A résumé, essentially, is a marketing tool that should be written in a manner to increase the likelihood that an applicant will obtain an interview. As such, the résumé has to be more than a mere list of current and past job duties and responsibilities. It has to outline, for the benefit of a prospective employer, an applicant’s tendency to be proactive with the ability to produce verifiable results.
Accomplishment-based statements, especially those delineated at the top of a résumé, are the most effective means to maximize the marketing potential of a résumé
Accomplishment-based statements should be written to impact and impress the reader; thereby, ensuring a solid and lasting impression and succeeding to elicit an invitation to an interview.
Accomplishments are the product of actions taken to solve a problem, streamline a process, reduce costs, improve sales, boost morale, and, in some cases, avoid an outright disaster or any such result that has a constructive impact within an organization.
Problem + Remedy + Result = ACCOMPLISHMENT
In preparation to compile a list of accomplishment based statements, it is possible to utilize past job descriptions and performance reviews to begin building this list in situations where a detailed
record has not been maintained. Another means to construct this list is to review a series of ideas
and/or questions that will serve to trigger the recall of professional accomplishments that produced solid results, exemplified in the list noted below:
- A situation wherein you promptly solved an unexpected problem.
- A situation wherein you took charge to address an emergency.
- An instance in which you developed an original idea.
- Describe a time where you identified a problem that had been overlooked.
- Did you suggest any new services or programs that were acted upon? What results were obtained?
- Where you able to increase sales or reduce costs for your company?
- List specific ways you saved time and/or money by amending a process, service or supplier.
- Did you achieve improved results by establishing new priorities, goals or objectives?
- Within your current or past employment roles, what have you done to make improvements?
- Have you been instrumental in a team effort that produced a recognized result?
- Have you ever contributed to the training and/or mentorship of a colleague?
- Implemented a formal credit control policy that achieved a $1.3 million reduction in accounts receivables within six months of activation
Sample Accomplishment Based Statements
- Developed a marketing strategy that directly increased customer base by 27% within two months of campaign launch Redesigned the production line protocols, resulted in an increased daily output by 2,800 units
- Designed a user-friendly operations manual that received excellent feedback from employee users and significantly reduced general queries to management
- Re-negotiated a contract that saved the company over $50,000 per annum in legal costs
- Automated an order processing system that reduced the turnaround time from two days to 20 minutes
- Supported the integration of Marketing, Finance and Customer Service data into a single updated database format, resulted in faster retrieval of higher quality analytics
- Coordinated HST changes for entire company, assimilated in a seamless manner
- Lead for IFRS conversion team, instrumental in developing company-wide compliance and comprehensive training programs
- Implemented workflow optimization, reduced overtime during peak-times by 95%
- Launched a mentorship program to improve training and retention of new staff, achieved 98% retention rate within 2 years
- Researched and introduced new print & paper supplier that saved company $450 per month in printing expenses
- Managed 12 key client accounts, with a cumulative value of $5.9 million in annual sales, successfully cultivated excellent client relations and increased the organization’s market profile through recommendations from this same key client base
- Launched key performance indicators for finance division to enable enhanced tracking
- Transformed strategic and budget planning into a unified analytical process, resulted in a significantly improved accuracy of corporate revenue projections
- Set-up quarterly communications with the corporate board and all internal departments, significantly improved transparency of corporate financial position and improved coordination between corporate policy and departmental business plans
- Directed a corporate-wide cost containment project that reduced annual expenditures by $5 million and strengthened management’s fiscal accountability
- Administered budget and risk management protocols for a $1 billion Municipal project, resulted in the successful launch of a new facility within budget and projected timeline
Source: CPA