential employers why you’re right for their role. Listing achievements in your resume and job application can help you cut through the noise by offering a more complete picture of what you’ve done.

Here’s the good news—you don’t have to figure this out alone. You can use Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder to write your achievements for you, so you’re never starting from scratch. Plus, this guide breaks down how to write achievements in a resume, if you’d prefer not to use AI. 

Understanding resume achievements

Resume achievements refer to the accomplishments featured on a resume. These achievements should focus on how you’ve contributed to a particular role, department, or business using concrete and measurable business outcomes. 

That means including any awards and specific metrics that typically include numbers or other KPIs to illustrate the point. 

Resume achievement examples

• Cut expenses by 20% within a fiscal year 
• Increased website traffic by 42% in a year
• Implemented sales strategies to increase annual revenue by 30% in six months

To write effective achievements in your resume, follow this formula:

Action verb + Noun + Metric + Outcome = Achievements

While you can tweak what you write and add more nuance, this is a good starting point if you’re feeling stuck. Check out 75+ resume accomplishments for inspiration.

How to identify your achievements

Sharing your achievements might not come naturally to you. It can feel boastful. You want to get it “right” but the stress of figuring out the right presentation may leave you with analysis paralysis. A common question is, “How should I write my achievements in my resume?”

Career coach Annette Garsteck suggests starting with these questions:

• What was something I improved?
• Did I save my company from extra spending?
• Did I contribute to extra efficiency?
• Where did I exceed a goal or key performance indicator (KPI)?
• Was I recognized with an honor or given an award?

“After answering the above questions, go a bit deeper and add a quantifier. Demonstrating the outcome you achieved on your resume will help you stand apart from the competition,” says Garsteck. Numerical metrics, she says, are one of the best ways to showcase professional results:

“I format accomplishments on a resume with numbers that demonstrate the scope of the responsibility, the percent improvement, savings, time savings in hours or full-time equivalents, how much a goal or target was exceeded, and the name of the award or honor given.”

When you list achievements, you can include a mix of personal and professional accomplishments. Personal achievements can be a good idea if you have limited work experience and are looking for an entry-level job. These can be academic awards or based on your hobbies and interests. If your personal achievements are relevant to the job you’re applying for, include them. 

Here are some achievements examples: 

Personal achievements

• Volunteered at a local food bank for four years, serving thousands of families
• Maintained a 4.0 GPA in all four years of college
• Studied abroad in Madrid for six months, becoming proficient in Spanish
• Completed a triathlon in 2023
• Created a custom website for [nonprofit] 
• Spearheaded the committee for the theater company’s annual gala 
• Taught English at the local library every weekend for two years 
• Had photographs exhibited in the New Talent gallery showcase 

Professional achievements

• Increased website traffic by 52% in 12 months
• Implemented cost-saving measures and reduced expenses by 30% 
• Streamlined bookkeeping protocols, reducing errors by 15%
• Managed a team of 10 employees and increased customer retention rates by 7%
• Consolidated vendors, saving the company $35,000 annually
• Exceeded sales targets by 25% in Q1 
• Led the DEI committee, leading to a 91% company approval rating on workplace inclusivity
• Secured five major partnerships for a media campaign 

To help you identify and improve your achievements, use Teal's AI Resume Achievements feature. Included in the Resume Builder. The achievements generator can rewrite what you already have and add notable keywords to customize them to each job description .

Writing effective achievement statements for your resume

Writing an effective achievement statement is pretty simple. Here’s the easy framework once again to help turn any work accomplishment into an eye-catching resume achievement:

Action verb + metric + timeframe = achievements 

Here’s the step-by-step breakdown of this achievement formula:

 An action verb, as you can probably guess, is a verb that demonstrates a particular action. Some action verbs that you can consider using in your resume include:

• Administered
• Facilitated
• Coordinated
• Demonstrated 
• Communicated
• Collaborated

Related: Check out 250+ more examples of action verbs for your resume

The next step is adding a metric. A metric refers to the measurement of something quantifiable. So instead of “Saved the company money” you’d include “Saved the company $75,000, reducing the operating budget.” (If that were true, of course.)

Common resume achievement metrics

• Annual revenue
• Conversion rates
• Retention rates
• Project completion time
• Customer satisfaction

Different professions may focus on other metrics as well. Research common OKRs and KPIs for your industry to craft compelling and relevant achievements.

Resume achievement metric examples

• Increased follower count by 100,000 across social media accounts
• Implemented a new SEO strategy, boosting website traffic by 52% in the past year
• Analyzed hundreds of online reviews to develop a strategy to increase customer satisfaction
• Created a new curriculum, raising test scores by 23% from the previous school year 

The metrics you end up using depend on your industry and your role. What you’re measuring can be expressed as a percentage, dollar amount, or time saved. Which one should you use when writing resume accomplishments? The one that sounds the most impressive. 

Going back to the “Saved the company $75,000, reducing the operating budget” as one of the accomplishments examples, whether you use a dollar amount or percentage will depend on the overall budget.

Let’s say the operating budget is one million dollars. As a percentage, that would be “Reduced the operating budget by 7.5%” Which one sounds better? Obviously, the achievement example about saving the company $75,000. On its own, that sounds like a good chunk of change, even if it’s a small percentage of the total budget. 

The final part of the achievement equation is to include a timeframe. It’s not absolutely necessary in all cases, but it can increase the impact of your achievement. Illustrating that you accomplished something within a set period of time can be more impressive than generalizations about what you did in your former role with your previous employer. 

Timeframes can include days, weeks, months, or years. Some examples of achievements for resume using time frames include: 

• Increased open rate by 31% for company newsletter in 4 weeks using a new strategy 
• Trained 10 new employees over three months 
• Developed a sales system increasing revenue by 65% in two years

Examples of resume achievements

Your achievements section is where you add a bit of razzle-dazzle, instead of listing lackluster job duties and basic responsibilities.

As Eva Steortz, an ex-Disney executive turned ICF certified executive coach at Vita Creativa explains:

“Writing your resume is no time to be modest. You have to tell interesting stories about what you are most proud of achieving in your career. Pick the scenarios where your actions led to a significant result. Be concise and specific using interesting action verbs like increased, elevated, created, and revamped. Use numbers when applicable but a description of the impact your actions had works, too.”

When you’re a student, you may have limited work experience—or none at all—because you’re focusing on your education. And that’s okay! That’s perfectly appropriate for this time of your life.

There are still ways to highlight your professional accomplishments, such as including GPA , academic awards, and volunteering opportunities. 

Student resume achievement examples

• Maintained a 3.8 GPA over four years 
• Received Best Innovative Scientist award 
• Volunteered at Memorial Hospital, reading to sick children
• Created a short film used at new student orientation 
• Learned X,Y,Z programming languages 
• Completed a year abroad in Spain, becoming fluent in Spanish 

Recent graduate 

Graduating is such an exciting milestone. It’s the end of one chapter and the start of another. But it can also be daunting to join the so-called real world and jump head-first into the job market. Especially if you haven’t had many jobs. Here are some pre-career achievements worth considering:

Recent graduate resume achievement examples

• Graduated with honors 
• Contributed to a successful launch of a new product during a marketing internship for [employer]
• Organized the end-of-year fundraising drive for the Arts Department, leading to $20,000 in donations 
• Presented original research at the Future of Biology conference 
• Completed training to become a certified crisis counselor at the Crisis Text Line
• Worked part-time at the Office of Student Affairs supporting students, while attending school full-time and maintaining a 3.9 GPA

Experienced managers likely have a range of achievements to consider adding to their resume. The key is to choose the most potent ones that relate to the job description for the role you want. 

Manager resume achievement examples  

• Identified new revenue streams and increased profits by 40% in 18 months
• Increased retention rates by 50% in two years after implementing new employee programs 
• Reduced $500,000 budget by 15% by streamlining vendor relationships 
• Managed a team of 23 agents working collaboratively with other departments
• Elevated new employees’ skills through career development initiatives, reducing project completion time by 30%
• Maintained a roster of clients with an average of 93% customer satisfaction for five years

If you’re in sales, you likely know how to sell products. But with resume accomplishments, you need to sell yourself. It may not feel comfortable, but the good news is sales is a metric-heavy industry, so you have recorded data in your CRM to pull from. Some sales achievements examples include:

• Generated $600,000 in revenue over the past year for a new product 
• Created upselling protocols, increasing the average transaction by 23% in six months
• Trained five new sales consultants in three months, resulting in a 200% increase in sales
• Transitioned to a new CRM, reducing reporting errors by 20% 
• Established major partnerships, increasing brand visibility and boosting sales by 37%
• Increased closing rate by 41% in two years

Nonprofit employees work in a range of industries. It’s key to list achievements to score your next nonprofit role or to help you transition to the private sector. 

Nonprofit resume achievement examples

• Increased volunteer participation by 60% in two years 
• Developed new educational programs, serving 2,000 low-income community members
• Managed various grants from 20+ funding partners over three years
• Led a team of 10 teaching artists providing free art classes to 500 students over the school year
• Organized gala, resulting in $250,000 in donations in one night
• Improved community outreach, resulting in 28% higher participation in six months

Human Resources (HR)

HR professionals are often the backbone of a company, wearing many hats along the way. When it comes to how to write achievements in resume, HR pros should include their diverse range of experiences and accomplishments.

HR resume achievement examples

• Implemented a new employee wellness program reducing healthcare costs by 27% in one year
• Facilitated sexual harassment training among all employees every two years to comply with local laws
• Mediated employee conflicts and disputes, reducing complaints by 42% in two years 
• Managed 10+ vendor relationships as part of the employee benefits package
• Redesigned employee training program, saving the company $10,000
• Developed a new system for employee reviews, increasing satisfaction by 33% in one year

Related: Browse 75+ more examples of resume achievement examples

How to use AI to write achievements in your resume

Don’t see achievement examples for your field? Teal’s AI Resume Achievements feature can help. To get started, create an account or log in to your Teal account. 

Navigate to the Resume Builder (resume icon) from the homepage. From there, you can either import an existing resume or submit your LinkedIn profile URL to generate a resume.

In the work experience section, under each role, you can click on the plus sign next to “Add an achievement.”

From there, type in an achievement or click “Write with AI” to generate three suggestions that you can edit and customize to match your experience. 

Teal will present three achievements options to choose from. Select the one that is the best fit for the job you’re tailoring to. 

After making a selection, you can customize the resume accomplishment in several ways. You can add keywords, attach a job description to match to, or use a custom prompt to help you craft the best version. 

Note: You get five free AI generations as a Teal user (unlimited as a Teal+ user).

How to arrange achievements on a resume

Now that you know how to write achievements in resumes, it’s time to order them appropriately on your resume.

While you can highlight some achievements in your resume summary and cover letter, the bulk will be resume bullet points within the work experience section. This makes it easier for a hiring manager to scan and focus on your past experiences and accomplishments. 

Your most recent position should have three to five bullet points. Older positions, or ones that aren’t as relevant, may only have a couple or none at all. This can help draw the most attention to your most recent role and avoid lengthy, wordy resumes. Teal's Resume Builder can help arrange achievements easily and effectively.

Including awards in your resume achievements

Your resume achievements section should convey how you’ve tangibly contributed to the company. But should you include awards on a resume ?

If you’re a recent graduate or have taken a break it can make sense to include awards on a resume. Additionally, if the award is related to your career, it can add more credibility and prestige to your work experience.

Add an awards section to your resume and include relevant information. Teal’s Resume Builder lets users incorporate awards into a resume with an easy-to-use template.

Simply add the award, organization, and the date received. Then hit “Save” to complete the process and add to your resume. 

Why resume achievements matter 

One of the most common resume mistakes is not being specific. The vast majority of job seekers who simply repeat the duties on their job description won’t move forward. But you can make moves to stand out to hiring managers by highlighting the specific things you’ve done.

Speaking to your achievements in your resume summary and work experience sections can bring your job duties to life and show more of your characteristics, skills, and abilities. It not only shows that you did your job, but also that you did some parts of it very well. 

To get started, use Teal's AI-powered Resume Builder to help you write, format, and arrange your achievements and better tailor your resume to specific job descriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i quantify achievements in my resume if my role was not sales or target-driven, should i include achievements from early in my career or only recent accomplishments, how do i write achievements for a collaborative project where i was part of a team.

Melanie Lockert

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171+ Achievements to List On Your Resume [In 2024]

Listing achievements is what sets the top candidates apart from the crowd.

See, most job-seekers only talk about their previous responsibilities and day-to-day tasks on their resume.

But that’s not enough to make you stand out.

The hiring manager knows exactly what responsibilities your profession includes. After all, they’re the ones who wrote the job description!

So if you want to get ahead of the competition, you should talk about your professional achievements instead.

Your achievements speak volumes about your skills and potential, and they can make your resume stand out.

This guide will cover:

• How to List Achievements on Your Resume (and Get the Job!)
• Where to Mention Your Achievements
• 171+ Achievements You Can Use (covering 55+ professions!)

Let’s get started!

Achievements on Your Resume

So, why are achievements so important on your resume?

Just compare these two examples:

• Contributed to the number of sales. 
• Hit and exceeded department KPIs by 20% for 5 months in a row.

See the difference?

The first example doesn’t say much about the candidate at all. If you worked in sales , it’s already pretty obvious you did sales, and it doesn’t specify how you contributed. You could have barely met your KPIs or outperformed the whole department, and the hiring manager will never know.

But the second example shows exactly what you bring to the table. Saying you managed to hit KPIs is good, and exceeding them is even greater. By also adding the short timeframe, the hiring manager can see you’re a top performer and might prefer you as a candidate.

Where Do I List My Achievements?

Ideally, your achievements should be mentioned in several sections across your resume.

List them in these sections:

• Resume summary
• Work experience
• Optional sections

Listing accomplishments in your work experience section is the most common way to go.

Just add them in separate bullet points, the same way you would list your responsibilities. 

Here’s an example:

The next place we recommend including achievements is your resume summary .

This summary of your career sits at the top of your resume, right next to your contact information and job title . Here’s an example:

This section is an introduction to the rest of your resume, and it’s the first thing the hiring manager is going to read, so you want to make sure it grabs their attention.

The average resume summary goes like this:

• Experienced project manager with 5+ years of work experience seeking a position at Company X. Previous experience includes working at Company Y, developing software for clients such as Client A and Client B.

This summary example is, at best, okay . All it says is that you’ve worked as a project manager across two companies within the past five years.

Newsflash: So have all the other candidates.

There’s nothing in that resume summary that makes you stand out.

But here’s what happens if you add an achievement or two:

• Experienced project manager with 5+ years of work experience seeking a position at Company X. Managed cross-department teams of 15+ people. Successfully spearheaded the development of several software projects, including Project A and Project B.

Other sections on your resume where your achievements can make an appearance include:

• Your volunteer experience, 
• Your projects, 
• Your extracurricular activities

How to List Achievements (the Right Way)

Just like with everything else, there’s a right and wrong way to list achievements.

See, the more details you add to them, the more you’ll stand out.

Let’s compare these two examples:

• Improved product sales by 12%, which led to a 20% increase in annual revenue.
• Significantly improved sales.

In the first example, “significantly” doesn’t say much. You could’ve improved sales by selling one extra product, or you could have lifted company revenue by 10%.

The hiring manager has no way of knowing what the impact of your work was! This is why backing up your achievements with data is important.

Whenever possible, each of your achievements should include:

#1. Timeframe

The timeframe of your achievement provides the hiring manager with context. Achieving something over a weekend is more significant than achieving the same thing over several months.

Adding a timeframe can also highlight your time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks, as well as set benchmarks for future performance.

Ask yourself these questions to figure out the timeframe of your achievements:

• (E.g.: Resolved a major client's technical issue in under 12 hours, exceeding the 48-hour expectation.)
• (E.g.: Increased customer satisfaction rate within three months of employment at Company X.)
• (E.g.: Talked to 50+ customers daily.)

Adding the scale of your achievements demonstrates the impact and reach of your work.

You can measure the scale of your success through different factors, like the number of people affected or the financial impact. This data backs up your credibility and helps future employers see the value and expertise you can bring to their company.

Here are some questions to measure the scale of your achievements with:

• (E.g.: Managed a team of six to create award-winning ad campaigns for Company X.)
• (E.g. Successfully carried out X marketing campaign, going under the designated budget of Y USD.)
• (E.g.: Managed campaigns of 5+ SaaS clients in the fin-tech industry.)

#3. Results

Of course, the results of your achievements show the effectiveness of your efforts.

Specific results, like percentage increases in sales or customer satisfaction ratings, give the hiring manager tangible evidence of your skills and success and make you a more appealing candidate. (E.g.: “Delivered a 1.8x ROI on a total ad spend of $22,000”.)

By backing up your achievements with clear outcomes, you’re giving potential employers an idea of how you can contribute to their team. This approach makes your resume stand out by showcasing what you've done, how well you've done it, and the positive impact you've made.

What If I Don’t Have the Data?

This is one of the most common questions among job-seekers.

Unless you were actively keeping track of your results at your job, you probably don’t know much about the impact your work had or what your greatest accomplishment was.

The solution here is pretty straightforward: just reach out to your previous employer and ask for the data. They should be more than happy to send it over!

Moving forward, though, we’d recommend keeping track of your results and achievements in your next job. This also makes it easier to answer interview questions down the line.

You’ll thank us for it later!

What if My Job Isn’t Achievement-Oriented?

If your previous roles weren't achievement-oriented, you might have trouble listing accomplishments.

What you can do instead is focus on the times when you contributed to the workplace.

Think about instances where you helped your team, improved a process, or were recognized for your work. Take the opportunity to show off your soft skills , like problem-solving and teamwork .

The same approach can be applied to your personal projects or volunteer work . Just highlight relevant skills that helped you succeed instead of giving a generic description of what you did.

Achievements can be about growth and impact, not just numbers. So long as you align your past experiences with the job you want, you can show the hiring manager how you can be a valuable addition to their team.

How to List Achievements as a Student

If you’re a student or a recent graduate , you probably don’t have that much work experience, so you can’t exactly list a lot of achievements on your resume.

But what you can do is list your achievements in several other sections, such as:

• (E.g.: “Maintained a 3.8 GPA while working and studying full-time.”)
• (E.g.: “Created a marketing strategy for Company X as part of my Marketing 101 course and was rewarded at the top of the class.”)
• (E.g.: “Taught elementary mathematics as a volunteer at Saint Jude’s orphanage and improved student performance by 60% over one semester.”)

Writing a resume for your first job? Check out our detailed article for tailored advice!

171+ Achievements You Can Steal (For Every Profession)

Need some inspiration? We’ve got you covered.

Here are 171 achievements across different professions that you can use:

Sales and Customer Service Achievement Examples

#1. sales associate achievements.

• Cold-called 20+ potential clients daily, with a closing rate of 10% to 20%.
• Hit and exceeded sales KPIs by 30% for October, November, and December in 2023.
• Sent 200+ cold emails daily, managing to set up calls with 10% of the recipients.

For more examples, check out our sales associate resume example and full guide.

#2. Customer Service Representative Achievements

• Maintained a customer satisfaction rate of 95% for the entire duration of employment.
• Solved 40 - 50 tickets daily.
• Carried out retention calls with unsatisfied customers, convincing 20% of them to keep using the software.

For more examples, check out our customer service resume example and full guide.

#3. Cashier Achievements

• Trained and supervised five other cashiers over two years at Company X.
• Received ‘Employee of the Month’ award for consistently providing excellent service in June, August, and December.
• Achieved highest up-sell rates in 2022 (1.9%) and 2023 (2.6%).

For more examples, check out our cashier resume example and full guide.

#4. Retail Manager Achievements

• Boosted store sales by 15% over six months through strategic merchandising and upselling techniques.
• Led a team of 10 sales associates to achieve the highest regional sales record for two consecutive quarters.
• Designed and implemented a customer loyalty program that increased repeat customer visits by 25%.

For more examples, check out our retail manager resume example and full guide.

#5. Barista Achievements

• Developed a new coffee blend that became the store's top-selling product within three months of introduction.
• Trained and supervised a team of four new baristas, improving overall team efficiency and service quality.
• Implemented a streamlined order processing system that reduced average customer wait time by 30%.

For more examples, check out our barista resume example and full guide.

#6. Server and Waiter Achievements

• Successfully upsold menu items, contributing to a 10% increase in average bill value over six months.
• Efficiently managed high-volume shifts, serving up to 50 tables per night with consistent positive feedback.
• Maintained a 98% customer satisfaction rating over a year, based on direct feedback and online reviews.

For more examples, check out our server resume example and a full guide to writing a waiter resume .

#7. Receptionist Achievements

• Coordinated over 200 appointments weekly, maintaining a 99% accuracy rate in scheduling and client communications.
• Managed a multi-line phone system, handling over 100 calls daily with exceptional service quality.
• Recognized for perfect attendance and punctuality for two consecutive years, ensuring consistent front desk coverage.

For more examples, check out our receptionist resume example and full guide.

#8. Food and Beverage Management Achievements

• Increased bar revenue by 20% by redesigning the cocktail menu and adding several new options.
• Reduced food waste by 40% by implementing an efficient inventory management system and staff training programs.
• Worked with an external marketing agency to run ads for the venue, resulting in a 25% increase in annual revenue.

For more examples, check out our bar manager resume example and full guide.

Administrative and HR Achievement Examples

#9. recruiter achievements.

• Filled 100% of open positions within the targeted timeline over 12 months, enhancing organizational efficiency.
• Reduced the average time-to-hire by 20 days through streamlining the recruitment process.
• Managed data integrity within the applicant tracking system, ensuring timely entry and visibility of recruitment activity within ATS/CRM technologies.

For more examples, check out our recruiter resume example and full guide.

#10. Human Resources Specialist Achievements

• Led a company-wide employee engagement program that resulted in a 30% increase in employee satisfaction scores.
• Negotiated with benefits providers to enhance employee packages, achieving a 10% cost reduction while improving benefits.
• Developed and facilitated a leadership training program, contributing to a 25% improvement in management effectiveness.

For more examples, check out our human resources resume example and full guide.

#11. Office Manager Achievements

• Reached out to and made deals with new office supply providers, cutting annual supply costs by 20%.
• Coordinated the setup of a remote working infrastructure, maintaining productivity during a transition to remote work.
• Implemented a new document management system that improved filing efficiency by 35%.

For more examples, check out our office manager resume example and full guide.

#12. Administrative Assistant Achievements

• Managed scheduling and logistics for a series of successful board meetings and company events.
• Streamlined travel arrangements and accommodations for executives, enhancing travel efficiency and comfort.
• Communicated with 20+ company partners and clients daily, and assisted in onboarding 14 employees during time at Company X.

For more examples, check out our administrative assistant resume example and full guide.

#13. Data Entry Achievements

• Increased data processing speed by 30% through the implementation of keyboard shortcuts and efficiency software.
• Identified and corrected a critical systematic error in the data entry, preventing potential data loss.
• Completed a large-scale data migration project two weeks ahead of the scheduled deadline.

For more examples, check out our data entry resume example and full guide.

Finance Achievement Examples

#14. accountant achievements.

• Managed an annual budget of $400,000 for seven years.
• Identified tax savings opportunities that resulted in a 15% reduction in overall tax liabilities for the year.
• Worked with a team of three accountants, creating financial reports for all company activities across all departments.

For more examples, check out our accountant resume example and full guide.

#15. Financial Analyst Achievements

• Developed a financial model that predicted market trends with 90% accuracy, contributing to a 15% increase in investment returns.
• Streamlined reporting processes, reducing the time spent on monthly financial reports by 30%.
• Conducted a comprehensive risk analysis that led to a portfolio adjustment, safeguarding against a market downturn.

For more examples, check out our financial analyst resume example and full guide.

#16. Bank Teller Achievements

• Recognized for outstanding customer service, receiving a 95% positive rating in customer feedback surveys.
• Implemented a new cash handling procedure that reduced end-of-day balancing errors by 40%.
• Helped onboard three new bank tellers, bringing them up to speed with the bank’s rules and policies.

For more examples, check out our bank teller resume example and full guide.

#17. Banker Achievements

• Managed a loan portfolio of $10 million, maintaining a default rate of less than 1%.
• Developed and maintained relationships with 50+ high-value clients, leading to a 25% increase in client assets managed.
• Successfully negotiated and closed 15 high-value commercial loans, contributing significantly to branch revenue.

For more examples, check out our banker resume example and full guide.

Business Achievement Examples

#18. branch manager achievements.

• Achieved the highest employee retention rate across the region through effective management and staff development programs.
• Participated in community affairs to increase branch visibility and create new and enhanced existing business opportunities, increasing annual revenue by 20%.
• Provided a superior level of customer relations and promoted the sales and service culture through coaching, guidance, and staff motivation.

#19. Data Analyst Achievements

• Conducted a data-driven market analysis that informed the development of two new successful product lines.
• Played a pivotal role in a data migration project, ensuring a smooth transition with no data loss.
• Developed a predictive model that reduced forecasting errors by 25%, significantly improving business planning.

For more examples, check out our data analyst resume example and full guide.

#20. Business Development Manager Achievements

• Established new key partnerships with Company X and Company Y, resulting in a 20% increase in annual revenue.
• Secured ten new client accounts within a year, exceeding the target by 25%.
• Started a partnership program, kick-starting work with four implementation partners in Europe.

For more examples, check out our business development manager resume example and full guide.

#21. Project Manager Achievements

• Led the digital transformation project, adopting software to help with marketing, accounting, and HR duties at Company X.
• Successfully completed six projects from start to finish, generating a total of $600,000 in revenue over the past five years.
• Functioned as a single point of contact for 15+ clients, answering all their requests and questions on time.

For more examples, check out our project manager resume example and full guide.

Marketing and Advertising Achievement Examples

#22. marketing executive achievements.

• Led the successful launch of a new product line, resulting in the acquisition of over 500 new customers in the first quarter.
• Developed a digital marketing strategy that resulted in a 40% increase in online engagement.
• Oversaw a team of 20 marketing professionals, fostering a collaborative environment that boosted team productivity.

For more examples, check out our marketing executive resume example and full guide.

#23. Marketing Manager Achievements

• Revamped Company X’s social media accounts, improving user engagement by over 60% on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Expanded the marketing team from 5 to 15 members, enhancing the department's capabilities and output.
• Led Facebook ad lead generation campaigns, driving 20+ leads for the sales team monthly, at a $2.7 CPC and $9 CPA.

For more examples, check out our marketing manager resume example and full guide.

#24. Media Buying Specialist Achievements

• Negotiated with media vendors to secure prime advertising slots within a monthly ad budget of $20,000.
• Maintained an ad spend ROI of 1.8 for Company X’s ad campaigns over the past three months.
• Reduced Company X’s Search Ads average CPC while maintaining the same conversion rate, saving $2k in monthly ad spend.

#25. SEO Specialist Achievements

• Fully managed Company X’s SEO and conducted comprehensive keyword research for over 500 terms, optimizing content for diverse audience segments.
• Increased Company X’s monthly organic traffic from 0 to 200,000 within two years.
• Led a team of four freelance writers, creating and publishing 10+ SEO content pieces every month with around 70% currently ranking on page 1 of Google.

IT and Software Development Achievement Examples

#26. it specialist achievements.

• Successfully managed the IT setup for a new office location, ensuring seamless network and system integration for 100+ users.
• Led the upgrade of an enterprise-level software system, improving system efficiency and user satisfaction.
• Consulted in the redesign of a company’s website, resulting in a 25% increase in traffic.

For more examples, check out our IT resume example and full guide.

#27. Software Engineer Achievements

• Led and managed a team of six in developing new financial management software and delivered the product two weeks ahead of schedule
• Developed a new application feature that increased user engagement by 30%.
• Created, maintained, and monitored the entire cloud infrastructure of Company X, while working on 20+ microservices for 5 clients.

For more examples, check out our software engineer resume example and full guide.

#28. Cyber Security Achievements

• Designed and enforced a new security protocol, reducing system vulnerabilities by 50%.
• Conducted regular security audits, identifying and mitigating risks effectively.
• Played a key role in responding to and resolving a major security breach, minimizing data loss and downtime.

#29. Web Developer Achievements

• Built a responsive e-commerce website that increased the client's sales conversion rate by 20%.
• Revamped a major website, improving load time by 60% and enhancing user experience.
• Integrated advanced features into a web platform, such as a custom CMS and interactive user interfaces.

For more examples, check out our web developer resume example and full guide.

#30. Computer Scientist Achievements

• Published a research paper on machine learning algorithms in a renowned tech journal.
• Developed an innovative algorithm that improved data processing speeds by 25%.
• Created an educational program that introduced computer science fundamentals to over 200 high school students.

For more examples, check out our computer scientist resume example and full guide.

#31. DevOps Engineer Achievements

• Streamlined the deployment process, reducing deployment time by 50%.
• Implemented a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, improving code quality and deployment frequency.
• Automated various infrastructure tasks, saving 20 hours of manual work per week.

For more examples, check out our DevOps engineer resume example and full guide.

#32. AI Engineer Achievements

• Designed and implemented an AI model that improved prediction accuracy by 35% for a financial forecasting tool.
• Contributed to the development of an AI-driven chatbot, enhancing customer service interactions and reducing response time.
• Conducted AI research that led to the development of two patented machine-learning technologies.

For more examples, check out our AI engineer resume example and full guide.

#33. Java Developer Achievements

• Developed a Java-based server application that handled 10,000+ concurrent users.
• Optimized existing Java code, improving system performance and scalability.
• Contributed to a Java open-source project, with several suggestions and improvements being integrated into the next release.

For more examples, check out our Java developer resume example and full guide.

Health and Medicine Achievement Examples

#34. nurse achievements.

• Managed care for a diverse patient population, consistently receiving high satisfaction ratings from patients.
• Implemented a health education program that improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital readmission rates.
• Reduced emergency room visits by 30% for a panel of 200 patients through effective management of chronic diseases and patient education.

For more examples, check out our nurse resume example and full guide.

#35. Medical Assistant Achievements

• Streamlined patient intake procedures, reducing average wait times by 15 minutes.
• Assisted in over 1,000 successful patient examinations and treatments, maintaining high standards of care.
• Conducted and analyzed over 500 laboratory tests, playing a critical role in patient diagnosis and treatment plans.

For more examples, check out our medical assistant resume example and full guide.

#36. Dentist Achievements

• Successfully performed over 200 complex dental procedures with a 98% success rate.
• Introduced a new dental health initiative that increased patient retention by 25%.
• Led a dental outreach program that provided free services to over 300 underserved individuals in the community.

For more examples, check out our dentist resume example and full guide.

#37. Pharmacist Achievements

• Managed pharmaceutical inventory for a high-volume pharmacy, maintaining optimal stock levels and reducing waste.
• Enhanced prescription accuracy by implementing a new verification system, resulting in a 40% reduction in dispensing errors.
• Developed a medication management plan that improved patient adherence and reduced medication errors.

For more examples, check out our pharmacist resume example and full guide.

Creative Achievement Examples

#38. graphic designer achievements.

• Designed a marketing campaign that increased client engagement by 50%.
• Created over 100 graphic designs for various clients, maintaining a 95% client satisfaction rate.
• Revamped a major brand's visual identity, leading to a 30% increase in their social media following.

For more examples, check out our graphic designer resume example and full guide.

#39. Game Designer Achievements

• Developed a game that received a 4.5/5 rating on major gaming platforms.
• Led a design team to create a top-selling game, achieving over 500,000 downloads in the first month.
• Implemented a user feedback system for a game that resulted in a 20% increase in player retention.

For more examples, check out our game designer resume example and full guide.

#40. Animator Achievements

• Produced a 5-minute animation that gained over one million views on YouTube.
• Worked on a popular TV show, contributing to animation that was nominated for an industry award.
• Developed a series of animations that enhanced the user experience, leading to a 25% increase in app engagement.

For more examples, check out our animator resume example and full guide.

#41. Illustrator Achievements

• Illustrated a children's book that sold over 10,000 copies within the first six months.
• Created over 50 custom illustrations for various clients, resulting in a 100% project satisfaction rate.
• Designed a series of illustrations for a website, increasing user engagement by 40%.

For more examples, check out our illustrator resume example and full guide.

#42. Photographer Achievements

• Conducted over 30 photoshoots for major brands, with images featured in national advertising campaigns.
• Sold 200+ prints in a solo photography exhibition.
• Won a prestigious photography award for a series focusing on urban landscapes.

For more examples, check out our photographer resume example and full guide.

#43. Actor Achievements

• Starred in a critically acclaimed theatre production that ran for over 100 shows.
• Played a leading role in a film that grossed over $50 million worldwide.
• Received the best actor award in a renowned film festival.

For more examples, check out our actor resume example and full guide.

#44. Writer Achievements

• Authored a book that made the New York Times Best Seller list.
• Wrote a series of articles that increased website traffic by 35%.
• Scripted a short film that won an award at an international film festival.

For more examples, check out our writer resume and full guide.

#45. Editor Achievements

• Edited a novel that became a bestseller and was critically acclaimed.
• Led an editorial team that produced a magazine with a 20% increase in readership.
• Managed the editing process for a website, resulting in a 30% reduction in content errors and inconsistencies.

For more examples, check out our editor's resume example and full guide.

Education Achievement Examples

#46. professor achievements.

• Published a research paper in a top-tier academic journal, contributing significant findings in the field.
• Developed a new curriculum that was adopted by the department, enhancing course offerings and student learning outcomes.
• Supervised 10+ graduate students, with several winning national awards for their research work.

For more examples, check out our academic CV example and full guide.

#47. Teacher Achievements

• Increased student test scores in the class by 20% through innovative teaching methods.
• Led the development and launch of a new interdisciplinary program that enhanced student engagement.
• Organized a successful school-wide literacy event, boosting student participation in extracurricular reading activities.

For more examples, check out our teacher resume example and full guide.

#48. Tutor Achievements

• Assisted over 50 students in improving their grades, with 90% achieving a 'B' grade or higher in tutored subjects.
• Developed personalized learning plans that resulted in a 25% improvement in students' academic performance.
• Specialized in SAT/ACT preparation, helping students increase their scores by an average of 150 points.

#49. College Student Achievements

• Completed a successful internship with a major company, receiving a commendation for outstanding performance.
• Led a university project team to win a national competition in the field of engineering.
• Founded a campus club that grew to over 200 members, fostering community engagement and leadership skills.

For more examples, check out our college freshman resume example and full guide.

#50. High School Student Achievements

• Maintained a 3.7 GPA while actively participating in three extracurricular clubs.
• Organized a community service project that involved over 100 students and benefited local charities.
• Won first place in a statewide science fair, receiving recognition for an innovative project.

For more examples, check out our high school resume example and full guide.

Other Achievement Examples

#51. architect achievements.

• Designed a sustainable residential complex that won a green architecture award.
• Led the renovation of a historic building, receiving acclaim for preserving its original features while enhancing functionality.
• Developed a cost-effective design solution that saved a project 15% in construction costs.

For more examples, check out our architect resume example and full guide.

#52. Engineer Resume Achievements

• Innovated a new water filtration system, improving efficiency by 30% and receiving a patent.
• Increased performance of the engineering team during a critical Q4 by 15%, to successfully meet end-of-year KPIs.
• Took eight active building projects from research to development and completion in under two years.

For more examples, check out our engineer resume example and full guide.

#53. Interior Designer Achievements

• Transformed a high-profile commercial space, resulting in a 40% increase in foot traffic for the client.
• Won an industry award for an innovative residential interior design project.
• Collaborated with architects to optimize living spaces in a residential complex, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality.

For more examples, check out our interior designer resume example and full guide.

#54. Construction Project Manager Achievements

• Successfully managed a large-scale construction project, completing it 10% under budget and on schedule.
• Implemented safety protocols that resulted in zero accidents throughout a two-year project.
• Coordinated the work of 50+ subcontractors, ensuring efficient workflow and adherence to quality standards.

For more examples, check out our construction project manager resume example and full guide.

#55. Operations Manager Achievements

• Streamlined company processes, leading to a 20% increase in overall operational efficiency.
• Reduced operational costs by 15% through strategic planning and resource optimization.
• Implemented a new inventory management system, improving stock turnover by 25%.

For more examples, check out our operations manager resume example and full guide.

#56. Event Planner Achievements

• Organized a corporate conference for 500 attendees, receiving a 95% satisfaction rate in post-event surveys.
• Successfully coordinated a charity gala that raised $200,000, exceeding the fundraising goal by 25%.
• Managed a high-profile wedding event with a budget of $100,000, delivering a seamless experience that garnered industry recognition.

For more examples, check out our event planner resume example and full guide.

Key Takeaways

That’s all there is to adding achievements to your resume!

Now, let’s briefly recap what we talked about:

• Listing achievements instead of just responsibilities can boost your chances of getting hired.
• You can mention achievements in your resume summary and work experience section. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, you can also mention any achievements from your education, volunteering, or personal projects.
• When listing your achievements, make sure they include a timeframe, scale, and results.
• If you can’t think of any achievements, just scroll back up to get inspiration for any of the professions we gave examples for.

Want to get the most out of your career? Don’t forget to follow our career blog for some industry-leading career advice!

Recommended Readings:

• How to Write a Resume | Beginner's Guide
• How to Write a Cover Letter & Get the Job [5+ Real-Life Examples]
• 3 Best Resume Formats [W/ 5+ Professional Templates]

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CVs & Résumés

• Jan 19, 2024
• 13 min read

How to List Accomplishments in Your Résumé (Examples)

Don’t only shout about them from the rooftops.

Chris Leitch

Editor-in-Chief & Résumé Expert

Reviewed by Electra Michaelidou

If there’s one rule you should follow when writing your résumé , it’s to show potential employers what you can do and how your previous successes can contribute to their company’s success.

But how can you do that?

By showcasing your accomplishments, of course.

It might feel uncomfortable tooting your own horn, but it’s necessary for job search success — when done right, that is.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to (and why you should) include your accomplishments in your résumé, plus examples for inspiration so you can make your résumé truly shine.

Why include accomplishments in your résumé

Including accomplishments in your résumé is crucial because, in doing so, you provide recruiters with tangible evidence of your key skills and contributions . And when you highlight the specific, measurable results you’ve achieved, your résumé becomes all the more powerful in differentiating you from other applicants.

Another reason to highlight your accomplishments here is that it helps you steer clear from talking about job responsibilities and typical duties — which only waste valuable space. (Spoiler alert: Hiring managers know what an accountant or a graphic designer does, so they don’t need an insider’s guide to the profession. What they do need is to know whether you will be successful in the job you’re applying for, and your past achievements can be the proof they need.)

Which accomplishments to highlight

There are three main types of accomplishments you can include in your résumé.

The first are professional accomplishments . These are the most valuable kind, as they’re “living proof” of what you’ve done in your career and how you can contribute to a company’s success. They include things like improving processes, generating revenue, and winning work-related awards.

Then you have educational accomplishments , which are particularly useful if you have limited or no work experience — especially achievements that demonstrate your work ethic and transferable skills. These include earning academic awards and honors, receiving grants and scholarships, and completing extra training and certifications.

Finally, you have personal accomplishments , things you have achieved in a personal capacity outside the workplace or classroom. They include volunteer or community work, impressive athletic achievements, or running a successful blog .

Which accomplishments not to highlight

Some accomplishments, unfortunately, shouldn’t be featured in your résumé at all, as they will only dilute your résumé’s impact and your overall candidacy , including:

• Old or irrelevant accomplishments that don’t add value to your job application
• Overly personal achievements, like getting married or overcoming alcohol use disorder
• Alienating topics like political and religious accomplishments
• Accomplishments that reveal sensitive information about an employer (like proprietary code), particularly without their permission

That said, there are some, very nuanced, situations where you can list such accomplishments. For example, someone who has recovered from alcohol use disorder may consider mentioning this in their résumé if they’re applying for a job at a rehabilitation center where they would be helping others overcome this same illness.

How to choose the right accomplishments

While all your accomplishments are impressive in their own right and are worth shouting about from the rooftops, you should only showcase those that are directly relevant to the job that you’re applying for . Anything else can ruin your chances for job search success.

First things first, carefully read the job description (again) and research the company to better understand their mission, values, and ideal candidate.

Then, make a list of all your achievements , dividing them up according to each position or job function. For each one, ask yourself “So what?”. Why would the hiring manager care about it? What exactly does it show them you can do? How is it relevant to the job you’re applying for?

This will effectively help you separate the “good” accomplishments from the “bad” ones, giving you a starting point of what should be highlighted — and what shouldn’t.

Where to list accomplishments

You should aim to showcase your accomplishments wherever you can in your résumé, but there are three places where their inclusion is non-negotiable:

Summary section

The first place you should feature your accomplishments is the very first section of your résumé: the career summary. (The career summary shouldn’t be confused with a résumé objective statement , which focuses more on career goals than anything else.)

The summary section, which is typically the first section in a résumé, is a short introductory paragraph consisting of 3–5 sentences that tells employers, at a glance, why you’re the ideal candidate .

As you write a résumé summary, you should focus on summarizing your most relevant skills, experience and qualifications to potential employers, carefully intertwined with notable achievements from across your career journey.

CAREER SUMMARY

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with 15+ years’ experience covering breaking stories and investigative stories for major publications. Helped cover 2016 and 2020 presidential races, and produced numerous exposés on political and corporate corruption. Committed to bringing honest and powerful news to the public, and proficient in digital production, data analysis and CMS platforms.

Experience section

Next up is the work experience section , which is often the most important part of a résumé. Here, your past achievements should take centerstage, as opposed to listing general job duties and responsibilities (which offer no real value to hiring managers).

For each position listed in the experience section, showcase your 3–6 most notable achievements in the form of a bulleted list . And try to prioritize them according to importance, relevance and impact — this means listing “Generated revenues exceeding $1b” above “Managed a team of 5 accountants”, which is less impressive.

Senior Accountant | Accounting Corp, New York City, NY | Jan 2020–Present

• Successfully identified and implemented cost-saving strategies, resulting in a 15% reduction in operational expenses, contributing to annual savings of $150k.
• Spearheaded the automation of manual processes, increasing workflow efficiency by 20% and reducing processing time, which translated to a time-saving equivalent of 500 hours.
• Implemented effective cash flow forecasting techniques, leading to a 25% reduction in overdue receivables and an increase in available working capital by $200k.
• Ensured 100% accuracy in financial reporting by implementing rigorous reconciliation procedures, leading to the timely submission of error-free financial statements.
• Executed strategic tax planning initiatives, resulting in a 10% reduction in tax liabilities for the company, equivalent to a savings of $75k in the fiscal year.

If you’re an entry-level jobseeker, though, you likely won’t have any work experience to share with potential employers. And if that’s the case, then you can instead focus on your academic achievements in the education section .

Accomplishments section

A dedicated accomplishments section isn’t always necessary, especially if you can integrate this information elsewhere in your résumé (particularly in the experience section) or if you don’t have room for one (remember: résumés should, in most cases, be one page long ).

That said, this section can be incredibly useful if you have achievements outside the workplace or you’re at a more senior level in your career and have extensive experience, and is typically placed immediately after the summary section.

Unlike the accomplishments listed in your experience section, which are specific to a particular position, those listed here can — and should — be a mixture of 3–5 achievements spanning your entire career .

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Performed 1,144 shows during 2 concert residencies at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, A New Day… and Celine , showcasing a versatile vocal range and engaging stage presence.
• Released 6 Billboard No 1 albums, receiving positive reviews and achieving 400+ million downloads on major streaming platforms.
• Collaborated with Peabo Bryson, Barbra Streisand, Garou, Diane Warren and David Foster on hit singles, contributing to chart success and expanding fan base.

How to write accomplishment statements

Next up: how to effectively write about your accomplishments in your résumé:

1. Use the PAR method

Perhaps the biggest trick to employ when writing about your accomplishments in your résumé is the PAR method, which calls for addressing three things:

• The P roblem you faced
• The A ction you took
• The R esult of your action

For example, instead of saying that you “managed social media campaigns ”, you could say something like “Increased brand awareness by 52% by creating and managing social media campaigns”. This effectively shows the problem (little to no brand awareness), the action (managing social media campaigns), and the result (increasing awareness by 52%).

On that note, make it a point to use numbers and percentages when you can, as this provides hiring managers with tangible evidence of your accomplishments.

2. Incorporate keywords

An important part of writing a résumé is to tailor it to the job you’re applying for . And one of the best ways to do this is to carefully intertwine important keywords from the job description into your résumé .

For example, if the position requires a “strong understanding of SEO”, you could mention something like: “Leveraged strong understanding of SEO to generate over 1m unique users on CareerAddict.com on a monthly basis.”

Not only does this help your résumé pass through applicant tracking systems (specialized software that parse résumés based on preset criteria and keywords), but it also makes your accomplishments that more memorable and impactful.

Indeed, it makes hiring managers stop and think: “This candidate has achieved this impressive accomplishment using the specific skill that we’re looking for.” And this inevitably sways them in your favor.

3. Use action verbs

To make your accomplishment statements all the more impactful and memorable, it’s a good idea to start them off with powerful action verbs like “orchestrated”, “spearheaded”, “transformed”, “rehabilitated” and “implemented”. Not only do they spice up your résumé, but they also create a persuasive tone.

Meanwhile, do try to avoid using buzzwords and other clichés like “proven track record”, “results-oriented” and “results-driven” in accomplishment statements, as they’ve been so overused that they’ve lost their meaning — and they offer little evidence to back up your claims.

Accomplishment examples for top professions

Need a little inspiration? Here are some examples of accomplishments for 10 professions:

1. Digital marketing specialist

• Executed targeted digital campaigns that led to a 30% increase in online engagement, exceeding the industry average and contributing to a 25% growth in overall website traffic.
• Implemented data-driven strategies, resulting in a 20% improvement in conversion rates for online advertisements and a 15% increase in ROI for paid media channels.
• Developed and executed a social media content calendar that boosted brand awareness, garnering a 50% growth in follower base and generating a 40% increase in organic reach within 6 months.

2. Registered nurse

• Implemented a streamlined patient care protocol, reducing average response time to medical emergencies by 20%, enhancing overall departmental efficiency.
• Spearheaded a successful health education initiative, conducting workshops for 100+ patients, resulting in a 15% improvement in medication adherence and preventive care compliance.
• Collaborated in the development of a comprehensive training program for new nursing staff, leading to a 30% reduction in onboarding time and increased team cohesion.

3. Customer service representative

• Achieved a consistent 95% customer satisfaction rating by resolving complex issues with empathy and efficiency, surpassing the company’s benchmark for service excellence.
• Implemented a proactive communication strategy, resulting in a 20% decrease in customer complaints and a 15% increase in positive feedback over a 6-month period.
• Played a key role in the successful launch of a new customer support ticketing system, contributing to a 25% reduction in response times and overall improvement in service delivery.

4. Civil engineer

• Managed the successful completion of a major infrastructure project, delivering it 3 months ahead of schedule and 10% under budget, showcasing effective project management and resource optimization skills.
• Implemented innovative design modifications on a bridge construction project, improving structural integrity by 15% and receiving commendation from regulatory authorities for adherence to safety standards.
• Led a cross-functional team in resolving complex technical challenges during a municipal water supply project, ensuring uninterrupted water access for the community and earning recognition for problem solving and leadership.

5. Accountant

• Identified and implemented streamlined processes, resulting in a $50k reduction in operational costs, contributing to overall company savings.
• Led initiatives to enhance financial reporting accuracy by implementing new software tools and conducting rigorous reconciliations, reducing errors by 20% and ensuring compliance with auditing standards.
• Developed and executed tax planning strategies, resulting in a 10% reduction in tax liabilities for the company while ensuring full compliance with relevant tax laws and regulations.

6. Web designer

• Redesigned website interface, improving user experience and increasing customer engagement, leading to a 25% boost in user interaction and positive feedback.
• Implemented performance optimizations, resulting in a 40% reduction in website loading times, enhancing overall site speed and responsiveness for a better user experience.
• Conducted A/B testing on key website elements, such as call-to-action buttons and navigation, leading to a 15% increase in conversion rates.

7. Research assistant

• Collaborated with a research team to conduct experiments, analyze data and contribute significantly to a published research paper in Journal of ABC .
• Developed and implemented streamlined data collection and analysis procedures, reducing research project timelines by 20%, improving efficiency and ensuring the timely completion of projects.
• Successfully wrote and submitted grant proposals, securing $75k in funding for a research project focused on Alzheimer’s disease, demonstrating grant-writing skills and financial acumen.

8. Veterinarian

• Established and implemented a comprehensive preventive care program for ABC Health Clinic, resulting in a 39% decrease in preventable health issues among pets.
• Successfully conducted and led a team in performing complex surgical procedures, achieving a 96% success rate and earning recognition for surgical expertise and patient care.
• Developed and delivered educational materials for clients on topics such as pet nutrition, behavior and preventive care, leading to a 20% increase in client compliance and satisfaction with veterinary services.

9. College professor

• Developed and implemented an innovative curriculum for the BSc Archeology course, integrating real-world applications and cutting-edge research, resulting in a 17% improvement in student engagement and understanding.
• Published multiple research articles in renowned journals such as Journal of Colleges , contributing to the academic field of mathematics and establishing a reputation as a thought leader.
• Mentored students who received recognition and awards, including Student of the Year, showcasing a commitment to student success and fostering a supportive learning environment.

10. Retail associate

• Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets by 34%, demonstrating strong product knowledge, effective upskilling techniques and exceptional customer service skills.
• Initiated and executed visual merchandising improvements, resulting in a 15% increase in product visibility and attracting more customer attention, ultimately boosting sales for featured products.
• Received recognition for outstanding customer service, earning the Customer Service Excellence Award for maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction through effective communication and problem resolution.

Résumé example

Let’s see it all in action with an accomplishment-driven résumé example, specially created from one of our professionally designed résumé templates:

Get the Classic template

Key takeaways

It can sometimes feel uncomfortable tooting our own horn, but when it comes to writing a résumé, it’s a necessity — especially if you want a fighting chance at impressing the hiring manager and getting invited to a job interview .

When writing about your accomplishments in your résumé, remember these pointers:

• Choose those that are relevant to your target job and industry. These include professional, educational and personal achievements.
• Steer clear of old, irrelevant, controversial and overly personal achievements.
• Include them wherever possible, particularly in the summary and work experience sections.
• Make sure the experience section focuses on your achievements — and not your job responsibilities.
• Use the PAR method when talking about accomplishments, always addressing a problem, an action and a result.

Got a question? Let us know in the comments section below.

Originally published on December 20, 2018.

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Writing Resume Accomplishments (With Examples)

To write resume accomplishments, your bullet point achievements need to contain three things: an action verb, the task or project (what you did), and the metric or result (what the benefit was).

3 years ago   •   8 min read

“Why should we hire you?”

Even if they don’t ask it, all hiring managers are thinking it, even as early as the resume stage. Your resume should aim to answer that question, and the best way to do that is by focusing on your past accomplishments — at work, in education, or even in volunteer roles or personal projects.

Resume accomplishments vs responsibilities

There’s a big difference between accomplishments and responsibilities, and you always want to make sure you’re focusing on the former. How can you tell the difference? If your sounds like it could fit into a job description, it’s probably a responsibility rather than an accomplishment.

Listing responsibilities (don’t do this!)

“ Oversaw team's performance and provided leadership to all business functions in divisions.”

Why does it matter? Responsibilities tell employers a lot about your job, but very little about you. Consider the statement above. It explains what you did, but not how well you did it — and that’s the most important part. It also sounds like it could have been pulled straight from a job posting, which makes it far too generic to belong on your resume.

Listing accomplishments (do this instead!)

“Launched Miami office with lead Director and recruited and managed a new team of 10 employees. Grew office revenue by 200% in the first nine months (representing 20% of company revenue).”

In contrast, the statement above does several things right. It’s specific about what you achieved in the role, it focuses on the end benefit to the company, and it uses numbers and metrics to explicitly quantify that achievement.

Why focus your resume on accomplishments?

Hiring managers primarily want to know how you're likely to perform in the role, which is where past accomplishments come in. Focusing on resume accomplishments (vs responsibilities) is the best way of showing what you actually achieved in your previous positions. The fact that you’ve worked in sales for 10 years doesn’t tell a recruiter much, other than how long you’ve been in the workforce. The fact that you increased your customer base 30% through cold calls and pulled in 150% of expected revenue in the past three quarters gives them a much better idea of the skills and potential outcomes you’d be bringing to the table.

How to write resume accomplishments

How do you ensure your resume is focused on accomplishments, not responsibilities? Follow this step-by-step guide:

• Start with a strong action verb — this is the best way to ensure you're focusing on accomplishments, not responsibilities.
• Write exactly what you did, for example, " Created a performance recording template." Try to use the past tense where you can.
• Finish with the end result, for example, "Reduced the preparation time of standard client materials."
• Add numbers or metrics if you can. Quantifying your accomplishments means they're more likely to impress a recruiter.
• Stick to 3-6 accomplishments per role.
• Upload your resume to Score My Resume for a free resume review and personalized feedback.

The simple formula for resume accomplishments

Your bullet point achievements need to contain three things: an action verb, the task or project (what you did) , and the metric or result (what the benefit was). This is a pretty simple formula, but it can be applied to any accomplishment.

Always start with the action verb — this keeps the focus on your specific contribution and frames the achievement in a proactive light. Depending on the accomplishment, you can list either the task or the result first, but make sure each bullet point you write contains all three elements.

Following the action verb with the task or project is a good structure for most achievements, as it clearly illustrates what you did. Following that up with a metric or result provides context for the scale of the achievement.

Including the metric or result directly after the action verb allows you to focus on the end result of your achievement. Describing the task or project afterward explains exactly what you did to achieve it.

Related : When To Use Pronouns in Your Resume Accomplishments

Examples of strong resume accomplishments

Here are some examples of strong resume accomplishments that you can use on your resume.

Resume accomplishments applicable to all kinds of roles

• Promoted within 12 months due to strong performance and organizational impact - ahead of schedule by 12 months
• Managed business relationships with 10 clients, including Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank and McDonalds and presented marketing strategies to senior management to drive ROI and re-engineer sales operations, generating $2MM+ in annual revenue
• Earned expedited promotion to Senior Analyst after one year as Analyst (earned by less than 1% of cohort)
• Founded ReferRoom to organize social events for 500 young professionals, and grew it to $20k/year revenue and $8k/year profit.
• Planned and co-ordinated 40+ training sessions for 300+ employees across 5 major offices; defined agenda and prepared minutes for C-suite executives

Leadership resume accomplishments

• Managed cross-functional team of 10 in 3 locations (London, Mumbai and New York), ranging from entry-level analysts to vice presidents, and collaborated with business development, data analysis, operations and marketing.
• Collaborated with developers and product management team to assess project outcomes and prioritize future app features.
• Coached 30 summer interns and launched a mentorship program for new joiners in the Berlin office.
• Refined outsourcing strategy, resulting in increased offshore headcount from 12 to 95 employees and saved $1.2MM
• Led over 12 software sales pilots generating $8MM+ total revenue in license and consulting service fees; clients included Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Credit Suisse.
• Hired, coached and led sales team of five to make sales calls, make client visits and close deals; generated $10M in sales contracts

Resume accomplishments for sales and marketing

• Generated 50+ donors through cold call sales and systematic email outreach; qualified leads based on industry and location.
• Designed , executed , and optimized digital marketing campaign on Google AdWords; led to 20% increase in ROI.
• Strengthened relationships with 6 strategic partners (including Expedia, Skyscanner and Airbnb) through follow-up meetings with C-suite executives
• Led the firm's sales and business operations in South Africa, responsible for $45MM annual sales and capability building of 200+ sales personnel
• Scripted and tested phone sales process; increased customers by 30% in 6 months

Resume accomplishments focused in engineering

• Developed an Excel macro and standardized reporting templates, resulting in efficient data collection and a 35% reduction in turnaround time.
• Reduced development costs by 25 percent by creating a plan to merge related products into one, more streamlined product.
• Liaised with marketing to drive email and social media advertising efforts, using predictive modeling and clustering, resulting in a 35% increase in revenue
• Designed and implemented behavioral push notifications based on in-app usage; increased retention by 10%
• Overhauled the company's website by increasing graphics usage by 50% and mobile responsiveness by 100%; generated 70% more leads via email capture forms, reduced bounce rate by 20%
• Spearheaded redevelopment of internal tracking system in use by 125 employees, resulting in 20+ new features, reduction of 20% in save/load time and 15% operation time

Find out if your resume highlights your accomplishments

The most effective way to highlight your accomplishments is to make sure each bullet point contains an action verb, task, and metric. These elements help to show recruiters the job you did and how effectively you did it. If you’re not sure if your resume has enough uses of these elements, upload your resume to the tool below — it’ll let you know if your resume has enough uses of power verbs and quantifiable achievements.

How to turn responsibilities into accomplishments

Use numbers or metrics to emphasize your accomplishment.

The most surefire way to transform a responsibility into an accomplishment is by adding specific numbers or metrics . This way, you aren’t just saying what you did (created a performance recording template), you’re demonstrating how effectively you did it (reduced preparation time by 80%). Not only do metrics like this help you stand out from other candidates with similar experience, they provide an objective measure of your performance and allow hiring managers to more clearly imagine how you would perform in the new role. For more examples of how to include metrics in your accomplishments, check out our list of 50+ metrics you can use on your resume .

Be specific

One of the worst mistakes you can make on your resume is being vague or generic. Metrics can help with that, but you need to make sure you’re also being specific when you talk about your actions. An accomplishment like “implemented strategy that increased customer base by 1000+ customers” sounds impressive on the surface, but while the numbers are specific, what you actually did remains undefined. Don’t leave hiring managers wondering about how you did something (or whether you were even responsible for the result in the first place).

Describe your actions! For example, “designed and launched customer affiliate program, which led to 1000+ new customers in 6 months and 40% reduced cost-per-acquisition” is specific not just about the end result, but about how you achieved it and what skills you used to do so.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of accomplishments for students.

If you’re a current student or recent graduate, you still use accomplishments from your studies. Generally, you don’t want to fill your resume up with coursework, but things like university or personal projects , extracurricular activities, internships , and student organizations can all work. It’s okay that these aren’t strictly in a professional context — the trick is to treat them the same way, by pulling out what you’ve accomplished and adding numbers or metrics where you can.

Internships demonstrate your skills and experience in a professional environment. List internships on your resume the same way you would paid experience — focus on the exact accomplishments you achieved, and not just your responsibilities.

Involvement in student organizations and other extracurricular activities can be used to highlight soft skills like leadership , organization, and initiative . Focus on your specific contributions and add metrics to illustrate their impact.

Can you include any responsibilities on your resume?

Yes — just not in your bullet points! If you want to add more context for a previous company or role, you can add a short blurb underneath your job title to give a brief high-level overview of your main responsibilities. Your bullet points for each role should always focus on your accomplishments, however.

Including a short blurb (within around 50 words) to explain 1-2 of your main responsibilities can provide context for a previous role and allow you to focus on accomplishments in your bullet points.

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Dive Into Expert Guides to Enhance your Resume

How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume

First things first, what are accomplishments? On a resume, they are more than just a list of your job duties. They are a testament to your professional achievements and a showcase of your potential to future employers.

Including accomplishments in your resume is crucial because it not only highlights your past successes but also demonstrates how you can add value to a new role. 

These achievements set you apart from other candidates by providing tangible evidence of your skills and abilities.

Writing an  accomplishment-based resume  is simple if you follow this guide and use a  resume builder .

How to Highlight Accomplishments on Your Resume

Use this effective step-by-step guide to showcase your accomplishments, highlighting your unique contributions and successes in your professional journey.

1. Identify Your Accomplishments

Start by reflecting on your career and identifying key achievements. These could include instances where you exceeded targets, implemented successful projects, or received recognition for your work. 

Think about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them, as these can also be powerful accomplishments.

2. Quantify Your Achievements

Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with numbers, percentages, or specific outcomes. This approach adds credibility and helps the employer understand the magnitude of your contributions. 

For example, “Increased sales by 20% in one year” or “Reduced operational costs by 15% through process optimization.”

3. Tailor Accomplishments to the Job Description

Review the job description of the position you are applying for and align your accomplishments with the requirements of the role. 

This tailored approach shows that you have the specific skills and experience the employer is seeking.

4. Incorporate Accomplishments in Various Resume Sections

Where you add achievements on your resume will depend on your resume format and what suits you best. Have a look at the following examples:

• Summary or objective : Briefly mention one or two major accomplishments that are highly relevant to the job.

“Dynamic marketing professional with over 10 years of experience, recognized for increasing online engagement by 40% through innovative social media strategies. Seeking to leverage my expertise in digital marketing and team leadership at XYZ Corp.”

• Professional experience : Under each job role, include bullet points of key achievements. Focus on what you accomplished in the role, rather than just your responsibilities.

“Sales Manager, ABC Corporation (2018-2023)

• Spearheaded a team of 15 sales associates, achieving a record-breaking 25% increase in annual sales revenue.
• Implemented a new CRM system, enhancing customer relationship management and boosting repeat business by 30%.”
• Education : If you have notable academic achievements, such as awards or a high GPA, include them in your education section.

“Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Technology (Graduated 2020)

• Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.9/4.0.
• Awarded the Dean’s List for academic excellence for four consecutive years.”
• Skills section : You can highlight accomplishments that demonstrate specific skills, especially if they are relevant to the job you are applying for.
• “Project Management: Successfully led a cross-functional team in a complex software development project, delivered on time and 15% under budget.
• Bilingual Proficiency: Fluent in English and Spanish, utilized language skills to expand the company’s client base in Latin American markets by 20%.”

If you have a few particularly impressive accomplishments that you want to emphasize, you could create a resume accomplishments section. It can include a bullet-pointed summary of accomplishments or a concise accomplishments statement . 

When you add your accomplishments, make sure you avoid the most common resume-writing mistakes.

Have a look at this example of an accomplishments section:

Key Accomplishments:

• Increased Sales Revenue: Spearheaded a new digital marketing campaign that resulted in a 30% increase in sales revenue within the first quarter of implementation.
• Project Management Excellence: Successfully led a cross-functional team in the launch of a new software product, completing the project 2 weeks ahead of schedule and under budget by 10%.
• Award for Customer Service Excellence: Recognized with the 2020 National Customer Service Award for implementing customer feedback systems that improved service delivery and customer satisfaction ratings by 25%.

5. Use Action Verbs and Clear Language

Start your accomplishment statements with strong action verbs and keep the language clear and concise. This makes your resume more dynamic and easy to read.

Here’s a list of 20 action verbs commonly used in resumes:

• Implemented
• Streamlined
• Facilitated
• Coordinated
• Transformed

These verbs are effective for starting bullet points that describe your accomplishments, giving your resume a dynamic and proactive feel.

6. Review and Edit

Finally, review your accomplishments to ensure they are clear, concise, and free of jargon. Your achievements must be easily understood by anyone reading your resume.

Your accomplishments are a reflection of your professional journey and the unique value you bring to the table. How you list accomplishments on your resume can significantly enhance your chances of catching a potential employer’s attention.

Using a resume template is the most time-effective way of tailoring your resume for each position.

Additional Tips for Energizing Your Resume with Accomplishments

Enhance the impact of your resume with these additional tips, elevating your professional story to the next level.

Highlight Progression and Growth

Demonstrate how your accomplishments have contributed to your professional growth. 

For instance, show how an early career achievement led to more significant responsibilities or how continuous learning has enhanced your performance.

“Began as a Junior Developer and progressed to Lead Developer within two years, demonstrating rapid skill acquisition and leadership capabilities.”

Include Non-Quantifiable Achievements 

Not all accomplishments are measurable in numbers. Include impactful contributions like improving team morale, leading successful collaborations, or developing new procedures that enhance workflow efficiency.

“Revitalized team morale and enhanced collaboration by initiating regular team-building activities and open feedback sessions, leading to a more cohesive and productive work environment.”

Mention Awards and Recognitions 

If you’ve received any awards, recognitions, or commendations, either in your professional or academic life, make sure to include these. 

They serve as third-party validation of your skills and achievements.

“Recipient of the 2021 Manager of the Year Award for outstanding leadership and team development.”

Use Testimonials or Endorsements

If you have received positive feedback from supervisors, colleagues, or clients, consider including brief quotes or endorsements that highlight your accomplishments and work ethic. 

This adds a level of credibility and personal testimony to your achievements.

“John consistently delivers exceptional results. His innovative approach to problem-solving has been a game-changer for our projects.” – Jane Doe, Senior Project Manager

5 Top Mistakes When Writing Accomplishments

The mistakes below can significantly diminish the effectiveness of your resume, so it’s important to address them to present your accomplishments in the best possible light:

• Being vague : Lack of specific details makes your accomplishments less convincing and impactful. It’s crucial to provide clear, concrete examples of what you achieved.
• Failing to quantify achievements : Not using numbers or metrics to demonstrate the scale and impact of your achievements can make them seem less significant. Quantifiable achievements provide a clearer and more compelling picture of your success.
• Listing duties instead of achievement s: A common error is to focus on job responsibilities rather than what you accomplished in those roles. Highlight your unique contributions and successes, not just your day-to-day tasks.
• Exaggerating or lying : Overstating your achievements or including false information can seriously undermine your credibility. It’s important to be honest and accurate in your descriptions.
• Poor formatting and structure : If your accomplishments are not presented in a clear format, they may be overlooked or undervalued. Proper formatting ensures that your achievements are easily noticeable and understandable.

Examples of accomplishments to put on a resume: by industry

Here are some industry-specific accomplishment examples which you can use to give you ideas and to help you write an achievements-based resume .

“Balanced an annual budget of over $600,000”

“Saved the company 7% over 5 years”

Administrative Assistant

“Responded to over 30 emails a day and resolved customer’s problems”

“Designed email templates, which were used throughout the department”

Customer Service

“Operated a cash register and handled over $10,000 a week”

“Assisted 20 customers a day, making tailored recommendations”

Information Technology

“Saved the company $10,000 by implementing efficiency software”

“Reduced the hours lost through IT problems by 8%”

“Provided high-quality care to over 20 patients daily”

“Mentored and led a team of 12 newly-qualified nurses”

“Top salesperson in the team for 3 years running”

“Boosted sales by over 25% in 2016”

Students  (for a  student resume )

“Helped to run the History Society which had over 800 members”

“Tutored 6 freshman students and improved each of their grades”

“Improved students scores in math by an average of 12%”

“Received three ‘Best Teacher Awards’  in 2012, 2014, and 2015”.

Still unsure about how to list accomplishments on your resume? Don’t fret! Try our AI-assited resume builder and you’ll have a powerful achievements-based, ATS-proof resume in no time.

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Related Posts

How To Write Resume Accomplishment Statements + 10 Examples

• POSTED ON February 4, 2024
• by Barbara Isla

Writing accomplishment statements for my resume often felt like navigating a delicate balance. I wanted to avoid sounding boastful or overly confident, yet I understood the importance of showcasing my achievements. After all, it’s essential to be proud of what I’ve accomplished while remaining humble and open to learning. 

Initially, I considered downplaying my successes, but I realized that including well-crafted accomplishment statements could greatly enhance my chances of getting noticed by potential employers. 

In my journey to find the ideal approach for writing these statements, I discovered several valuable insights and techniques. Below, I’ve shared a concise guide, including expert advice, to help anyone struggling with the same challenge.

For further enhancement of your resume and career skills, I highly recommend exploring these career development courses . They offer valuable insights and come with certificates upon completion, adding an extra layer of credibility to your professional growth.

Expert Tips for Crafting an Impactful Resume

Crafting an expert resume that stands out in today’s competitive job market is essential for career progression. A resume is more than a list of your work history; it’s a tool to showcase your achievements and professional journey. 

Here are expert tips to help you articulate your experience and accomplishments effectively.

1. Identify and articulate key accomplishments

Start by identifying your most significant achievements in each role you’ve held. Focus on instances where you made a tangible impact, whether through improving processes, driving revenue growth, or leading successful projects. It’s not just about what you did, but how well you did it.

Kartik Ahuja of Thailand Nomads has this to share.

“In my opinion, while determining which accomplishments to highlight, it is important to take into consideration those that are most pertinent to the position and the organization to which you are asking.” Kartik Ahuja, Marketing Manager, Thailand Nomads

2. Use action verbs

Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb. Words like ‘led’, ‘developed’, ‘increased’, ‘transformed’, and ‘achieved’ convey a sense of initiative and accomplishment. Action verbs help to create a narrative of dynamism and proactivity in your career.

Erman Küplü of GA4 shares his technique when writing accomplishment statements. 

“When it comes to demonstrating your efforts and the repercussions they have produced, I believe that the language you employ throughout your accomplishment statements is quite essential. Incorporating powerful action verbs into your assertions will assist you in crafting powerful statements that capture what you have achieved and provide hiring managers with a clear understanding of everything you've accomplished in your professional life.” Erman Küplü, CEO, GA4

3. Quantify your achievements

Numbers speak louder than words. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. For example, “Increased sales by 25% within one year” or “Managed a team of 10 professionals.” These quantifiable accomplishments provide a clear and measurable impact of your work.

James Gibson of Camsurf strongly agrees on this. 

“To measure your achievements, I would recommend that you make use of numbers whenever it is practicable to do so. These assertions are given more specificity and believability as a result of this.” James Gibson, Digital Marketing Manager, Camsurf

4. Be specific

Vague statements can dilute the impact of your achievements. Be specific about what you did, how you did it, and the outcome. Specificity makes your resume more compelling and memorable.

5. Use the CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) method

The CAR method is a powerful way to structure your achievements. First, state the Challenge you faced. Next, describe the Action you took to address it. Finally, highlight the Result of your actions. This method provides a complete story of your problem-solving abilities.

Marom Anaky of Coinscipher offers a similar solution.

“My viewpoint is that the STAR interview method is a strategy that consists of four parts and is commonly utilized for the purpose of responding to interview questions. When it comes to developing your accomplishment declarations, it could be advantageous to adopt this strategy due to the fact it presents a clear pattern for creating an answer that is both compelling and concise.” Marom Anaky, Marketing Manager, Coinscipher

The STAR interview method is a structured approach used by interviewers and candidates to answer behavioral questions. It involves describing a Situation, Task, Action, and Result to provide a comprehensive and concise response that highlights one’s skills and experiences.

6. Include awards

If you’ve received any professional awards or recognitions, make sure to include them. Awards are a testament to your expertise and dedication and can set you apart from other candidates.

7. Focus on unique contributions

Highlight what makes you unique. Maybe you have a rare certification, specific technical skills, or an unusual combination of experiences. These unique traits can make you an attractive candidate.

8. Avoid jargon

While it’s important to include relevant industry-specific terms, avoid overusing jargon. Your resume should be accessible to all potential readers, including those who may not be specialists in your field.

9. Show progression

Your career progression should be evident in your resume. Show how you’ve grown in responsibility and skill level over time. This progression can demonstrate your ability to learn, adapt, and take on more significant challenges.

Ethan Keller of Dominion has this to say.

“I would say that highlight not only what you have accomplished but also the abilities that you have grown or improved as a result of the process, in my opinion. Your versatility and adaptability can be demonstrated through this.” Ethan Keller, President, Dominion

10. Elevate routine tasks to noteworthy feats

The ability to turn routine tasks into noteworthy feats is a valuable skill. It signifies an individual’s capacity to see beyond the mundane and transform everyday responsibilities into impactful achievements. 

Here’s how you can do it according to Richard Heaton of Cartisian. 

“In my own professional journey, I turned a routine task into a notable achievement. I changed it from saying, Managed social media accounts, to, Drove a 50% increase in online engagement through strategic management of social media channels. This demonstrated my position and its concrete influence on the company's online presence.” Richard Heaton, Marketing Manager, Cartisian

11. Review and Revise

Finally, review and revise your resume regularly. Keep it updated with any new skills, experiences, or accomplishments. A well-maintained resume is ready to go whenever an opportunity arises.

10 Examples of Resume Accomplishment Statements 

Here are ten concise examples to illustrate how you can showcase your achievements:

• Increased sales: “Boosted regional sales by 30% in one year, leading to a significant market share increase.”
• Cost reduction: “Implemented a new inventory management system, reducing operational costs by 15%.”
• Project management: “Led a team of 12 in a project that delivered a new software product 3 weeks ahead of schedule.”
• Customer satisfaction: “Enhanced customer service protocols, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction ratings.”
• Revenue growth: “Initiated a strategic partnership that resulted in a 40% revenue increase for a key product line.”
• Process improvement: “Redesigned the employee onboarding process, reducing the time-to-productivity by 25%.”
• Team leadership: “Managed a cross-functional team that successfully completed a company-wide rebranding initiative.”
• Innovation: “Developed a patent-pending technology that reduced manufacturing time by 10%.”
• Award recognition: “Recipient of the ‘Top Performer’ award for two consecutive years due to exceptional sales performance.”
• Professional development: “Completed an advanced certification in data analysis, contributing to a 15% improvement in data-driven decision-making.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Resume Accomplishments Statements

Keep in mind that over 80% of resumes are eliminated during the initial screening, underscoring the importance of making a strong first impression.

When writing resume accomplishment statements, it’s crucial to effectively communicate your achievements without common errors that can undermine their impact. 

Here are several mistakes to avoid: 

1. Being vague

Avoid general statements like “worked on many projects” or “improved sales.” Instead, be specific about what you did and the results you achieved.

Christy Pyrz of Paradigm Peptides shares her expert insights. 

“The mistake that many people make when writing an accomplishment statement is that they do it in a passive manner, that is why it is important that yours convey action to best demonstrate intent. Listing an accomplishment without giving it context or including what was needed to obtain the goal, is basically describing an outcome in a vacuum.” Christy Pyrz, CMO, Paradigm Peptides

2. Focusing only on duties, not achievements

Listing only job responsibilities rather than accomplishments can make your resume look like a job description. Focus on what you achieved in those roles.

3. Exaggerating or misrepresenting the truth

It’s important to be honest. Overstating your achievements can backfire, especially if you are questioned about them during an interview.

4. Neglecting to show the impact

It’s not just about what you did, but also about the impact it had. Make sure to connect your actions to positive outcomes for the company or team.

Take note of what Kirk Hazlett of The University of Tampa has to say about what hiring managers look for. 

“Hiring managers are looking for candidates who will make a difference for their organization, and citing specific examples of your accomplishments moves your resume to the top of the pile.” Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, The University of Tampa

5. Ignoring team contributions

If your accomplishment was part of a team effort, acknowledge this. It shows your ability to work collaboratively.

6. Repeating the same accomplishments

Avoid repeating similar accomplishments for different roles. Each statement should highlight a unique aspect of your skills or experience.

7. Not tailoring to the job

Make sure your accomplishments are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Highlight the achievements that align closely with the job requirements.

Kevin Miller shares his ‘research-then-construct’ technique.

“When businesses look at an accomplishment statement the very first thing they consider is if it applies to them, and this is why it is critical to research that element before constructing one. You can have a series of accomplishments throughout your career, but if a potential employer cannot draw the connection between your attributes and reached objectives and their own needs, it will fail to hit the mark.” Kevin Miller, SEO Expert, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor

10. Poor formatting or grammar

Errors in spelling, grammar, or formatting can distract from the content of your achievements. Always proofread and consider having someone else review your resume.

Meanwhile, to ensure that you have a better chance of getting shortlisted, please read these common resume mistakes .

Frequently Asked Questions 

What makes a strong accomplishment statement on a resume.

A strong accomplishment statement on a resume clearly and concisely describes a specific achievement, quantifies the results (if possible), and highlights the impact or value added. 

It typically starts with a strong action verb and includes enough context to understand the significance of the accomplishment. The statement should reflect not just what was done, but how well it was done and the positive outcomes that resulted from the action.

Can I include accomplishments from unrelated jobs? 

Yes, you can include accomplishments from unrelated jobs, especially if they demonstrate transferable skills, personal qualities, or achievements that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

Even if the job itself was in a different industry, accomplishments that show leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, or other universal skills can be valuable to potential employers.

Harrison Jordan, Managing Lawyer at Substance Law, provides an insight that supports this perspective: 

“Personal side hustles, in my opinion, are beneficial in that they assist individuals hone new talents prior to transforming into a new job creation.” 

How many accomplishment statements should I include per job?  

The number of accomplishment statements per job can vary, but a good rule of thumb is to include 3-5 strong statements for each position. 

This allows you to showcase your most significant achievements without overwhelming the reader. Quality is more important than quantity; it’s better to have a few well-articulated accomplishments than a long list of less impactful ones.

How do I write an accomplishment statement if I’m a new graduate? 

As a new graduate, you can write accomplishment statements focusing on relevant coursework, projects, internships, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities. 

Highlight any situation where you had a positive impact, whether it was leading a group project, improving a process, or achieving outstanding results in your studies. The key is to demonstrate skills and experiences that are transferable to the workplace.

Should I include personal achievements on my resume?

Personal achievements can be included on a resume if they are relevant to the job or demonstrate qualities that are desirable in the professional world, such as determination, leadership, or the ability to overcome challenges. 

However, it’s important to balance personal achievements with professional accomplishments and to ensure that the personal achievements you include are appropriate and align with the job’s requirements.

Key Takeaways

Crafting effective accomplishment statements for your resume is crucial to stand out in the competitive job market. Balancing humility with showcasing your achievements is essential. This concise guide has provided expert tips and 10 examples to help you articulate your experience effectively. 

It’s time to put this knowledge into action. Start revising your resume and incorporating these expert tips right away. Remember, your resume is a powerful tool to boost your career. 

To further enhance your skills and career prospects, consider exploring the wide range of career development courses offered by Skill Success All Access Pass . These courses provide valuable insights and come with certificates upon completion, adding an extra layer of credibility to your professional growth.

Barbara Isla

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65+ Resume Accomplishment Examples That Worked in 2024

• January 2, 2024
• In Resumes & Cover Letters

Are you struggling with writing your resume accomplishments? When listing your accomplishments, it’s crucial to do so in a way that demonstrates expertise and shows relevant experience for each of the competencies the company is looking for. In other words, you are going to give them the clues in the resume and help them see the evidence that you are the best fit for their position by emphasizing the accomplishments that match what they are looking for.

Table of contents

Resume accomplishments vs. Responsibilities 

Highlight relevant expertise in your resume accomplishments section, 1. focus on the core competencies, 2. use the par method, 3. start with action verbs, 4. quantify your accomplishments, 65+ resume accomplisment examples across various fields.

• Resume accomplishments examples customer service
• Finance/Accounting resume accomplishment examples
• Resume accomplishment examples for sales
• Accomplishment examples for computer science
• Resume Accomplishments for management
• Example of resume accomplishments for students
• Resume achievements examples for freshers

FAQ: Resume Accomplishments

Q1: where to put awards and accomplishments on a resume, q2: do i need a separate “key achievements” section on a resume.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when crafting your resume is to include a long list of nothing but job duties. Without any context, these tell the reader very little about your value as an employee. Your potential employer or hiring manager wants to know your contributions and accomplishments that drove the company forward. They want to see that you can show initiative and have a real positive impact on your job. their company.

Accomplishments provide concrete evidence of your skills and achievements, showing potential employers what you can bring to their organization. Remember to use action verbs and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. This helps to make your achievements more impactful and easily understandable to hiring managers.

Identify the core competencies or skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. These could be skills like communication, negotiation, problem-solving, leadership, or any other skills mentioned in the job description. Highlight your experience and achievements related to these competencies.

When describing your accomplishments, use the Problem, Action, Result (PAR) method . Start by explaining the problem or challenge you faced, then describe the specific actions you took to address the problem, and finally, highlight the positive results or outcomes of your actions. This structure helps to provide context and demonstrate the impact of your work.

PAR method example:

Problem:  Company’s profits stagnation at 7% year-to-year , poor customer retention

Action: Implemented a new customer loyalty program

Result: Developed and implemented a new customer loyalty program, which increased customer retention rates by 18% , and increased the company’s profits by 27-39%

Begin each accomplishment statement with a strong and specific action verb . This helps to make your statements more engaging and impactful. Avoid using generic phrases like “responsible for” or “in charge of.” Instead, use expressive action verbs that demonstrate your proactive approach and highlight your achievements.

Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with specific metrics or numbers. This provides tangible evidence of your impact and helps the reader understand the scope and scale of your achievements. For example, you can mention the percentage increase in customer satisfaction, the amount of cost savings you achieved, or the timeframe in which you completed a project.

The most important questions to ask when compiling your accomplishments for a resume

• How can I improve my accomplishment statements?  Develop clear, value-driven statements that highlight the impact of your work. Use specific action verbs throughout your resume accomplishments. Also, keep in mind to take credit for your work.  Use strong verbs that show what you can achieve, not just that you can follow directions.
• Does each of my achievements begin with an action verb?  Remember: action verbs can breathe life into dull, overused statements. They highlight the action you took and hint at the impressive results it garnered. Apart from being the norm for resume writing, it also makes it easier for the reader to understand your achievements during a quick scan.
• Have I added enough credibility to my resume accomplishments?  The best way to establish credibility and add context to your achievements is to quantify them. Using statistics helps the employer gauge your value and makes your accomplishments more impactful.

Here are 65+ resume accomplishment examples across various fields and industries:

• Grew the organization’s product ( Gillette ) market share in the Latin American market by 27% in 3 years.
• Exceeded sales goals by an average of 12% each year since 2013.
• Grew the affiliate database from 118 to over 1122 in 6 months without increasing the monthly budget.
• Coordinated daily activities of 35 employees and prepared weekly updates and reports to track performance and productivity across 6 departments.
• Carried out over 8 real estate showings per week on metropolitan properties valued between $10 million and $25 million.
• Increased revenue Zara fashion in new European markets to $454.1 million in under 2 years.
• Created and deployed successful social media ad campaigns with a monthly budget of $3,500.
• Coordinated a weekly newsletter sent out to over 350 stakeholders and partners.
• Expanded the company’s client base by 47% in 3 months as a sales representative.
• Prepared and implemented a software training program for 45 associate-level employees.
• Provided timely financial reports that led to business improvement and a 25% drop in company costs in 2023.
• Offered financial advice on crypto assets and investments to 50+ executives.
• Contributed to over $65,000 in profits in 2023 through proposed system changes and investment strategies.
• Wrote 400+ relevant and helpful articles and increased organic website traffic by 21%1.
• Trained 10 content writers on content generation and high-impact writing, which improved Google rankings in 2023.
• Created press releases that landed in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Financial Times.
• Led the design of a Data-Boosted Ad feature with enhanced targeted ad serving.
• Implemented new accounting software, reducing manual data entry by 50% and saving 10 hours per week.
• Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,500.
• Developed and executed marketing campaigns that resulted in a 13% increase in sales revenue.
• Led a cross-functional team to successfully launch a new product within the deadline.
• Resolved 1500 number of customer complaints, maintaining a high customer satisfaction rate.
• Achieved 18% increase in productivity by implementing new workflow procedures.
• Received recognition for outstanding performance and awarded Employee of the Month.
• Managed a team of 450 employees, coordinating their tasks and achieving project goals.
• Increased website traffic by 33% through search engine optimization strategies.
• Developed and implemented a customer retention program that reduced churn rate by 15%.
• Streamlined inventory management processes, resulting in a 12% reduction in stockouts.
• Achieved 12% growth in sales revenue through effective relationship building with key clients.
• Led a team that achieved 15% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings.

Customer Service Examples

• Reduced time spent on inventory by 15% by reorganizing warehouse design
• Maintained a 97% satisfaction rating over a 24-month period as a customer care representative
• Increased client retention by 59% by implementing an efficient grievance resolution process and customer feedback system
• Delivered an exceptional customer service experience, resolved issues, and shared benefits of additional services

Finance/Accounting Examples

• Improved relationships with international accounting teams, increasing response speeds to emails and messages by 33%
• Identified and implemented cost-saving measures, resulting in a 20% reduction in expenses
• Streamlined financial reporting processes, reducing the monthly closing time by 15%
• Led successful implementation of an automated invoice processing system, resulting in a 30% reduction in processing time

Sales Examples

• Increased the volume of distribution of branded supplements by 31% within a year on the pharmacy market
• Managed a team of five sales managers, consistently exceeding sales objectives by an average of 47% within the first 6 months.
• Suggested and implemented flexible payment options to increase customer retention by 12%

Computer Science Examples

• Developed and deployed a web application that improved user experience and increased website traffic by 40%.
• Implemented an algorithm that optimized data processing, reducing processing time by 50% and improving system efficiency.
• Collaborated with a team to design and develop a mobile app that received a 4-star rating on app stores and gained over 100,000 downloads.
• Led a software development project, successfully delivering the product within the specified timeline and budget, resulting in client satisfaction and repeat business.
• Contributed to the development of a machine learning model that improved accuracy by 20% and enhanced the performance of a recommendation system.

Management Examples

• Led a team of 15 sales representatives, resulting in a 30% increase in monthly sales revenue
• Implemented a new performance management system that improved employee productivity by 20%
• Developed and executed a cost-saving initiative that reduced departmental expenses by 15%
• Successfully managed a project with a budget of $1 million, delivering it on time and within budget
• Implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system, resulting in a 25% improvement in customer retention
• Led a team in achieving a 95% customer satisfaction rating through effective customer service strategies

Resume Accomplishment Examples for Students

• Elected president of the student body for the academic years 2012-2014
• Implemented an innovative yearbook campaign, increasing ad revenues by 33% YoY
• Designed and implemented a student social media strategy on Instagram , which increased enrolment by 21%

Resume Achievements Examples for Freshers

• Received academic awards or scholarships for outstanding performance, demonstrating academic merit and dedication.
• Completed a significant project with measurable outcomes, such as developing a software program, conducting research, or organizing an event.
• Managed part-time work as a cashier while studying, showcasing time management and multitasking abilitie

When it comes to your resume, less is more. Starting the accomplishments on your resume with an action verb followed by an impressive result can cement your position as a valuable team member. Yet, it should be easy to scan and quick to grab attention. Coincidentally, including impressive resume accomplishments is the best way to ensure that.

Keep in mind that prospective employers will want to see your work outcomes and focus on them throughout your resume.

• Work Experience Section The most common place to showcase your accomplishments is within the descriptions of your previous job roles. When listing your responsibilities and duties, be sure to include specific achievements and outcomes that demonstrate your skills and contributions. Use action verbs and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.
• Resume Summary Another effective place to include accomplishments is in your resume summary, which is a brief statement at the beginning of your resume that provides an overview of your qualifications. Use this section to highlight your most impressive achievements and showcase your value proposition to potential employers.
• Skills Section If you have specific accomplishments that are relevant to your skills, you can include them in your skills section. For example, if you have achieved certifications or awards related to your skills, you can mention them here to demonstrate your expertise.
• Awards Section If you have received any notable awards or recognition, you can create a dedicated section on your resume to highlight these accomplishments. This can help to further differentiate you from other candidates and showcase your exceptional performance.

It’s not necessary to create a separate section for your accomplishments. However, if you have a few very noteworthy accomplishments that you want to highlight, you can create an “Awards and Accomplishments” or “Key Achievements” section on your resume.

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77 Resume Accomplishment Examples

Potential employers see past success as an indication for future performance, that's why resume accomplishment statements are the most powerful part of your resume that can boost your chances of landing a job interview.

Accomplishment statements have a few principal components.

First and foremost, you should target your accomplishments at the specific position - one resume for one job position only. That means, customizing your bullet points every time by using keywords found in a job description and rearranging the most relevant information to appear in the top.

Secondly, statements need to stress your achievements and results instead of duties or responsibilities.

How to format your accomplishments into powerful statements? Start your resume accomplishments with action verbs, use numbers to prove results (numbers provide certainty), and finally enrich these statements by using keywords found in a job description.

If you would like to go deeper into the writing techniques, we have prepared the definitive guide of how to build a resume based on targeted accomplishments. You should check it out.

This article, however, is only about the examples. Use them as an inspiration for your own accomplishments statements which would lead you to a job you want.

• Sold high-tech products with an average price point of $18,000.
• Together with the sales team, planned and organized territory sales completing monthly goals of 100 meetings.
• Increased unit sales goals by 260% and generated over $90,000 in revenue in six months without prior training.
• Managed and maintained a portfolio of over 400 business clients.
• Developed new relationships with over 70 business clients, helping them to solve their business challenges.
• Worked independently and performed 80 - 100 daily cold calls, educating customers and building relationships.
• Produced and implemented retargeting sales campaigns based on Facebook Pixel and other data tracking technologies.
• Developed successful telemarketing programs that targeted potential business clients, reducing the time of product introduction.
• Based on sign-ups for marketing lists, created 20+ email templates that were implemented as a company standard, resulting in positive feedback from the sales teams and customers.

Customer Service

• Delivered an exceptional customer service experience, resolved issues and shared benefits of additional services. Recognized for being positive, intuitive, and client-centric.
• Promptly responded to around 70 general telephone and email inquiries per day regarding existing business accounts.
• Managed 100 clients' data quarterly and maintained individual customer service about up-to-date knowledge of account changes, operations, and financial options.
• Motivated co-workers by encouraging teamwork, rewarding positive behavior, and promoting optimism.
• Demonstrated organizational skills by cross-training and providing backup for other customer service representatives when needed.
• Greeted and assisted customers with various issues, introduced protection programs, and additional service packages.

Office Administrative Assistant

• Performed daily administrative functions such as answering calls and emails, scheduling meetings, writing multiple reports and other forms.
• Provided constant and reliable administrative support to 20 office team members.
• Assisted the HR manager by maintaining personnel files for job applicants as well as active and terminated employees.
• Maintained, coordinated and updated the client database, records and mailing lists.
• Maintained an inventory of office supplies.

Office Receptionist

• Transformed manual processes into a computerized, well-documented standard operating procedures system (SOP).
• Performed daily administrative functions such as answering calls and emails, greeting visitors, invoicing, and maintaining the inventory of office supplies.
• Managed and prepared multiple reports, spreadsheets, documents and other forms and handled all media and PR inquiries.
• Scheduled meetings and managed the calendar, took the meeting minutes and forwarded the minutes via email to all the partners.

Assistant Manager

• Directly assisted the e-commerce manager in performing internal marketing functions, including keyword and competitor analysis for sales purposes.
• Responsibly administrated the manager's MS Office documents, forms, emails, and calendar.
• Monitored, documented and prepared weekly expense and performance status reports.
• Prepared graphical presentations for sales meetings.
• Assisted three project managers in performing multiple internal marketing functions such as doing keyword and content analysis for a client's digital media advertisements.
• Directly administrated seven marketing and PR campaigns in my first year.

Executive Administrative Assistant

• Supervised the CEO's calendar, handled meetings and inquires. Ensured clear communication from the executive to project teams.
• Coordinated executive off-sites and other events for up to 800 employees.
• Coordinated catering for annual staff forum, negotiated terms and pricing agreements, saving at least $30K annually.
• Managed all documentation, designed and implemented various documents and business cards, monitored email, and replied on behalf of the CEO with regard to related issues.
• Successfully headhunted and recruited more than 300 professionals via LinkedIn and alumni databases, ensuring background checks, individual offerings as well as contacting uprising talents.
• Maintained a positive work environment by surprising employees with weekly actions, such as yoga or morning musicians.
• Managed training programs for all new employees, including orientation, disciplinary procedures, safety, etc.
• Created and implemented a self-improving employee's training system with well-documented standard operating procedures (SOP) that were later adopted company-wide.
• Doubled the number of new job applicants by organizing and implementing an employer branding program with the help of a positive Glassdoor image, daily LinkedIn updates, monthly media coverage, etc.
• Developed and improved a step-by-step recruiting system with friendly job application forms, practice tests, and questionnaires for filtering 100 new daily resumes to find the top talent.

HR Assistant

• Organized various occasional and regular events, volunteering actions, and continued training programs which increased retention to 60% within three years.
• Invited at least 10 motivational speakers and industry experts to present lectures and speeches to employees on new industry standards and teaching them how to build confidence and morale in the workplace.
• Developed an employer manual covering training, disciplinary procedures, FSA, STD, PTO, FMLA policies and other information.
• Directly assisted the HR manager in performing internal HR functions such as managing resumes and preparing various business documents.
• Organized content for our employer branding strategy via channels such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and other media networks.
• Searched for professionals using LinkedIn and alumni databases, ensuring background checks and experience.
• Monitored, documented and prepared weekly and monthly performance status reports.

Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

• Installed, maintained and repaired high-technology equipment for the semiconductor industry, Stepper NSR-SF155 and NSR-1505G2A.
• Prepared BOQ and implemented SPC for various process steps to monitor 100% production quality.
• Designed and implemented a working two-channel encoder for an FM modulator within a six-week deadline.

Graphic Designer

• Designed, implemented and maintained 70+ WordPress and HTML websites using Adobe Creative Suite.
• Created, designed and presented 26 projects from concept to solution for clients and businesses.
• Worked closely with marketing project managers to maintain and revise the creative direction for a group of on average five projects/websites.
• Actively researched, followed and forecasted design trends to bring new ideas. Implemented company-level educational content and book reading practices at a later stage that led to better workflow and higher quality design production.
• Created 10-12 ads and imageries weekly, including flyers, banners, posters, logos and business cards.
• Developed and updated five websites.
• Generated and completed four full advertising campaigns using Adobe Creative Suite.
• Delivered design solutions under extremely tight deadlines.

Project Manager

• Solved internal financial business challenges by reducing projects' costs by 25% while employing young, but talented, external freelancers without negatively affecting the overall quality of the project.
• Managed, lead and coordinated various teams of up to 70 people to perform marketing programs. This included collaboration both with internal and external teams.
• Created, organized and implemented the company’s employee training program with the help of up-to-date educational book reading practices, which improved the ideas of the professional team members and workflow.
• Monitored 42 end-to-end marketing and PR projects.

Communication & Advertising

• Generated, produced and maintained 42 end-to-end marketing and PR projects of which three became viral stunts. Completed all the projects within an approved budget, timescale, and expected quality.
• Created, produced and presented six brainstorm ideas/projects from concept to a solution for client's brief.

Business Analyst

• Analyzed and architected financial intelligence models to measure complex data, cash flows, NPV, and ROI.
• Successfully connected internal sales, marketing as well as design teams and departments with external partners via Trello and Slack integrations, leading to 20% more efficient workflow and effective data tracking and sharing of projects.
• Developed successful business models resulting in a revenue increase of 4.4% from 2015 to 2016.
• Analyzed and architected business intelligence models to measure ROI. Monitored and reviewed options, risks, and costs of company's $5 million budget.
• Worked with multiple data sets to apply qualitative and quantitative customer research techniques and business profitability analysis that lead to exceeding monthly goals by 7% on a continuous basis.

Fund Manager

• Generated, produced and maintained all aspects of the fundraising steps: mailings, tele-fundraising, coordinating with the database administrator, and communication with development teams.
• Managed, lead and coordinated 60 projects and their budget deadlines, achieving an average annual return of 5.8%.
• Solved internal financial business challenges by reducing project costs by 25%, while employing young, but talented, external freelancers without negatively affecting the overall work quality.

Finance & Accounting

• Saved up to 25% on shipping costs by generating accurate reports for determining the cost, quality, and location of the inventory, and maximizing production efficiency.
• Prepared monthly and quarterly investment forecasts of $4M stock exchange fund to evaluate precise margin call.
• Performed external audits on +200 JEG listed companies, analyzing their financial statements, tax returns, expenditures, and revenues.

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Writing Impactful Resume Bullets

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Resume Accomplishment Statements

Accomplishment statements are the bullets/sentences under the experience section of your resume that describe and quantify your achievements, results, and successes from prior internship, student organization, volunteer, military, or education experiences. When writing these statements, don’t just list your role, responsibilities, and tasks; employers want to also know how you can contribute to their team or organization. Provide specific examples of the impact you made and the value you added during those experiences.

The following guidelines will help you start the process of writing strong accomplishment statements that highlight your qualifications and demonstrate your skills. Before you start writing accomplishment statements, consider the following:

❓ Have I ever : Improved something? Achieved more with fewer resources or money? Reduced costs? Improved productivity? Saved time? Increased recruitment numbers? Designed, developed, or implemented a new process, program or product? Brought diverse constituents together to accomplish something? Improved morale? Solved a pressing problem? Managed or led a team? Presented complex information clearly? Successfully multitasked? Dedicated long hours of work to accomplish something within a short timeframe? Balanced extracurricular/outside commitments with coursework? Took initiative without anyone asking? Received awards or positive performance reviews?

❓ Also consider: What are you most proud of? What would others you have worked with say about your contribution? How have organizations benefited from your work? What special projects have you worked on and what was the outcome? What is the tangible evidence of your accomplishments?

Guidelines for Creating Impactful Resume Accomplishment Statements

1. utilize the action + project + result format.

• Project : Group related tasks together into more meaningful projects or activities
• Action : Choose an action verb that describes what YOU did and what YOUR contribution was (NOT your TEAM!) to the project/activity. Highlight what SKILLS you made use of or gained through this experience
• Result : Pitch the result and impact of your work. QUANTIFY the result and impact in terms of % improvement or % increase. If your work resulted (or will result) in a publication or patent, mention that

✏️ Write it out : [A] Choose an action verb + [P] Name a project you completed or problem you solved + [R] Describe the results you achieved, quantifying when possible

2. Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z] Format

✏️ Write it out : [X] Lead with the impact you delivered + [Y] Numerically measure what you accomplished + [Z] Detail specifically what you did

Converting to Result Bullets: Before and After

• Worked with a student leadership committee to increase member participation
• Contributed to system for streamlined application submissions and tracking
• Selected for scholarship
• Led a 5-person leadership team to increase student participation by 100% from 50 to 100 members by creating a stronger social media presence
• Collaborated with the IT team to develop an online application submission and tracking system, reducing cost by 10%
• Selected as one of 230 participants nationwide, based on top class rank coupled with community engagement work
• Use Powerful Action Verbs : While each bullet starts with an action verb, certain action verbs sound more impactful than others. e.g. led, created, developed
• Quantify your Impact : Before revision, bullets are focused mostly on describing activities, not outcomes. It is important to numerically measure what you accomplished through your actions
• Contextualize Your Accomplishment : Provide a baseline for comparison to make it easier for recruiters to understand your accomplishment

Converting to Skill Bullets: Before and After

• Explored the evolutionary origins of various cognitive processes by studying capuchin monkeys
• Looked at branding and marketing strategies of Company X in comparison to competitors
• Worked with fellow interns to put on a conference
• Delivered key insights on the evolutionary origins of cognitive processes by researching and analyzing over 100 years of literature on capuchin monkeys
• Compiled an overview of the competitive landscape for Company X by conducting expert interviews and online research
• Facilitated collaboration among 5-person intern team to put on a conference; divided tasks based on expertise, developed a feasible timeline, and kept team on task and within budget
• Pitch Your Skills : Highlight transferable skills you gained from your past experience that your future employer will value (e.g. research, analytic skills, teamwork, communication skills, leadership)
• Be Specific : The inclusion of relevant details shows the reader that the candidate is capable of making an impact in the organization

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Make a Resume:...

How to Make a Resume: Beginner's Writing Guide with Examples

30 min read · Updated on May 22, 2024

Your dream job is one resume away!

Your resume is arguably the most important financial document you'll ever own. And before you think, “Yeah – right” let's consider for a moment. Without a resume, you don't get the job, so you can't pay bills, support a family, go to the big game, have that weekend trip, or plan for retirement. Your resume is the doorway to your future, so let's make sure it's perfect.

Part of making it perfect is remembering that it's a targeted career marketing document – not a chronicle of your life. So, how do you write a resume? In this beginner's writing guide, we'll show you how to make a resume and provide examples of what each section should look like. 

Grab a cup of coffee and strap in, because you're about to learn everything you need to know about how to make a new resume!

Table of contents:

The purpose of a resume

Avoid rejection by the ATS

What is your career target?

Build your personal brand, what should your resume look like, how to make a resume – the layout.

How long does it take to put together a resume?

A major resume no-no: typos

How to make your resume more professional

Theory in practice – resume examples

The most basic purpose of a resume is to sell your skills , achievements , and qualifications to prospective employers. This one document can financially make or break you. Let's take a quick look at what being unemployed costs you per day (assuming a five-day workweek):

If you make $40,000 per year, you lose about $155 every day that you're out of work

If you make $50,000 per year, you lose about $190 every day that you're out of work

If you make $75,000 per year, you lose about $288 every day that you're out of work

If you make $100,000 per year, you lose about $385 every day that you're out of work

Clearly, finding out how to make a resume for a job is critical so that you can properly sell your skills, qualifications, experiences, and achievements to prospective employers. 

The job market is tough and highly competitive; you have to stand out in a sea of qualified candidates by creating a compelling narrative that tells a story of value, keeping in mind that your resume is supposed to do a few things for you:

Introduce you to a new company

Underscore how your experiences and education are relevant

Showcase how your skills and competencies will benefit the new company's team

Win interviews

Avoid rejection by the ATS 

What do you know about applicant tracking systems? Job seeking can be compared to throwing your resume into a black hole. You can go through 100 listings on any job search website and complete the online application with zero results. 

Ever had that happen? It's okay, it happens to everyone at some point or another! 

The problem is that you're probably not putting the correct keywords into your resume. When you hit “Submit” on an online application, it isn't magically emailed to the hiring manager. 

Oh, no! 

It goes through a computer system that scans your resume for specific keywords that can be found in the job description posted by the company. And, just so you know, approximately 90% of companies use ATS scans , including everything from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies. 

The companies use these programs because they just don't have time for a human to go through all the resumes they receive. Depending on the job opening, a company can get between  250 and 500 applicants . Can you imagine being the person who has to sift through all those resumes? 

Here is where the ATS steps in. It's designed to weed through candidates to narrow the applicant pool, so that the human hiring manager has a more reasonable resume load to go through. It ranks the remaining candidates in order based on how much of a match they are for the position that's open. 

Being overlooked by the ATS is one of the number one reasons job seekers get ghosted by companies.

Once your resume makes it through the ATS and gets into the hands of a hiring manager, don't think they're going to sit down and read each one. Who has that kind of time? You should expect that the first round of resume sorting will consist of them flipping through the stack to pick the ones that stand out within about 6 seconds of glancing at them. 

PRO TIP: Put your resume on a table, stand up, and look at it from a little distance. Is it eye-catching? Can you tell the position you're seeking just by glancing at it? Set a timer if you have to, but no more than 10 seconds.

Speaking of eye-catching, don't make the same mistake as a lot of your rival job seekers by being too generic with your resume. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that being non-specific will open doors to more opportunities. The problem is that the hiring manager won't be able to tell exactly where you'll fit within their organization. 

The first step in winning an interview is being sure that your resume actually makes it into the hands of a human being at the company you apply to. Start by defining what you want to do.

So the first, and most important, step in crafting the perfect resume is to narrow down your target career path. The more specific you are with this first step, the more response you'll receive from hiring managers because they'll be able to tell exactly how you fit within their organization. There are four areas to focus on as you begin to chart your career path:

Industry: Do you want to work in private sector, nonprofit, government, or public roles?

Geography: This one is more in-depth than choosing rural vs urban. It also includes whether you want to work in a dynamic or static environment.

Company size: You may not think it, but having an idea about whether you want to work in a small company or one with thousands of employees is important. 

Role: Saving the best for last, you have to know what position you want.

On the surface, it may seem like these things are only important for the job search aspect of landing a new position, but you have to know what voice to write your resume in, too. Part of that is knowing your audience. When you understand your audience, you can build a personal brand that resonates with what they're looking for in a new staff member.

Now that you've gotten your target career path nailed down, the next step is to brand you. Think of yourself as a product and your resume is the packaging. Companies spend a lot of time on their branding and packaging - you have to do the same thing.

The best place to start is with a  career assessment . Taking one of these tests can help you to identify your strengths, what sets you apart from others, and key themes of your professional identity. Just like Nike and Coca-Cola have timeless taglines and catchphrases that succinctly define what they have to offer to consumers, your personal brand has to tell a concise, yet compelling, story. This is where your resume comes in.

Your resume isn't just a piece of paper you give to a hiring manager or upload to a website that says, “I'm interested in this job.” Your resume is a personal marketing tool. You shape that tool with words that describe your experiences and achievements, to impress and grab the attention of the hiring manager. 

Unlike Nike's “Just Do It” phrase, your personal brand isn't something you build and forget. It is fluid and should be revisited and refined as you gain new skills, experiences, and achievements. Weave the elements of your brand into every section of your resume.

There is a common misconception that entry-level resumes look different than executive resumes. The reality is that the only difference is how much content is available to write about. 

Obviously, someone who has little to no experience will have a  short resume  – generally one page. 

When you start to get up to 10 years of experience, then you've earned the second page, so go ahead and use it. 

It's not incremental though

Just because you have 20 years of experience doesn't mean you can have a three-page resume. As you work through how to make a resume, remember that a three-page resume should be avoided, unless you have a lot of career extras like publications, research, patents, publications, or public speaking engagements to talk about. 

Other than the number of pages, your resume should use the same format and layout no matter if you're applying to a job as someone fresh out of college or seeking to be the CEO of a company. 

Chronological resume 

The  reverse-chronological  is the most popular, traditional, and well-known resume format. Its focus is placed on achievements from your career history and is defined by listing your work history starting with your current or most recent job and working backward 10-15 years. 

Employers like this type of resume because it tells them what, when, and where you worked. It's best to use this if your work history is steady and shows growth and development. If you're looking to make a career change, have had frequent job changes, or if you're seeking your first job, this may not be the best format to use.

Pro Tip: You could also get lost in the ATS if your  resume is over-designed . Many resume writers will tell you that you need to stand out in the sea of sameness by adding some personality to your resume through design. While that's true, you need to avoid heavily formatted resumes which are often rejected by computer scanners as being illegible.

Functional resume 

This resume type focuses more on skills and experiences rather than on your work history. It's more of a “what you know and how you apply that knowledge” than a simple list of where you got the knowledge. It plays down gaps in work history and makes frequent job changes less noticeable. If it isn't done properly, though, it can be confusing for the hiring manager to read and understand. There's also a bit of a stigma behind it, because employers know that job seekers use this style to downplay job-hopping. So, the first thing they do when they get a functional resume is check employment dates. If you can avoid using this style, it's best to do so.

Combination resume 

There is another resume format that focuses on skills first and then experience last. It's the combination resume, which is sometimes called a hybrid resume. This is the most complex resume type and the best resume for mid-career professionals who are transitioning into another career or for people who have special skills and a strong track record of accomplishments. These types of resumes do take a long time to read and some hiring managers won't take the time unless they're looking to fill a hard-to-fill position.

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin and means “course of life.” It's a little different from a resume, but some positions require a CV over a resume. The first thing you would notice is that a CV is significantly longer than a resume.  A resume is a self-branding document meant to portray your experience and achievements in a concise and easy-to-read format. A CV goes much further into the depth of your education and accomplishments (think publications, awards, and honors) and even has a section for you to include "Areas of Interest."

The best way to describe a CV is that it's a career biography. The biggest significant difference is that a CV is arranged chronologically in a way that gives a complete overview of your full working career. It also doesn't change based on the career or position for which you're applying.

Layout 

To make things easier for the hiring manager to digest the content of your resume, it should be laid out in a specific way to ensure that the right information is in the right place. 

Hiring managers don't  READ  resumes. They skim through until they find something that piques their interest and then they stop to read

Contact information

Title 

Professional summary , core competencies, experience , education and credentials , awards, certificates, and volunteer work .

Since the reverse-chronological resume is the one that the majority of people will use to apply for jobs, and because it's the format that hiring managers want to see, we'll focus this article on showing you how to make a resume using that style. 

Current contact information 

Location | Phone | Email | LinkedIn | Portfolio (if applicable)

You can be creative and use bold font in your  contact information  and even put a border under it to separate it from the body of your resume. 

• Name: Be sure to list your name the same across all professional documents (e.g., resume, cover letter, thank you note, LinkedIn profile). Don't get hung up with whether to use your legal name (i.e. the name on your birth certificate or driver's license). Write your name in the manner you want people to address you. Also, if you use any abbreviated credentials after your name (e.g. Jane Smith, MD), remember to include them on all professional documents.  You can also include any shortened versions of your name in quotations (e.g. Christopher "Chris" Smith). Just make sure to list it the same way everywhere you put your name.
• Address: It is no longer customary to include your full address on your resume. There have been instances of discrimination against job seekers based on their address. As far as your address is concerned, all you need is the City, State, and Zip Code. A lot of people leave off the Zip Code; however, hiring managers can query the ATS for all resumes within a radius of a Zip Code. If you exclude the Zip Code or put something like, "Greater New York Metro Area," your resume won't be included in the query.
• Phone and email: Put the telephone number and email address where you can easily be reached. Also, be sure that your email address is professional. Using something like [email protected] just won't cut it. The best idea is to use some form of your name. If you're paranoid about having your name in your email address, then you can use some form of the type of position you seek, like [email protected].
• LinkedIn URL: You don't have to spell out the entire URL on the contact line. You can put the words “LinkedIn URL” and hyperlink those words. Before you include your LinkedIn URL, be sure that your LinkedIn profile is optimized for the career you want - because you can bet if they have access to it, the hiring manager will look at it. 
• Portfolio: If you're applying for a position like Graphic Designer or Software Designer, you may have a portfolio of work that you want to make available to someone reviewing your application for employment. Include a hyperlink to the portfolio in your contact information. 
• Headshot / photo: There is no reason to include a  headshot on your resume . Actually, it's seen as taboo and could be the thing that gets your resume rejected, because the hiring manager might assume you think you can get the job based on your looks. However, there are some exceptions, like if you're applying to be a model or actor. 

Do you want a hiring manager to be able to tell immediately what type of candidate you are? Put a title at the top of your resume. Center the text on the line, put it in bold font, and put a blank space above and below. The white space and the small amount of words will help it to jump off the page and immediately be noticed. It will also be the first step in helping you stand out in the sea of sameness.

Also, be sure the title on your resume mirrors the title on the job description that you're applying to, but add a bit of panache to it so that it's not too boring. For example, instead of writing “Financial Services Associate,” write “Client-Centric Financial Services Associate Dedicated to Customer Engagement and Revenue Growth.” Just remember to keep it on one line. 

The very next thing on the page should always be your Professional Summary. But how do you write a summary for a resume?

It's a three to five-sentence statement about you. Where you've been in your career, where you're going, and how you'll use your experience to get there. 

While the professional summary is sometimes referred to as the resume objective , you must remember that the days of writing a  resume objective are dead . Never, ever include an objective on your resume. They are a waste of space and don't relay any information that markets you as the best candidate for an open position. 

Let's take a look at an example of each:

Sales Representative seeking a challenging position that will use my skills and provide opportunities for growth in a dynamic and rewarding company. 

As you can see, the objective is very inward-facing and only talks about what you want out of your career. It provides no value to the hiring manager and eliminates any possibility for them to be able to tell what you bring to the table for them. 

Professional Summary:

Ambitious sales professional offering 10+ years' experience in customer retention and aggressive revenue growth. Conquers goals and quotas through a keen awareness of the human buying motive that allows for quickly overcoming objections. Used historical data and consumer trends to reach new customers and grow territory by 24%. Innate ability to work independently or as a member of a cross-functional team.

The best use of resume space is to write a summary of your career. The effectiveness of this summary comes from the fusing of three things:

Relevant keywords – customer retention, revenue growth, and quotas 

Hard and soft skills – overcoming objections and working independently

An achievement – 24% territory growth

With this professional summary, the hiring manager will be able to tell in an instant what you have to offer their team. 

Even though the skills section of your resume is small, it packs a powerful punch! The skills you list in this section highlight your key abilities and show potential employers what you bring to the table. 

It should contain approximately 12 ATS-friendly keywords and phrases that align with the keywords in the job description. Meaning, this is a fluid section that will need to be  tailored to every job  that you apply to. Technically speaking, your entire resume should be customized to align with each job description. That's one thing that will help you get past the ATS. 

Be sure to include a good mix of  hard and soft skills  because prospective employers not only want to know that you can perform the tasks related to your job (hard skills), but they also want to gain a clear understanding of how you'll fit within the culture of the company (soft skills). 

Tips for building your Core Competencies section:

Include skills that are relevant to the job that you're applying to

Avoid creating a laundry list of everything you know how to do – be selective so that the section is more impactful

Group similar competencies together using categories – technical skills, soft skills, and languages

Prioritize your top skills based on their relevance to the job you want

Update frequently

Be consistent with the formatting

Here is a sample Core Competencies list that contains both hard and soft skills:

Core Competencies

Project Management | Data Analysis | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Digital Marketing Strategy | Python Programming | Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | Negotiation | Team Leadership | Business Development | Financial Modeling | Articulate Communication

This section is meant to show how your career history lends itself to the skills you have that make you the perfect candidate for a given job. There are some general rules of thumb on how to make a resume with a great professional experience section:

Don't go further back than 10 to 15 years

Use no more than 3 to 5 bullets per work listing

Incorporate at least 5 measurable achievements per 10 years of experience (the more the better)

Use stacking for companies where you held more than one role

10-15 Years

The 10-15 years of experience is the most relevant – you can list more than that, but avoid using bullet points for roles over 10 years old. Begin by listing your most recent position first and work your way backward to your oldest position, within that 10-15-year range. If you have 30 years of experience, you can use achievements or skills you learned during that time as talking points during the interview. Listing those older experiences on your resume will only dilute the content.

As you write out your bullet points, keep two words in mind: “so what?” The hiring manager is going to be thinking it, you might as well be thinking it, too. Every time you write something on your resume, think, “So what? Why am I writing this? What value will it bring to my new employer? Will this be THE THING that lands me an interview?"

Achievements

Remove “Responsible for…” from your resume-writing vocabulary. That's because it's crucial that you talk about what you achieved, instead of just what your responsibilities were. Let's face it, there are a lot of things that people are “responsible for” that never get done. So, be sure to talk about things you actually accomplished, as that will be the proof the hiring manager needs to take the next step and call you for an interview.

1. Use numbers whenever possible

The best way to call attention to your career accomplishments is to use numbers. Numbers add credibility to your claims and provide a clear picture of what you bring to the table. 

Don't write this:

• Conducted cold calls to expand client base

Write this instead:

• Increased sales by 15% by making approximately 20 cold calls per day to expand the client base

The latter makes an unmistakable assertion that you had a positive impact, not only in your role but on the company as a whole. You can take it a step further and talk about things like problem-solving skills and how you addressed challenges to lead to team success. These types of  soft skills are highly valued by employers  and could be the thing that lands you an interview.

PRO TIP: Use the  CAR method  for building achievement statements into your resume.

2. Use action words to convey accomplishment

A lot of people make the mistake of copying bullet points from the job descriptions of the roles they've held. This practice makes you sound detached from achievements and focuses more on responsibilities. Using passive language is too generic and doesn't allow a hiring manager to see what you'll be able to accomplish in the new role. 

It's better to use action language to show that you're an achiever rather than a doer. Here are some examples of action words you can use on your resume: 

Worked with others: Advised, Aided, Assisted, Chaired, Coached, Collaborated with, Consulted with, Helped, Instructed, Interacted with, Mentored, Motivated, Supported

Communicated: Addressed, Advertised, Answered, Briefed, Corresponded with, Debated, Explained, Facilitated, Informed, Interpreted, Interviewed, Persuaded, Responded to

Analyzed data: Assessed, Appraised, Audited, Calculated, Computed, Estimated, Evaluated, Forecast, Inspected, Measured, Researched, Surveyed, Tested

Operated equipment: Installed, Maintained, Programmed, Ran, Serviced, Used

Worked with money or contracts: Administered, Appropriated, Authorized, Balanced, Controlled, Directed, Enforced, Financed, Funded, Governed, Invested, Monitored, Oversaw, Purchased

Organized something: Arranged, Assembled, Catalogued, Compiled, Coordinated, Itemized, Routed, Scheduled, Stocked, Tracked

Created: Composed, Customized, Designed, Directed, Established, Founded, Illustrated, Originated, Shaped

Researched: Analyzed, Collected, Criticized, Detected, Diagnosed, Evaluated, Tested

How to make your professional experience section: The formula

There's a formula for writing your professional experience section in a way that focuses on achievements. You'll start by asking yourself these questions about every job you've had:

What was the name of the company?

What was the title of your role?

What dates were you employed? (*Hint: use the MM/YYYY format for your dates)

What did you do every day? (*Example: Leveraged management skills to direct operations of 5 separate but concurrent projects by delegating tasks to staff based on employee acumen and monitoring / controlling budgets)

What is one thing you did at the company that you're really proud of?

What is another thing you're really proud of?

What is one more thing you did that you're really proud of?

When you put all of that together, it should look like this:

Company Name | MM/YYYY to Present

Position Title

Balanced competing priorities on multiple and concurrent projects and program management initiatives using data-driven strategies in Agile environments. Managed key accounts, onboarded new accounts, and oversaw organizational process adoption for nursing facilities, emergency departments, and pharmacies.

Developed $2M Provider Incentive Program that increased community provider partnerships

Saved $800K by using Six Sigma skills to implement DMAIC approach

Coached and mentored 2 direct reports, creating an open environment of communication that facilitated future-facing decision-making

Many people will create separate sections for education history and certifications. That's not necessary. You can include all of it in one section. You can also include extras like  relevant coursework , projects, and achievements. These extras can be truly beneficial for your application if you have little to no work experience. 

There are some general rules of thumb for the education section: 

Spell out acronyms (BS, MS, PhD) and school abbreviations

It is no longer customary to include graduation dates unless you're still in school or graduated within the last year

Never include high school, unless you're still in high school - listing high school doesn't say “ I finished high school, ” it says, “ I didn't go to college .” 

List your degree first and then your school, unless you've obtained multiple degrees at the same institution. 

Here's what a regular education section looks like:

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

Master of Business Administration (MBA) | ABC University

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) | XYZ University

Six Sigma Black Belt | Council for Six Sigma Certification

If you don't have a lot of experience and need to include some relevant coursework or major projects to inject relevant keywords into your resume, then this is what that would look like:

Relevant coursework:  Marketing, Operations Management, Accounting, Corporate Finance

Capstone project:  Let a team of 4 to execute a market analysis project to expand the Brooms and Handles company into new regions. Used market and consumer analysis data to identify gaps and achieve a 15% projected revenue increase and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction within the pilot program. 

You can include educational information about a degree program even if it's still in progress. Here's what that would look like:

Expected completion:  05/2024

Capstone project:  Let a team of 4 to execute a market analysis project to expand the Brooms and Handles company into new regions. Used market and consumer analysis data to identify gaps and achieve a 15% projected revenue increase and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction within the pilot program.

It is important to list what you do outside of work and school. It helps to demonstrate that you're a well-rounded person. 

Were you the president of a fraternity or sorority? 

Did you get involved with showing new students around campus? 

Have you headed a sales team that produced top awards? 

Were you an employee of the month? 

Do you speak multiple languages?

Did you volunteer for an organization?

Did you perform some major research that ended up being published?

All of these extras allow prospective employers a sneak peek into your life outside of work. They can also go a long way to breaking the ice during an interview, especially if something you do outside work is important or interesting to the hiring manager. 

Keep in mind to list only those volunteer positions, projects, or affiliations that are related to your career goals. 

How long does it take to make a resume?

If you're going to use the resume wizard that MS Word has, you can slap your information together in a day or two. It will get to employers. The bad thing is that it probably won't get a whole lot of attention. 

The "just right resume" can take weeks, because of how much background work goes into it. You'll write it, rewrite it, and write it again, and may even have multiple versions. Ultimately, the exact amount of time that goes into putting your resume together depends on your level of experience, how complex your history is, and the specificity of the job you're applying to. 

Entry-level resumes take the least amount of time, simply because there's less information to include

Mid-level resumes take a few days because of the amount of detail in your work history

Executive resumes, or those for specialized positions, can take weeks - especially if you have to do some digging to come up with accomplishments from your previous positions

Updating an existing resume that's well-maintained can be done in just a few hours

While the time spent can seem like a lot, if you're truly marketing yourself for that “just right” position, do you want your resume to say “This was thrown together in a couple of hours using a template” OR do you want it to say “I know this document is important and a significant amount of time was spent on it to make it perfect?”

The first and foremost thing that will get your resume tossed in the garbage can are typos. The number of resumes with errors that are turned in every day to employers across the globe is so astounding that it bears discussing. 

You must proofread your resume!

The major problem with typos and grammatical boo-boos is that your eyes will read what you intended to type. So, after you've read through your resume a few times and think it's perfect, get a friend to read it. Make sure the friend is one of those brutally honest types. It's better to get it back marked all over with bright red ink so you can fix it before you send it out, than to send it out and then realize there's a mistake in it.

How to make your resume seem more professional

Lazy words: Do you see words like "etc" or “other duties as required” on your resume? Delete them immediately. If you take shortcuts in the language of your resume, hiring managers will wonder if you'll be taking shortcuts at work. 

Cookie cutter resumes: Your resume has to stand out. Because of that, you should avoid throwing something together that you find a sample of online. Make it yours, make it represent you. Many people rely on the resume wizard that comes loaded with MS Word and, while that is a good tool to use to help you remember the sections to include, it shouldn't be the end-all-and-be-all of your resume design. 

Specificity: You've had three jobs in the last 10 years and you've listed every detail of everything you've done during your tenure at those jobs. That makes you a Jack (or Jackie) of all trades, but a master of nothing. You have to be specific to the job for which you're applying. What value do you bring to that employer for that job? What achievements can you highlight?

Tailoring: Considering the rampant use of ATS by companies big and small, you have to take the time to customize your resume so that it gets past those scanners. Remember to use relevant keywords from the job descriptions throughout your resume. 

PRO TIP: You can check to see how to make your resume better! Have it checked against an ATS and get a free, personalized, and  professional resume review . 

Theory in practice – 10 resume examples

It's one thing to have someone tell you how to make a resume, it's another thing to see an example – proof that all of this information can come together in a practical way that makes sense. 

1. Software Engineer resume example

Click here for an example of a Software Engineer resume.

2. Data Scientist resume example

Click here for an example of a Data Scientist resume.

3. Cybersecurity resume example

Click here for an example of a cybersecurity resume.

4. Digital Marketing Manager resume example

Click here for an example of a Digital Marketing Manager resume.

5. Nurse Practitioner resume example

Click here for an example of a Nurse Practitioner resume. 

6. Finance Director resume example

Click here for an example of a Finance Director resume. 

7. Attorney resume example

Click here for an example of a Attorney resume.

8. Administrative Office Assistant resume example

Click here for an example of an Administrative Office Assistant resume. 

9. Information Technology Expert resume example

Click here for an example of an Information Technology Expert resume. 

10. Chief Executive Officer resume example

Click here for an example of a CEO resume. 

Now you know how to make a resume for your next job!

It may seem like it takes a lot of work to make a good resume, but if you've followed along this far there are a few things that should be ingrained in you that will help you write a professional resume:

Know what you want to do – be specific

Make your resume with the right format 

Use a standard layout, whether you are writing your first resume or 50th

Use action words to make your resume stand out

Quantify your achievements to prove that you have what it takes to succeed in a new role

Tailor your new resume to each job

Double and triple-check for errors, typos, and grammar mistakes

If you're still unsure how to make a perfect resume, TopResume has you covered. Our team of  professional resume writers  has the know-how and experience to write a resume for you that will win interviews.

Recommended reading: 

Resume Tricks That Don't Work

What Does Your Resume Really Say About You?

Bad Resume Advice You Should Completely Ignore

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

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How to Write a Professional Resume Summary? [+Examples]

Do you want to land more job interviews? The easiest way to achieve this is by attracting a recruiter’s attention straight away by summarizing the highlights of your career right at the start of your resume — in a section called the resume summary. 

The purpose of this resume section, which is also known as a professional summary or resume statement, is to create a good first impression. It sums up your work experience , skills, and achievements into a short and concise sales pitch where you are the product. 

Do it well, and your future employers will be more inclined to read the rest of your resume.

Without further ado, let’s show you how to write an exceptional professional summary that will not only get you to more job interviews but will also help you land a job. 

This guide will show you:

What is a professional summary?

Why do you need a professional summary, how to write a professional summary.

• What to do when you don’t have any experience in the field?
• What are a resume objective and a resume profile?
• Examples of professional summaries from real professionals.

TL;DR video guide: How to write a professional summary for a resume 

A professional summary gives the hiring manager a quick overview of your skills and achievements without them having to dive into the rest of your resume. It sits at the top of your resume, beneath your name and contact information. You can think of it as a teaser for the rest of your resume.

It should sum up your top skills, experiences, and achievements as they pertain to the job description.

Take a look at the sample below to see what it looks like in practice: 

The professional summary section is also known as a:  

• Resume summary 
• Qualifications summary 
• Resume statement 
• Heading statement 
• Competencies 
• Career summary
• Experience summary
• Personal statement 

However, don’t mistake a professional summary for a resume objective or profile . We’ll discuss the differences between them later in this guide. 

How long should a professional summary be? 

Generally speaking, a resume summary should be quite short. The most common length is 3-5 sentences or bullet points. It shouldn't be longer than 5-6 concise bullet points , but it also shouldn't be shorter than 2 bullet points. 

You can also replace the first bullet point with a short introductory paragraph that includes your job title, years of experience, and specialization. 

While many people still don't include the resume profile section in their resumes, it's a mistake. But why is it a mistake?

• You want to grab the recruiter's attention from the get-go.
• You'll make their life a bit easier because you'll immediately tell them who you are.

The thing is, recruiters are busy people , they go through dozens, sometimes hundreds of resumes before they can find a few qualified candidates. 

Do you know what this means? Shortcuts. At first, recruiters will be skimming resumes in search of specific keywords and phrases that align with what the company is searching for.

That’s why you want to include the best resume summary you can come up with because a good summary section consists of nothing but these juicy bite-size phrases and keywords that a recruiter can spot at a glance. 

In short, a professional summary allows you to turn a recruiter's time limitation into an advantage. 

Christy's word of advice

While recruiters are indeed busy, did you know that the information that recruiters only give each resume 6 seconds of their time isn't true? 

“This one's a little bit of a myth. It takes about six seconds to screen the resume for the key information that I'm looking for, such as location, summary, keywords, or if there's a skills section. Within this time frame, I should be able to get a feel for who you are and what you're looking for. But it's mainly about six seconds for me to pick out the basic information I need. It doesn't mean that I'm going to spend just six seconds on it or that I won't continue reading after. ” —   Christy Morgan , Kickresume's Resident HR Expert

As we said before, a good professional summary should compel an employer to read the next section of your resume — that’s all. If it manages to do that, then it has accomplished its purpose. 

However, doing this is easier said than done, as it can be tricky to cram the most exciting bits of your career into a 3-5 bullet points summary. 

Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to craft an impressive resume summary.

Before you start writing:

• Write other resume sections, and then write your professional summary last. It’s surprisingly easy once you’ve already written other sections of your resume. All you have to do is cherry-pick the most impressive facts and stats.
• Pick the essential keywords from the job listing, so you can tailor your summary. Start with the job listing that made you apply for the job. Carefully reread it and find the most important keywords. These are the nouns or phrases that best describe the job position, related skills, as well as the ideal candidate. Before you begin to write, think about how they intersect with your own skills and experiences. In this way, you also have a higher chance to get through the ATS systems which companies use .

Once you start writing:

• In the first bullet point, write your professional title. Don’t forget to add the number of years of experience. You want to communicate your professional identity immediately. You can also write it in bold. It can look something like this: “Certified Project Management Professional with over 4 years of experience”.
• Pick the 3-4 most impressive parts of your resume and reword them into snappy bullet points. Tease your potential employer into reading further. Did you earn a recognition for the best customer service? Or hit 95% of sales targets for five consecutive years? These are the things that deserve a mention at the top of your resume!
• Translate each achievement into numbers. Each bullet point should contain at least one piece of quantifiable data. Use percentages, numbers, or impressive sales figures. It gives the hiring manager a better idea of how you performed in your previous jobs. Numbers attract attention. Take advantage of that.
• Sum up what you have to offer. Instead of saying what you want, keep in mind what they want. Make clear what values you can bring to the company. Look for common threads in your work history and for skills that apply most to the job.

How to use keywords in a resume summary

A professional summary can do more than catch the attention of the recruiter. It can also make your resume more ATS-friendly. 

It's a great place where you can squeeze in one or two ATS-friendly keywords , and it will still look natural.

Such keywords can be your industry-relevant hard skills, previous job positions, notable clients, certificates and courses from notable institutions, or a note-worthy university (if you recently finished your degree). 

Moreover, you should add keywords and relevant skills from the job listing.

Don't get too creative with the heading, though. While replacing the professional summary headline with “Snapshot” sounds great, ATS doesn't know what it means and therefore wouldn't recognize it.

Pro tip: Remember, while it's important to incorporate keywords into your resume summary, it's crucial to ensure these keywords align with your abilities and experiences. The ATS might shortlist your resume, but the hiring manager will quickly realize in an interview if those keywords were merely resume filler. Always maintain honesty and authenticity while drafting your summary.

Professional resume summary examples for most common careers

Now that you know the ins and outs of writing a resume summary, here are a few examples that can inspire you when writing your summary:

Professional summary example for customer service

Performance-driven and motivated customer service rep offering 4+ years of relevant experience. Eager to join the Techia team and contribute to the growth of the company. In the previous role, the ability to make customers comfortable and relaxed allowed for 98% customer service survey results and had 25% more sales than the average employer. 

Professional resume summary example for retail

Dedicated and hard-working storekeeper with a Business Administration degree. Eager to bring my strong attention to detail and accuracy to J&R inc. Adept at communicating with vendors and suppliers, coordinating various business operations, and maintaining documents and files in order. In the past jobs brought an extra $50k of sales per quarter and increased customer satisfaction by 20%. 

Professional summary example for nursing resume

Motivational and resourceful Orthopedic Nurse with 10 years of experience with in-depth knowledge in trauma recovery, aggressive pain management techniques, and post-surgical recovery. Especially proficient in providing external fixation care and continuous motion therapy along with neuromuscular status monitoring. Committed to work as an orthopedic nurse for people who are struggling with mobility issues due to accidental injuries and degenerative disease affecting bones and muscles.

Professional summary example for administrative assistant

Self-driven and accurate Executive Assistant skilled at performing various office/administrative duties, such as coordinating meetings, maintaining calendar and schedule, filing documents, and managing company correspondence. Highly self-motivated with a solid work ethic and multitasking abilities.

Professional summary example for data analyst

A graduate in Information Systems with two years of hands-on data analytics experience. Passionate about working with large amounts of data and to turn this data into information, information into insight and insight into business decisions. I also have a keen interest in the field of data visualization and am fascinated by the power to compress complex datasets into approachable and appealing graphics.

Professional summary example for warehouse worker

Hard-working and dedicated Warehouse Worker with 2+ years of extensive experience in inspecting incoming shipments, preparing and processing orders, and performing various administrative duties. The Employee of the Month Award winner with a strong attention to detail and accuracy and determination to achieve exceptional results. Offers excellent time management skills and important ability to work independently or in a team.

Professional summary example for receptionist 

Customer-oriented and performance-driven Front Desk Assistant skilled at performing various administrative tasks, improving all office processes and procedures, and providing support to Office Managers. Great communicator with a Business Administration degree from a well-known university and an exceptional ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Possess well-developed communication skills and excellent time management abilities.

Resume summary example for management

A Project Manager with 16 years of experience in IT projects. Responsible for the management of teams of up to 15 direct and 7 indirect employees. Has High level knowledge in project execution using best practices of waterfall and agile methodologies. High level knowledge of Jupyter Notebook, MS Project, MS Excel, MS Word. 

Professional summary example for project manager

Logistics & Planning PMO for Anheuser-Busch InBev with +7 years of experience in Supply Chain Operations & Project Management. Lived and worked for ABI in 6 cities in past years, managed +300 direct & indirect employees and +0.5 billion BRL over the years. At ABI experienced the routines in breweries operations & urban distribution. As Project Manager build the Zone Logistics Project area for ABI LAN, being responsible for 4.0 Supply Chain, integrating the technologies WMS, YMS, TMS and Tracking.

Resume summary example for stay-at-home mother

Performance-driven and knowledgeable Stay At Home Mother skilled at conducting detailed market research, developing new sales tools, creating reports, and promoting products and services. Certified Marketing Management Professional with an extensive knowledge of multiple marketing software programmes, great communication skills, and excellent teamwork abilities. Currently looking for any Marketing related remote part-time job.

Professional summary example for student

Self-driven and knowledgeable computer science student with demonstrated experience in developing user-friendly software applications, coding and testing features, and providing engineering support. Oracle Certified Professional with extensive knowledge of multiple programming languages and software development tools, excellent problem-solving skills, and ability to perform well in a team.

How to write a resume summary if you're a fresh graduate/student?

If you’re a student or a fresh graduate, you probably don’t have much to brag about in your resume yet.

But that’s true only to some extent. Even as an entry-level candidate, you already have at least some experience and skills. You just have to find the right way to articulate them.

What’s more, it’s quite likely that the other candidates are just as inexperienced as you are. After all, experienced professionals rarely apply for entry-level positions. 

Because of that, your primary goal is to stand out and make the employer remember you . And you can do that even if your experience is limited.

It’s not like you’ve just spent most of your life at school and learned nothing. You just need to understand how your studies intersect with the job’s requirements.

 Here’s how you can write your professional resume summary as a student/fresh graduate:

• State your field of study, degree, and GPA (if it’s above 3.0).
• Mention relevant skills gained in internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer work.
• Add related coursework or school projects.
• Also, try to translate your most notable achievements into numbers. Maybe you were on the student council. You can mention how you received 800 votes and helped organize 5 large school events that were attended by 2,000 students.

In the end, a fresh graduate resume summary should look a bit like this: 

Hired by Bupa — Business Administration Intern

• An adaptable and responsible graduate seeking an entry-level position in the Business Analytics market, Business Consultancy or Financial market.
• My double degree in Business and Law and my previous job as a financial controller have provided me with a well-rounded background and enabled me to develop an analytical/logical approach to tasks, software skills, and the ability to work under pressure.
• In short, I am reliable, hard-working with strong attention to detail and eager to learn about new technologies and business issues. I am able to work well both on my own initiative and as a part of a team. I’m also able to travel abroad.

How to write a resume summary as an experienced professional?

If you have 10 to 15 years of professional experience under your belt, you’ve probably developed a long list of job-related accomplishments. Your qualifications summary is the ideal place to showcase the most impressive of them. 

On the other, with that extent of experience, it may be quite challenging to pick and choose the right information for your professional summary. 

So what should you do? 

• Start by carefully rereading the job advertisement.
• Highlight any skills you already possess that match this job offer.
• See if you can think of any past accomplishments that show how you successfully used those skills in your previous job.

For instance, are you an experienced sales and customer service professional? Sell it. Mention how you developed strategies that resulted in an over 15 % increase in new customers. Or how your rewards program reached a customer success rate of over 45 %. Numbers can be much more persuasive than words . 

Also, always remember to use action words and relevant keywords.

Here’s a professional summary resume example from an experienced professional: 

HubSpot — Director of Business Development Resume Summary Example

• Passionate Business Amplifier.
• Thrives in complex market segment entry and sales and marketing launch plans for technical products and services. Founder of the highly-impactful "HubSpot for Veterans" initiative. 
• Proven Growth Consultant and Entrepreneurial Coach for over 200 organizations. Advocate of lean startup and data-backed strategy. 
• Leadership spans career with direct application towards startups, Techstar accelerators, corporate business development, and government. ROI-focused relationship builder.
• Lifelong teacher and learner: Startup Institute, Techstarts, HubSpot Partner programs.

How to write a professional summary if you’re changing careers?

As a career changer , try to show how your past experience relates to the position you’re applying for or how it can help your future employer grow.

Are you a software developer who wants to work with a new programming language, let’s say Python? You can mention how you’ve already developed 7 mobile apps using JavaScript and HTML. Even something as small as completing a Python online course on CodeAcademy can work wonders.

But if you still feel like you don’t have any relevant job experience, consider writing a resume objective instead. Instead of past achievements and experiences, it highlights your transferable skills and motivation. Moreover, it explains why you seek to switch to a different industry.

On the other hand, make sure that you have absolutely no other solution, as a resume summary always makes a better impression than a resume objective . To learn more about a resume objective just scroll to the following chapter. 

Here’s an example of a professional summary for someone changing careers:

• Marketing professional with over three years of experience in digital advertising, aiming to transition from marketing to human resources
• Certified Human Resources Assistant with a working knowledge of all software programs needed for the position such as Bamboo HR and Zenefits.
• Was in charge of recruiting and supervising summer interns and co-managing marketing budgets.
• Won the Employee of the Month Award for completing all assigned tasks and projects in a timely manner.

How to write a professional summary for a resume with no work experience? 

A lot of people with no work experience default to writing a resume objective because they think they have nothing to summarize.

However, this usually ends up backfiring as the resume objective brings little to the table. That’s because the resume objective’s main focus is on you as opposed to a professional summary which focuses on solving the needs of a company.

Also, writing a summary objective can make you appear more inexperienced than you truly are. 

Instead, as someone with no work experience, you can write a professional summary by including: 

• Your education level;
• Adjectives that emphasize your work ethic (such as competent, decisive, and accountable);
• Relevant skills gained at school, volunteering , or internships; 
• Professional hobbies (for example if applying for an IT position, include that app side project you worked on). 

In addition, if you have volunteered or interned, know that regardless of whether they were paid or not, they're still considered work experience. As the skills and knowledge gained as a volunteer or intern can be quite valuable to an employer. 

With that said, here’s an example of a professional summary for someone with no work experience:

People United Foundation – Fundraiser Volunteer 

• Resourceful and talented fundraiser who uses new forms of technology and existing techniques to help raise money for organizations and groups. 
• Experienced in raising funds for various charitable and nonprofit institutes. 
• Adept at researching and presenting an array of innovative fundraising ideas to a variety of donor audiences. 
• Keen negotiator with exceptional communication time management and networking abilities. 

Resume summary vs resume objective and resume profile

While these terms are often interchangeable, a resume summary, a resume objective, and a resume profile are all slightly different things. Scroll below to see how. 

What is a resume objective?

First of all, a resume objective isn't the same thing as a resume summary. They share several common features but each serves a different purpose.

Like a resume summary, a resume objective also sits at the top of your resume. Though, it’s a bit shorter — usually about one to two sentences long . 

The biggest difference is that instead of your past accomplishments, it details your future goals.

Although a resume objective might not help hiring managers decide whether you’re qualified enough to solve their company’s problems, it may help you shift their attention away from your lack of experience.

With that said, resume objectives are a bit old-fashioned as they used to be more common in past. So it should only be written as a last resort.

What is a resume profile?

Most people think that the resume profile and resume summary are the same exact thing. And they aren't that wrong. 

However, there are some slight differences between the two. 

A resume profile tends to be a little longer than a resume summary. Still, you should try to keep it under 500 characters. Additionally, while a resume summary is simply a condensed version of your resume placed at the top of it, a resume profile focuses more on your professional accomplishments and successes. 

Still — a resume summary and a resume profile are basically the same thing. So don't worry too much about the difference between the two. Just make sure you'll include either of them in your resume. 

Final tips and tricks

We've already mentioned almost everything you need to write an effective professional summary. These are some of the final tips that didn't fit anywhere else in this guide:

• Emphasize proven experience. Instead of simply listing your skills , mention your previous accomplishments. For example, it’s much more impactful to say that you had your articles published in Forbes than to plainly claim that you’re a skilled writer.
• Try to avoid using the word “I” . It's not really necessary, especially if you write in bullet points. 
• Structure it well. Take it from a professional writer — bullet points are a godsend when you need to structure your text clearly without giving it too much effort. Not only will they naturally order your resume statement into clearly delineated logical parts, but they'll also make it look good and read well. Also, make sure to write your current job title in bold.
• Keep it short. Your summary shouldn’t be longer than 5 short sentences (or bullet points). Having a long summary sort of defeats the point of having a resume summary at all. Don’t add random things. The key is to be specific.
• Read it after yourself. When you’re finished writing, read through your summary from the perspective of a hiring manager, asking “Why should we hire you?” .

Oh, and if you want to turn your LinkedIn profile into a polished resume with just one click, we've got you covered.

How to write a resume summary?

Write your professional summary last. It’s surprisingly easy once you’ve already written other sections of your resume. In the first bullet point, include your job title and years of experience. Then cherry-pick the most impressive achievements and cram them into 4–5 bullet points.

There are some slight differences between a resume profile and a resume summary. A resume profile tends to be a little longer than a resume summary. Still, you should try to keep it under 500 characters. A resume profile also focuses more on your professional accomplishments and successes than a resume summary. 

Kaja Jurčišinová

Kaja Jurcisinova is a fresh graduate and a junior copywriter at Kickresume. Kaja completed her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of St Andrews in 2018 and graduated with a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in 2021. She was an intern at multiple cultural institutions across Europe, including the Dutch Museum Association in Amsterdam, the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague, and the European Cultural Centre in Venice. At the moment, she resides in Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland.

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30+ Resume Objective Examples (Plus, Tips on How to Write Yours)

Resume objectives are a bit controversial. Some career experts see them as outdated, while others believe job seekers can still use them to their advantage. Although resume objective statements have slowly been replaced by resume summaries, they remain useful in certain situations—and that's why you should know how to write one, just in case.

For instance, if you're changing careers and your previous work experience doesn't quite match the new role you're after, an objective statement could help communicate your professional goals to the hiring manager. Likewise, if you're a recent graduate or looking to relocate, you could use this section of your resume to highlight these intentions.

We've gathered 32 resume objective examples—plus, some tips on how to craft one that grabs the hiring manager's attention.

What is a resume objective

A resume objective is a brief statement outlining your short-term career goals, usually one to two sentences long. It should be tailored to the specific job or industry you're pursuing and is placed at the top of your resume, just below the header.

What is a good objective for a resume, and when are they welcomed? That's what we'll show you in a moment.

When you should use a resume objective

Resume objectives aren't quite the norm these days, so they should be only used when you need to clarify why you're applying for that particular role or company. Here are three situations where using an objective statement is a good idea:

• If you're doing a career pivot: A resume objective can guide recruiters on your career goals and prevent you from being disqualified when transitioning to a new field.
• If you're changing locations: Applying for jobs outside your current state or city can leave recruiters uncertain about your location; a resume objective can clearly express your willingness to relocate.
• If you're a recent graduate: Since you likely have little to no work experience to show, a resume objective can give a glimpse into who you are and what you aim to achieve.
• If you've worked in a variety of roles: When your work history is all over the place, a resume objective statement can be a helpful tool to highlight your most relevant skills, experiences, and what you're looking for in your next role .

Resume objective vs. resume summary

A resume objective outlines your career goals and what you aim to achieve in a position, while a resume summary focuses on skills, accomplishments, education, and relevant experiences for the role.

“Think of the resume objective as your career aspiration and the summary as your professional snapshot,” says Angela Tait, People Operations Specialist and Founder of Tait Consulting . “The objective sets your sights forward, while the summary looks at your past and present achievements.”

How to write a resume objective

If you decide to write a resume objective, it'll be the first thing recruiters see on your resume, right after your name and contact information. This means their first impression will be based on how well-written your objective statement is. Here are key tips to do it right:

1. Mention your area of expertise

“Start by mentioning your area of expertise and the role you are applying for,” Tait says. This way, you let the employer know right away about your background and what you want to achieve professionally.

2. Show how you can add value to the company

Your objective statement—and your whole resume, actually—should be tailored to each job opening. “Personalize your resume objective by stating how you can add value to the company you're applying to,” Tait says. “For instance, ‘ Seeking to leverage my expertise in digital marketing to drive brand growth and engagement at XYZ Corp.’”

3. Highlight skills relevant to the role

Once again, to write an effective resume objective, keep in mind the role you're going for. “Focus on how your skills and interests align with that specific job opportunity,” says Conor Hughes, certified in Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and HR Consultant at SMB Guide .

For example, for a software developer, skills in programming with languages like Java, C++, and Python are pretty important. Meanwhile, a graphic designer should highlight technical skills in creating and editing visual projects using tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma.

4. Optimize your statement for ATS machines

These days, most resumes get scanned by an ATS robot before reaching human recruiters. So, it's crucial to optimize your objective statement for these ATS machines. How? “Use keywords from the job description to show you have the relevant abilities they're looking for,” Hughes says.

If a job posting specifies “experience in copywriting” and “SEO optimization” as requirements, you should incorporate these exact keywords in your objective statement—and wherever else they fit on your resume. Using just “SEO” or only “copywriting” might not be enough; precision is key.

Need some help? Here's how to read the job description the right way —so you can stop sending resumes into the void.

5. Make it as concise as possible

Recruiters go through resumes really fast—that's one of the reasons two-page resumes aren't usually recommended. When writing your resume objective, keep it concise. “To one or two sentences max,” Hughes says. Remember, the goal is to give enough information about why you're applying for that role, not to share your whole life history.

32 resume objective examples to guide you

Now that we've covered the basics, here are 32 good examples of objectives for resumes categorized by job title and different professional situations, like career pivoting and entry-level positions. Use these examples as a guide, and don't forget to inject your own personality and core information.

General resume objectives examples

1. career change.

Copywriter with five years of experience, now transitioning into the UX Writing field, looking to leverage my writing and content creation skills to create digital experiences that drive business growth. Strong background in content strategy and data-driven decision making.

Find UX writer jobs on The Muse »

2. Relocation

Experienced customer service representative relocating to New York in July, seeking employment with an established customer support agency. I bring my strong communication skills , conflict resolution and customer retention ability developed in seven years working in the industry.

Find customer service jobs on The Muse »

3. Entry-level

Creative marketing graduate seeking a social media assistant entry-level position at a fast-growing marketing agency. My goal is to apply my strong storytelling and creative writing skills to create impactful content for clients and foster professional development.

Find marketing jobs on The Muse »

Compassionate and enthusiastic elementary school teacher with four years of experience teaching young students. Seeking to leverage my creative ideas, multitasking and organizational skills to create a safe and stimulating environment where children can play and learn.

Find teacher jobs on The Muse »

Registered nurse with three years of experience in patient care , currently specializing in pediatric nursing. Seeking to join the Grey Hospital nursing team and bring my knowledge of patient care and my critical thinking skills to foster a safe and empathic environment for patients.

Find registered nurse jobs on The Muse »

6. Journalist

Seasoned journalist seeking a News Reporter position at the USPN channel. I bring my five years of experience working on live television, interviewing sources, gathering and reporting information in fast-paced environments.

Find journalist jobs on The Muse »

Seeking a litigation paralegal position at The Law Group. I bring my three years of experience in conducting legal research, processing legal documents, and witness preparation for deposition and trial.

Find lawyer jobs on The Muse »

8. Architect

Experienced architect relocating to Houston, Texas in August. In my 10 years of experience in the architecture industry I was able to work both in industrial and residential projects, holding high proficiency in AutoCAD and Photoshop.

Find architect jobs on The Muse »

9. Real estate specialist

Passionate and proactive real estate specialist with solid experience in lease negotiation and facility management. Looking for a similar role to manage a real estate portfolio, implementing strategies to improve profitability and cost effectiveness.

Find real estate jobs on The Muse »

10. Waiter/Waitress

Seeking a waitress position at a local, family-led restaurant where my two years of experience in customer service and hospitality industry would contribute to create an exceptional experience to customers, guests, and clients.

Find waiter/waitress jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for tech professionals

11. software engineer.

Software engineer with 5 years of experience in the banking industry, pivoting to the customer service industry to foster professional growth. Deep knowledge of object oriented programming, experienced with Java, C++, C#, Ruby, Python, and relational database schema design.

Find software engineer jobs on The Muse »

12. Software developer

Computer science graduate seeking an entry-level position as software developer. I bring my experience with Git, Java, and Python, as well as strong documentation abilities and communication skills .

Find software developer jobs on The Muse »

13. Data scientist

Experienced data scientist, seeking a senior position in the e-commerce industry. My goal is to leverage my ability to write complex and efficient SQL queries to extract data and translate business needs into analytical frameworks.

Find data scientist jobs on The Muse »

14. SEO analyst

SEO analyst, passionate about SEO and digital audience growth. 7 years of experience with site migrations, SEO analytics tools (Google Search Console, Chartbeat, Google Analytics, and SEMRush), reporting and sharing data insights, and making data-driven decisions.

Find SEO analyst jobs on The Muse »

15. UI/UX Designer

Mid level UI/UX Designer, seeking employment in a fast-growing tech startup. Solid experience with user-centered design principles, knowledge of responsive design, strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Find UI/UX Designer jobs on The Muse »

Examples of resume objectives for creative jobs

16. content writer.

Results-driven content writer with two years of experience writing for blogs and websites. Skilled in SEO, creative copywriting, and storytelling, looking forward to applying my skills and creative ideas to help XYZ build an engaged audience.

Find content writer jobs on The Muse »

17. Graphic designer

Creative graphic designer seeking an entry level-position in the education industry. Proficient with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, and After Effects, quick learner with strong time management skills.

Find graphic designer jobs on The Muse »

18. Video editor

Outcome-oriented video editor, proficient with Final Cut, After Effects, Adobe Premiere, and Photoshop. Seeking employment in the entertainment industry where I intend to apply my extensive experience in storytelling and project management to create engaging stories.

Find video editor jobs on The Muse »

19. Social media manager

Experienced social media professional, seeking a manager position at a high-growth company. I bring my in-depth knowledge of social media strategy and five years of agency experience creating content that is engaging and exciting to the community.

Find social media manager jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for administrative roles

20. front desk.

Highly energetic tourism and hospitality graduate, looking for a front desk clerk position. 1.5 years of experience in customer service. Strong time management and organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to learn quick and adapt in fast paced environments.

Find front desk jobs on The Muse »

21. Receptionist

Looking for a receptionist position in the real estate industry. Three years experience in customer-facing roles, communication and leadership skills, ability to work with tight deadlines focusing on all aspects of a task or project.

Find receptionist jobs on The Muse »

22. Administrative assistant

Seeking an administrative assistant role in the healthcare industry. I bring five years of experience in customer service, advanced Excel skills, and ability to multitask to perform my duties in a timely and efficient manner.

Find administrative assistant jobs on The Muse »

23. Human resources

Human resources graduate, looking for an entry level human resources generalist position with ABC company to apply my strong verbal and written communication skills , analytical abilities, and proficiency in Microsoft applications to provide hands-on assistance to the HR team.

Find human resources jobs on The Muse »

24. Logistics

Logistics supervisor seeking a manager position at AABB company. I bring my extensive experience in global logistics operations and project management to enhance supply chain and logistics efficiency and achieve cost-effectiveness.

Find logistics jobs on The Muse »

25. Executive assistant

Seeking an executive assistant role at XYZ company. I'm an experienced professional with strong interpersonal skills, ability to multitask, and attention to detail to provide timely and high quality administrative office support to senior level leaders.

Find executive assistant jobs on The Muse »

26. Office manager

Experienced administrative assistant seeking an office manager position in a fast-paced work environment to apply my written communication skills, time management, prioritization, and planning abilities and provide exceptional service and foster professional growth.

Find office manager jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for sales jobs

27. sales assistant.

Problem solver and team player sales professional, seeking a sales assistant position in a challenging work environment. I bring my experience supporting high acquisition organizations, willingness to learn, and winning team spirit to support sales teams.

Find sales assistant jobs on The Muse »

28. Sales manager

Dynamic sales manager seeking employment in the pharmaceutical industry to develop strategic sales plans and achieve revenue and market share objectives. Two years of experience in pharmaceutical sales plus three years of experience in general sales, excellent communication and leadership skills.

Find sales manager jobs on The Muse »

29. Cashier

Recent high school graduate looking for a cashier position at a company with a culture of recognition and excellence. One year of experience in retail sales, strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills to represent the company in a professional manner.

Find cashier jobs on The Muse »

Examples of resume objectives for finance careers

30. banking.

Seasoned relationship banker looking to secure an investment banking analyst position at Bank of America. 15 years of experience in the banking industry, advanced knowledge of banking transactions, strong interpersonal skills, and ability to develop and expand relationships with stakeholders.

Find banking jobs on The Muse »

31. Accounting

B.S. graduate in accounting seeking an entry-level accounting associate position to use my growth mindset, desire to learn, and organizational skills to ensure financial goals are achieved and foster professional development.

Find accounting jobs on The Muse »

32. Financial analyst

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) looking to secure a senior position in a competitive and results-driven work environment. 10 years of experience in financial analysis in banking and technology industries, advanced Excel and SQL skills, and ability to articulate analysis outcomes and relevant insights.

Find financial analyst jobs on The Muse »

Key takeaways

Resume objectives aren't the favorite of most recruiters, but they still serve a purpose. If you're career pivoting, relocating, applying for your first job, or have a diverse professional background, an objective statement can help the hiring manager understand your career goals and how they align with the job opportunity.

However, in other circumstances, using a resume summary might be more appropriate. (Here are 20 resume summary examples to make writing your own easier .)

How to Write a Resume for Today’s Job Market

To get more job interviews, you must create a resume that is optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS). Learn how in this step-by-step guide.

Customers Interviewed by:

Learning how to write a resume is a crucial skill for job seekers—it’s how you market yourself to potential employers.

A well-crafted resume summarizes your professional experience, skills, and achievements. It should grab the hiring manager’s attention and show them them why:

• You’re the perfect match for the job.
• The skills you have will make the company money.
• You’re qualified to solve the company’s problems.
• You’ll be worth your salary.
• Your accomplishments can be measured and verified.

But in today’s job market, it’s not enough to write an effective resume. You must also tailor each one to the job you’re applying for. Why? Because most companies today use applicant tracking systems, or ATS, to sort and filter the large volume of resumes they receive.

If you’re resume doesn’t contain the specific keywords hiring managers are searching for, it won’t be found—even if you’re qualified for the job!

In this guide, you’ll learn how to write a resume that stands out in today’s job market. We’ll show you how to present yourself as the ideal candidate, highlight the skills that will benefit potential employers, and ensure your resume is compatible with ATS.

How to write a resume that gets interviews

Here’s a quick overview of the basic steps for writing a professional resume. Follow these steps to make your resume clear, concise, and appealing.

Gather all relevant data about your work experience, skills, achievements, and education.

Select a format that’s right for you, whether it’s chronological, functional, or hybrid., clearly list your name, phone number, email, and key social media profiles., create a compelling headline that includes the job title you’re applying for., write a brief statement that summarizes your key achievements and value you offer., list the skills you have that align closely with the job requirements., detail your past job roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments., include your educational degrees, certifications, and relevant training., showcase any relevant honors, awards, and volunteer work., tailor your resume by focusing on the experiences and skills that are most relevant to the job..

Before you start working on your resume, remember that your resume is not your biography. You’re not telling the story of your life. Instead, your resume should be a targeted document meant to showcase the skills and experiences that match the job you want .

This means that if something is not relevant to your targeted job, leave it out . With this in mind, let’s start building your resume!

1. Gather your essential information before you start

Before diving into the actual resume writing, it’s crucial to collect all the necessary information you’ll need. This preparatory step ensures that the resume writing process is smooth and that you don’t miss any important details.

• Significant achievements : List standout accomplishments from previous roles that demonstrate your contributions and successes.
• Skills : Compile a list of your soft, hard, and technical skills that align with those required by the job you’re targeting.
• Employment history : Provide detailed information about past employers, including their names, your dates of employment, locations, job titles, and a clear description of your duties.
• Education : Document your academic qualifications like college degrees, certifications, or licenses that prove your expertise in relevant fields.
• Volunteer work : Include any voluntary engagements where you developed skills pertinent to the job you are seeking.
• Awards and honors : Mention any notable recognitions you’ve received that underscore your exceptional talents and commitment.

When you gather your information, include everything you can think of. You can cut information that’s not relevant to a specific job later.

2. Choose a resume format that’s right for you

A  resume format  is the way you organize, or lay out, your information. There is no one-size fits all resume format. Instead, there are three different types of formats to choose from – chronological, functional, and hybrid. Which format you choose depends on your particular situation.

The chronological resume format

This is the most traditional resume format, especially for job seekers with lots of relevant experience.

The chronological resume format lists your work history in reverse chronological order , with your most recent jobs listed first. Your skills and education should come after your work history in this format.

• Have a strong work history showing steady career growth without significant employment gaps.
• Are staying in the same field and want to highlight your experience and advancements within that field.
• Want to highlight career progression and professional achievements over time.

The functional resume format

This resume format focuses on your skills rather than your work history. It helps you downplay your lack of experience in a particular field.

In this format, your skills and education should be emphasized over your work history.

• Are changing careers and want to emphasize transferable skills over past job titles.
• Have gaps in employment and want to focus on skills rather than work experience.
• Are new to the workforce and want to highlight skills, coursework, and internships.

NOTE : Generally speaking, we don’t recommend the functional resume format . Recruiters want to see some kind of work history. Instead of the functional format, try the next resume format—the hybrid.

The hybrid resume format

A hybrid resume is a combination of the chronological resume and the functional resume. It showcases both your work history and your skills.

In this format, your skills comes before your work history. But your work history is still the heart of your resume, just like in the chronological format.

• Have lots of skills that are relevant to the job you are targeting.
• Are climbing the career ladder within the same field.
• Are changing roles within the same industry and want to highlight your relevant skills.

We like the hybrid resume  because it offers the best of both worlds, combining the strengths of the chronological and the functional resume formats.

3. Put your contact information at the top of your resume

This section might appear simple, but it’s important. If hiring managers can’t contact you, you won’t get an interview.

• Phone number
• Location (City, State, Zip Code)
• Email Address
• LinkedIn profile URL

It’s surprising how often job seekers forget a crucial piece of contact information. Double-check to make sure it’s as easy as possible for recruiters to contact you for a job interview.

Here’s an example:

Contact information do’s and don’ts

• Include your full name, including your middle initial.
• Include a link to your professional website or online portfolio.
• Create a strong LinkedIn profile and be sure to include the URL on your resume.
• Don’t write your full address; only your city, state, and zip code.
• Don’t include a work phone number; only your personal number.
• Don’t add a photo of yourself . This can lead to bias or discrimination.

4. Create a compelling resume headline

Your resume headline comes right after your contact information. At the very least, your headline should clearly identify the title of the job you’re applying for.

Is putting the job title in the headline necessary? Yes! “Think of your resume as a maze,” says resume expert Laura DeCarlo . “It has to have a visible entrance or no one would ever get started.” Without a headline, “the prospective employer won’t know for which position you are applying.”

Your headline can also include years of experience and key qualifications. Here’s an example:

Resume headline do’s and don’ts

• Tailor your headline to each job you apply for.
• Keep your headline under ten words to make sure it packs a punch.
• Position yourself as an expert in your field.
• Don’t use clichés such as “hard worker” or “team player.” Be specific.
• Don’t be too salesy. Focus on giving a snapshot of your skills and experience.
• Don’t make your headline too long. Cut to the chase.

5. Write your resume summary

A resume summary is a brief paragraph that provides an overview of your qualifications for the role you’re applying for. Most expert resume writers today highly recommend using a summary.

“One of the most common mistakes I see in resumes is the absence of a targeted introductory paragraph at the beginning of the resume,” says career coach Suzanne Berger . “Keep in mind that recruiters or hiring managers only spend 10 to 20 seconds reviewing your resume, so it is important to make an impact from the start.”

As you can see from the following example, your summary goes right under your resume headline:

Your resume summary should include a concise overview of your key qualifications, professional achievements, and skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Here’s a formula you can use to write your summary, followed by an example:

[Your Professional Title] with [Years of Experience] years of experience. Proven track record in [Top Achievement 1] and [Top Achievement 2] . Skilled in [Skill 1] , [Skill 2] , and [Skill 3] . Known for [Unique Value or Strength] .

Marketing Manager with 8 years of experience . Proven track record in increasing online engagement by 40% and boosting lead generation by 30% . Skilled in content creation, data analysis, and strategic planning . Known for exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage and inspire teams to exceed corporate objectives .

Resume summary do’s and don’ts

• Use numbers to show that you are able to produce tangible outcomes.
• Incorporate keywords from the job description whenever possible.
• Write your resume summary last because you’ll then have a fuller picture of your experiences and skills.
• Don’t just list your job duties; instead focus on your accomplishments.
• Don’t use personal pronouns (I, me, or my).
• Don’t make your summary too long; keep it to no more than 3-4 sentences.

6. Create your skills section

When we talk about keywords, we are mostly talking about skills .

There are two main types of skills— hard and soft . Hard skills are specific abilities you learn through education or training, like using certain software or speaking a foreign language. Soft skills are more about how you work and interact with others, such as teamwork, communication , and flexibility.

You should place your skills section under your resume summary. List your skill set using bullet points, either in columns or in a bullet-point format. Try to include 10 to 20 key skills in this section.

IMPORTANT! The way the same skill is worded in a job description can vary from company to company. This is why it’s crucial to tailor each resume to the job you’re applying to.

For example, here are three different ways of listing essentially the same skill:

• Customer Service
• Client Relations
• Customer Support

If the job description lists “customer support” and you have “customer service” on your resume, the hiring manager might not find your resume when searching through the ATS database — even though you do have that skill.

To make sure you’re using the right keyword skills, run your resume through Jobscan’s resume scanner . It compares your resume to the job description and tells you which skills to use.

You’ll also receive a resume score which tells you how closely your resume matches the job description. The higher your score the more likely you are to get an interview. Here’s an example of the report you’ll receive from the resume scanner:

The skills in red are missing from the resume. Add them to increase the resume score. You can read more about Jobscan’s resume scanner and how to try it for free here .

7. Create a compelling work history section

Now it’s time to get to the heart of your resume – the  work experience  section. This is the section employers will spend the most time looking at when they consider your resume.

Why is this section so critical? Because it’s where you provide the proof to support what you said about yourself in your resume headline, summary, and skills section.

Each job should include the following information and be listed in reverse-chronological order (latest job first).

• Company name and location – Include the full name of the company you worked for followed by the city and state of its location.
• Job title – Be as specific as possible to ensure that employers know exactly what your role was within the company.
• Start and end dates – Include the month and year for each position. If you only list the year, it may appear as though you are omitting information.
• Achievements and responsibilities – These can be listed using bullet points. Include hard numbers and metrics wherever possible.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing a resume is only listing their job responsibilities. These are tasks that you’re expected to perform as part of your job.

Listing your job responsibilities gives a potential employer an idea of what you did day-to-day. But it doesn’t reveal  how well you did it.

This is why it’s important to highlight your specific accomplishments. For example, if you increased sales, reduced costs, or implemented new processes or technologies, be sure to mention these accomplishments.

Here’s an example of a work experience section with measurable achievements :

To write strong bullet points for your work experience section, use Jobscan’s AI-powered bullet point generator. It creates bullet points based on the skills in the job description, highlighting your relevant qualifications. Try it for free here .

Work experience do’s and don’ts

• Use numbers to quantify your achievements whenever possible.
• Use action verbs to describe how you did something.
• Use the mm/yyyy format for resume dates .
• Don’t list more than 10 years of work experience unless it’s highly relevant.
• Don’t use the passive phrase “responsible for.” Instead, use active voice.
• Don’t list every single task you worked on; include only the most relevant.

8. Create your education and certification section

Your education section should appear after your work experience. If you’re applying to a job that requires extensive education (like medicine, law, or academia), you’ll need to be more detailed. But most job seekers can get away with providing only the following information on their resume:

• Name of the degree/certification: Write the full name of the degree or certification. Use commonly accepted abbreviations (e.g., B.A. in English, MBA, PMP).
• Institution name: Include the name of the university or institution that awarded the degree or certification.
• Location (optional): List the city and state if the location is relevant to the job or if the institution is well-known.
• Graduation date: Mention the month and year of graduation. For certifications, you can also include an expiration date if applicable.

Here’s an example of an education section on a resume:

Education section do’s and don’ts

• Bold your degree so that it stands out.
• List your education in reverse-chronological order.
• Include any relevant coursework, skills training, licenses, and certifications .
• Don’t mention your high school if you have a college degree.
• Don’t disclose your GPA unless you graduated recently and had a very impressive academic career (3.5 GPA plus).
• Don’t list an advanced degree if the job doesn’t require it.

9. Showcase honors, awards, and volunteer work

The key to this section is to only include honors and awards that are relevant to the job you’re applying to.

This can get a little tricky because if you do have honors or awards that are highly relevant, consider including them in your summary section. Otherwise, hiring managers might miss them if you only list them at the bottom of your resume.

If you have any  volunteer experience , it’s generally a good idea to add it to your resume.

According to a LinkedIn survey , 20% of employers say they have hired a candidate because of their volunteer experience. The survey also showed that job seekers who volunteer are 27% more likely to be hired than non-volunteers!

• The name of the organization.
• The dates of your service.
• A brief description of your duties and responsibilities.

Here’s an example of what this section of your resume can look like:

10. How can you tailor your resume to a specific job position?

Tailoring your resume to each specific job is not just recommended; it’s imperative . This is because most companies today use ATS computer software to manage and filter the enormous amount of resumes they receive.

When you submit your resume, it goes into an ATS database . Hiring managers search the ATS database for suitable resumes by typing keywords, or skills, into the ATS search bar. If your resume contains these keywords it will be found. If it doesn’t contain the right keywords, your resume will remain in the ATS database, unseen.

To tailor your resume, you must first read the job description. This is where you’ll find the keywords to add to your resume. Make sure you add those keywords exactly as they are written in the job description .

Unfortunately, tailoring each resume to the job description takes time and effort. The best way to speed up this process is to use an online tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner .

Just paste in your resume and the job description and click scan. You’ll receive a match report telling you how closely your resume matches the job ad. The report also tells you exactly which keywords to add to your resume to optimize it for the ATS. Try the scanner for free below:

Effective resume formatting tips

Properly formatting your resume makes it easy for hiring managers to find what they’re looking for. At the same time, good formatting helps the ATS understand your resume.

Remember, if the ATS can’t read your resume you won’t get the job!

Choose a professional, easy-to-read font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in size 10 to 12 for text and 14 to 16 for headings.

Clearly distinguish section headings with a larger font size, bold text, or underlining to guide the reader’s eye effectively through your resume., set your margins to at least 0.7 inches all around, ensuring that your resume looks balanced and does not appear overcrowded., avoid complex graphics, tables, headers, and footers, which can confuse ats software., break up blocks of text. a paragraph should never be longer than 5 lines., use standard headings like “work experience,” “education,” and “skills.” these are immediately recognizable to both hiring managers and ats., use the same style of bullets, text alignment, and line spacing throughout your document., align your text to the left. right-aligned or justified text can create irregular spacing between words, making your resume harder to read., save your resume file as a pdf to preserve your formatting across different platforms., proofread carefully one grammatical error can ruin your chances of getting a job., how to write a resume for students with no experience.

Creating a good resume without any work experience might seem tough, but you can still make a strong impression on employers by highlighting your skills and activities. Here’s how:

• Focus on your education : Put your education section at the top. Include details like your degree, major, relevant coursework, academic honors, and GPA if it’s above average.
• Include extracurricular activities : List any activities outside of class, like clubs, sports, or student government. Mention any leadership roles or responsibilities you’ve had.
• Add volunteer work and internships : Don’t forget to include volunteer positions, internships, or community service. These experiences show your willingness to work and learn.
• Highlight projects and academic achievements : Talk about any major projects or research you’ve done, especially if they relate to the job you want. Describe what you did and what you achieved.
• Skills section : Make a list of your skills, including technical skills (like computer software) and soft skills (like teamwork and communication).
• Professional summary : Start with a short summary that explains your career goals and your best qualities. Make it clear why you’d be a great fit for the job.

Here’s a sample of a resume for students with no experience:

How to match your cover letter to your resume

Matching your cover letter with your resume helps create a polished and cohesive application. Here’s how:

• Consistent formatting : Use the same font, header, and layout from your resume for your cover letter. This helps create a professional and unified appearance.
• Use similar language : Pick out key skills and phrases from your resume and include them in your cover letter. This reinforces your qualifications and aligns your application with the job requirements.
• Expand on key points : Choose one or two major achievements listed on your resume and elaborate on them in your cover letter. Explain how these experiences have equipped you for the job.
• Keep the tone the same : If your resume is formal, your cover letter should be too. If it’s more casual, your cover letter can be less formal as well.
• Address the job’s needs : Demonstrate how your experiences make you a good fit for the job. Show that you understand what the job involves and explain why you’re the right candidate.
• End with a call to action : Conclude by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and suggesting they look at your resume for more details. Ask them to contact you for an interview.

When you’re done writing your cover letter, run it through Jobscan’s  cover letter checker . This tool will tell you how to improve your cover letter. 

Hate writing cover letters? Use Jobscan’s  cover letter builder . This tool uses AI technology to generate an ATS-friendly cover letter with just one click.

10 standout resume examples to inspire you

These samples showcase a variety of styles and formats suited for different industries and career stages, giving you ideas on how to write a resume.

1. Sales manager resume example

2. Accountant resume example

3. Recruiter resume example

4. Bookkeeper resume sample

5. Digital marketing resume example

6. Teacher resume example

7. Customer service resume example

8. Office assistant resume example

9. Operations manager resume example

10. Technical writer resume example

Key takeaways

• Optimize for ATS : Today’s resumes must be tailored to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) by including specific keywords related to the job you’re applying for. This ensures your resume is seen by hiring managers.
• Tailored Resumes : Each resume should be customized to the job description, emphasizing relevant experiences and skills. This enhances your chances of standing out in a competitive job market.
• Resume Formats : Choose between chronological, functional, or hybrid formats based on your career history and the job requirements. Chronological is suitable for those with a strong, relevant job history; functional is best for career changers or those with gaps in employment; hybrid combines the strengths of both.
• Essential Elements : A resume should include a clear headline, a compelling summary, a detailed work history, relevant skills, and educational credentials. Each section should be crafted to showcase your qualifications and fit for the role.
• Skills and Keywords : Highlight both hard and soft skills that are directly relevant to the job. Using precise keywords from the job description in your resume ensures compatibility with ATS and increases the likelihood of your resume being selected.
• Quantifiable Achievements : Where possible, use metrics to quantify your accomplishments. This provides concrete evidence of your capabilities and impact in previous roles.
• Additional Sections : Including volunteer work, awards, and certifications can differentiate your resume. Ensure these are relevant to the job to keep the resume focused and impactful.
• Resume Building Tools : Utilize tools like resume builders and scanners (e.g., Jobscan) to construct a resume that matches job descriptions and optimizes for ATS, saving time and improving effectiveness.
• Format and Proofread : Proper formatting and thorough proofreading are essential to maintain professionalism. Ensure the resume is easy to read and free from errors, which can detract from your credibility.

Beginners can use the chronological format if they have some work experience, even if it’s part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work. However, if a beginner has little to no work experience, a functional format might be better. Include essential resume sections like contact information, a summary, education, and any relevant work experience or skills. Tailor your resume to the job by incorporating keywords from the job description. If you lack work experience, emphasize volunteer work, internships, and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your skills and commitment. Always proofread for errors before submitting your resume.

To make your resume stand out to recruiters, start by tailoring it specifically for each job application, incorporating keywords from the job description to align closely with the requirements. Highlight your achievements by quantifying them with specific numbers and outcomes, such as “increased sales by 20%” or “reduced processing time by 30%,” to demonstrate measurable success. Begin with a compelling professional summary that succinctly outlines your key qualifications and what you bring to the role, clearly establishing why you are the ideal candidate. Ensure your resume has a clean and professional layout, with logical sections and easy-to-read fonts, to facilitate quick review and make a strong first impression.

1) Gather information 2) Choose a format 3) Write contact information 4) Craft a headline and summary 5) Detail your experience and education 6) Highlight skills 7) Add additional sections 8) Tailor for the job 9) Proofread and edit 10) Finalize and save

To create a resume with no work experience , start with a functional format that emphasizes your skills and education. Begin with a strong summary statement that highlights your career goals and key skills. Place your education section prominently, including any relevant coursework or projects. List both hard and soft skills applicable to the job, and include any internships, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your abilities and work ethic. Mention any significant projects or achievements, especially those relevant to your desired job. Also, include any professional affiliations that show your interest in the industry. Ensure the resume is well-organized and clearly formatted to highlight your qualifications effectively.

Use Jobscan’s resume builder , which is specifically designed to help you craft an AI resume that is both appealing to hiring managers and optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). This tool provides templates and real-time content suggestions, helping you tailor your resume effectively for each job application. You can also use ChatGPT to write a resume for free . Just be sure to edit and personalize the results you get.

1) Log into your Google account, go to Google Docs, and either start a new document or use the template gallery. Jobscan also offers free Google Docs resume templates . 2) Select a resume template that fits the job you’re applying for from the template gallery. 3) Replace the template’s placeholder text with your personal information, including contact details, educational background, work experience, and skills. 4) Tailor the content to the job by adding relevant keywords from the job description and adjusting the format—like fonts and spacing—for clarity and appeal. 5) Double-check your resume for any errors and consider having someone else review it too. 6) Once satisfied, download your resume as a PDF or DOCX file , or share it directly via email or a shareable link.

1) Start the program and select “New” from the file menu to access templates. 2) Type “resume” in the template search bar to see available resume designs. 3) Choose a template that suits your needs, then replace the placeholder text with your personal details, including work experience, education, and skills. 4) Adjust the content to match the job description, using relevant keywords and highlighting your qualifications. 5) Modify font size, style, and colors to ensure the resume is clean and professional. 6) Check for any errors, and consider having someone else review it. 7) Save your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and make sharing easy. 8) Print for physical submissions or save digitally for online applications.

In 2024, resumes should be designed for clarity and ATS compatibility . Start with a professional layout that includes plenty of white space and a logical structure. The top should have your contact information—just your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL , omitting a full address for privacy. Follow this with a concise professional summary, then list your work experience, skills, and education. The format should ensure easy readability for both human recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems, emphasizing a clean design without complex graphics or tables that could confuse the ATS software.

Choosing the right resume format depends on your career background: Chronological: Lists your work history in reverse chronological order, ideal for those with a solid work history. Functional: Focuses on skills rather than work history, suitable for career changers or those with gaps in employment. Combination: Mixes elements of both chronological and functional formats, highlighting skills followed by work history in reverse order. Good for those with significant skills and experiences.

The number of jobs you should include on your resume depends on your experience level and relevance to the role. Typically, if you’re early in your career with less than 10 years of experience, aim for 2-3 recent and relevant positions. For mid-career professionals, around 3-4 positions spanning the last 10-15 years is common. Experienced professionals may include the most pertinent roles from their extensive history, focusing on the past 10-15 years. Ensure each listed job directly relates to the position you’re applying for, prioritizing relevancy over quantity to present a focused and impactful resume.

A resume should typically be one to two pages long, with rare exceptions for highly experienced individuals or those in certain industries. Aim to keep it concise and focused on highlighting your most relevant qualifications and experiences for the position you’re applying for.

AI and machine learning have revolutionized resume screening by automating the process. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) use these technologies to quickly analyze resumes, searching for relevant keywords and qualifications. This saves recruiters time and ensures a more efficient screening process, helping them identify top candidates more effectively.

When writing a resume summary with no experience, focus on your education, relevant skills, and career goals. Highlight any coursework, projects, or extracurricular activities that demonstrate skills applicable to the job. Emphasize your enthusiasm, work ethic, and eagerness to learn. Keep it concise and impactful, showcasing how your background aligns with the position and company’s needs.

Crafting a simple resume involves starting with your contact information, followed by a brief summary statement. List your work experience, education, and relevant skills, ensuring consistency in formatting. Consider including optional sections like volunteer experience or honors/awards. Proofread carefully and tailor your resume to each job application.

Robert Henderson, CPRW, is a career advice writer and a resume expert at Jobscan.

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