Are you struggling with how to list your achievements on your CV? This is very common and many of my clients find this tough. However, for your CV to stand out, your work experience section should include a minimum of 2 to 3 achievements under each job.
Achievements or accomplishments show future employers what impact you had on your previous employers and where you added value. Listing your achievements enables them to see your results and the potential you have. Many job seekers, unfortunately, simply list down their previous jobs responsibilities on their CVs, without mentioning their valuable achievements in those roles.
Imagine you are the hiring manager and you have 50 CV’s in front of you that all look suitable for the role you are recruiting for. Most companies interview around 5 people for each role they are hiring for. So how do you decide which 5 CV’s to select?Creating a CV with tangible achievements, that are relevant to the role, is what can help make your CV stand out This can then enable you to get that phone call inviting you for a job interview.
Achievements vs. Responsibilities
So what is the difference between an achievement and a responsibility? In simple terms, a responsibility describes what you did and an achievement describes how well you did it. For example, “Organised monthly client events” would be considered a job responsibility, whereas “Raised $100,000 by selling out tickets to a 200-person charity event for a major client” is an achievement.
So why are achievements so important? Many recruiters and hiring managers will understand what responsibilities are associated with your job titles on your CV. They are usually the ones who have written the job descriptions and job adverts. They will therefore know what responsibilities are required in the role. This is why listing achievements can make you stand out. Listing 2 to 3 achievements bullet pointed on your CV shows where you have gone above and beyond your day to day responsibilities of your job. Where you have added value and made a difference to an organisation.
Creating your Achievements
Now that you understand the difference, how do you make the changes to your CV?
Start by listing everything you did in your role. Think about where you might have saved money, improved a process, solved a problem. Think about any awards you received and why you received them. Where did you really stand out, what did you do and what did your colleagues notice.
Each achievement should ideally start with a powerful action verb, as well as using numbers to quantify your accomplishments. It should finish with the benefit to the company to allow them to see where you added value.
Try using the CAR format to craft an achievement:
CHALLENGE (or problem) – what was the challenge or problem you faced and had to resolve?
ACTION – what action did you take, what did you actually do and why? How did you do this? What was the timeframe?
RESULT – what was the result of this? What was the benefit to the company? Did it save money, improve a process or create new opportunities?
Example Achievements:-
“Doubled finance employee engagement scores (from 40% to 80% in 2.5 years) through a concerted program of employee engagement, development and organisational restructuring included full integration of previously separate NZ Finance organisation”
“Created a new SEO strategy that improved organic search traffic to the corporate blog by 52% year on year“
“Reduced the time spent on controlling inventory by 20% through reorganizing the physical storage of supplies“
“Maintained a 97% customer satisfaction rating over a 12 month period as a customer care representative“
Finally……………..
By using numbers in your achievements, you are demonstrating your focus as being results oriented rather than just task oriented. You are showing how you worked to make improvements and add value in your organisation.
In a competitive job market the people who take the time to create and list achievements on their CV are the ones who will get noticed by the recruiters and hiring managers. This is how you get ahead of your competition and get that job interview.
Finally, and very importantly, ensure the achievements listed on your CV reflect the main requirements and key words of the job advert you are applying for.
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