Why Resume Achievements Matter More Than Responsibilities
Hiring managers don’t want to read a list of what you were supposed to do, they want to know what you actually accomplished. A resume filled with achievements instead of responsibilities immediately sets you apart from other candidates. An achievement is the positive result of an action you took at a job. Hiring managers and resume reviewers need to know that you have had impact at previous roles and that impact was measurable and articulated into an achievements.
How do I write about my Achievements
Every strong achievement follows this simple formula:
Action Verb + What You Did + Measurable Result
Starting with a strong action verb is crucial. For 200+ powerful alternatives to common verbs, see our complete action verbs guide.
For example:
- Weak: “Responsible for managing social media accounts”
- Strong: “Grew Instagram following by 300% in 6 months, driving 50+ qualified leads per month”
The key here is in the quantification of the achievement. Not all achievements are as cleanly quantifiable as this example but to stand out from other candidates, making some measurement of the work you’ve done will help you from ATS automated screening and quick human scanning. Learn more about optimizing for ATS systems.
How to Find Your Numbers
Not sure what metrics to include? Here are some example questions you can ask yourself when writing about accomplishments and achievements in your previous roles.
- How much time did you save?
- How much money did you make or save?
- How many people benefited from your work?
- What percentage did something improve?
Resume Achievement Examples
Here are some ways to write great resume achievements for multiple roles:
Software Engineer
- “Reduced API response time by 40% through database query optimization, improving user experience for 100K+ daily active users”
- “Built automated testing pipeline that decreased bug reports by 60% and reduced QA time by 15 hours per week”
Product Manager
- “Launched mobile app feature that increased daily active users by 25% and improved 7-day retention from 32% to 45%”
- “Led discovery research with 50+ users to identify pain points, resulting in $2M ARR feature that became #1 revenue driver”
Marketing
- “Executed email campaign that achieved 28% open rate (vs 18% industry average) and generated $150K in sales”
- “Optimized landing pages through A/B testing, increasing conversion rate from 2.1% to 4.5% and adding 500 MQLs per month”
What If You Don’t Have Numbers?
If you can’t quantify your impact, focus on scope and context. These achievements still contain numbers and make it easy for a reviewer or an ATS to figure out that what you did mattered and could be measured.
Examples:
- “Led cross-functional team of 12 across engineering, design, and marketing to deliver product launch 2 weeks ahead of schedule”
- “Selected from 200+ applicants to represent company at national conference, presenting to audience of 500+ industry leaders”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
It is possible to quantify and still leave an achievement lacking. In the cases where you are able to measure and articulate the quantification, ensure that it would make sense to someone who was not in the same role or same company as you. For example, avoid vague measurements that don’t tell a complete story. Instead of “Improved Sale Numbers”, try “Increased Sales by 23% through automation gains”.
Context matters as well, ensure that the entire picture is being set as an ATS or human resume reviewer might not able to extrapolate enough to get an understanding of your impact. Instead of “Managed $2M budget”, try “Managed $2M budget by reducing costs by 15%”.
Also, avoid simply listing responsibilities. A bullet in a resume like “Successfully handled customer complaints” is not an achievement. While a valuable experience, try and figure out what impact you were able to achieve while this was your responsibility.
If you’re making a career change, see our guide on career change strategies to learn how to frame your achievements for your target role.
Making It Easy with Resume Refiner
Not sure how to transform your experience into achievements? Resume Refiner’s AI analyzes your resume and the job description, then suggests specific ways to quantify your impact and highlight relevant accomplishments that matter to hiring managers.