You Are What You Achieve! Why You Should Use an Accomplishment Based Resume.

You’ve posted your resume to the big box job boards, applied to corporate websites, blasted your resume to hundreds of sites, and hoped and prayed while waiting for a response.  And nothing happens.  No phone calls, no emails, no text messages from recruiters saying they loved your resume and would like to meet you.  What could be amiss?


If you used the SAME resume to every job, that could be your problem. Resumes are not one size fits all.  Your resume is more than just a laundry list of previous jobs and responsibilities.  It should be an advertisement of how great you are for specifically for the job you are applying!  Let’s take a look at the specifics of an accomplishment-based resume.

What is Accomplishment-Based Resume?

An accomplishment-based resume focuses on your achievements as they related to the specific job you are applying.  The resume lists the achievements, awards, innovations, inventions, and the ingenious of who you are and the skill set up have to offer.  For example, an Administrative Assistant who makes travel arrangements as part of their job: 

Responsibility-based statement:

“Duties include arranging travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, and answering the switchboard.”

Accomplishment-based statement:

“Saved $175 – $250 per round-trip airline ticket while arranging domestic and international travel for senior executives.”

In this example, the responsibility-based statement says this person performed a job. Boring…..chances are there will not be a phone call.  The Accomplishment-based statement says this person not only performed their job, but saved the company money while doing it.  This speaks of initiative, creativity, essentially creating value.  A recruiter would be more likely call this person to find out more ways this person created value.

How to create an Accomplishment-Based Resume

Person examines value
As you think about how to create your accomplishment statements for your resume, pull the achievements out of your job responsibilities.  Think about how to change them into accomplishments by asking yourself a few questions:

1. When were you most proud in your previous/current position?

2. What steps did you take to complete the task or fulfill the responsibility?

3. What was the final outcome and who was positively affected by the task or your efforts?

As you answer these questions, you will find yourself with a list of accomplishments, value statements, and skills to add to their resume. Instead of stating job responsibilities, you are illustrating how effective you are in performing job duties.  In essence, painting a complete picture of a professional and not just a worker.

Businesswoman shouting her victory to the worldEnding Thought: Successful professionals do three things for any company they work for and that is: make money, save money/time, and create something new for a company.  Successful job seekers create accomplishment-based resumes and include these three values.  Thus, they get the phone call for an interview.

Good hunting!

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Holly Bunn is a resume writer, career coach, and motivational speaker with more than 15 years of experience in Human Resources, recruiting, and technology. She is sought out as a subject matter expert on resumes, LinkedIn, job search, and career management. Holly has delivered job search workshops and written resumes for hundreds of job seekers who have secured interviews and landed jobs. Her clients experience success almost immediately after applying her winning techniques.  For more information on career coaching or resume help, contact Holly at (305) 791-6965 or

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