How to List Achievements
on a Resume for 2024
(100 Examples)
Learn how to highlight your professional achievements on your resume so employers will take notice! Achievements differ from your job responsibilities and duties in that you can quantify them with numbers. Which leads us to a simple yet effective trick: quantifying your resume accomplishments so they pack a punch.
Recruiters consistently prefer applicants that include quantifiable achievements in their resume since this lets them see at a glance the impact you can make at a job.
This guide will focus on the following key topics:
You can also access hundreds of quantifiable resume achievements examples that are customizable in our Resume Builder. Build your resume in less than 15 minutes, and see how those interviews start rolling in!
Achievements versus responsibilities in your resume
A typical resume mistake applicants make is mentioning basic job responsibilities instead of unique accomplishments when describing what they did in past roles.
You might not even be aware you’re doing this, but it’s a surefire way to make recruiters skip you over.
Hiring managers have a good idea of what you did during your previous roles because 1) they get that info from your job title, and 2) they’re trained to hire hundreds of candidates for similar positions.
Understanding the difference between accomplishments and responsibilities is crucial to writing a good resume. The following examples will help you visualize how these two differ and what to do and avoid when your writing key resume sections.
Accomplishment:
“Increased sales revenue by 25% in Q3 2022 by identifying and targeting new market segments, resulting in $2.5 million in additional sales.”
Why this works:
- Demonstrates the candidate’s impact on the company’s sales revenue.
- Proves the candidate’s skills in market analysis and strategic targeting.
- Backs up their claims with specific and measurable data in percentages and dollar amounts.
Responsibility:
“Analyzed market trends and brainstormed strategies to increase company’s sales revenue.”
Why this fails:
- Simply lists the generic job duties of any sales analyst.
- Doesn’t mention the candidate’s professional skills.
- Falls short of convincing this candidate has more to offer.
More measurable accomplishments to add
This list of accomplishments examples will give you a good idea of the kinds of numbers employers look for.
- Dollars and percentages tied to other types of revenue generation.
- How many contracts or bids you’ve won.
- Increase in market share.
- Number of customers served.
- Numbers or percentages of internal performance benchmarks achieved.
- Amount of money you’ve saved.
- Monetary budgets you’ve managed.
- Percentages by which you’ve improved efficiency.
- Numbers of anything you’ve done in great quantity, such as repairing many pieces of equipment.
- Number of times selected as a team or project lead.
- Timeframes of accomplishments, especially when you exceed deadlines or expectations.
- Awards you’ve won.
- Publications that have featured your work.
Can’t think of any quantifiable achievements for your resume? Our Resume Builder takes the guesswork out of writing your resume and offers pre-written phrases with fill-in-the-blank portions that allow you to include your measurable achievements easily.
Resume examples with quantifiable achievements
We have achievements in resume examples for you to check out. Notice how key sections like the resume summary and work experience section feature quantifiable accomplishments.
Where to list achievements on a resume
You can include quantifiable achievements on your resume’s work experience and professional summary sections.
The work experience is the most logical section to showcase resume achievements because that’s where you describe what you accomplished in each role.
You should include three to four bullet points per job title to describe your achievements, and at least one should have a measurable accomplishment.
Include as many quantifiable achievements as possible as long as they share information your potential employer finds valuable in this particular job.
However, avoid stuffing your resume with numbers to the point it looks like a financial report.
Example of quantifiable achievements in the work experience
You can also share one or two similar quantifiable achievements in your resume’s professional summary.
This brief two-to-three-sentence summary should highlight your best professional qualifications and skills, but an impressive measurable accomplishment can seal the deal for any recruiter.
Example of quantifiable achievements in the professional summary
You can get personalized content that features quantifiable achievements for your resume sections when you use our Resume Builder. All it takes is to input your desired job title, and in minutes, you’ll have a professional resume tailored to your needs!
How to write quantifiable achievements for a resume
Including a quantifiable achievement in your resume isn’t as simple as writing: “I saved the company $25,000.”
You’ve got to provide more context to that numeric figure so that employers understand what skills and knowledge you utilized to achieve that amazing goal.
The XYZ formula is a helpful Google recruiter-approved method for writing your resume achievements that can increase your chances of getting hired.
XYZ formula to write resume achievements
The key to writing successful accomplishments for a resume is to share what you did, how you did it and the result.
“Accomplished [X] by doing [Y], which resulted in [Z].”
Here’s an example of how this formula would look:
“Improved brand’s social media presence by ideating and executing a multi-channel campaign which resulted in a 43% increase in overall engagement.”
You can use this formula for virtually any accomplishment, and it allows you to write resume achievements that are concise and informative.
What if I don’t have the data?
Not having the data on hand is a common obstacle many job seekers face when writing their professional achievements.
There’s no need to fret, though! Getting this information is as easy as asking your previous employer for this data. They likely have all this information saved in performance reviews and progress reports.
If you don’t want to tip off your employer that you’re looking for a new job, you can discreetly ask HR for performance reviews or let your manager know you’d like a 1:1 to discuss your progress so far.
A good tip for the future is to always keep track of this data, especially during performance reviews when you’ll discuss these achievements.
How to find achievements as a student
You might think a lack of formal experience means a lack of achievements to put on a resume. That is far from true!
Some achievements for your student resume include:
- Increase in your grade point average (GPA).
- Achieving the highest score in standardized tests like College Board or SAT.
- Presenting projects at science fairs and receiving a distinction for them.
- Achieving a milestone in individual or team sports, i.e., reaching state championships.
- Contributing your skills to resolve a challenge in a school play.
- Helping your Forensics or Debate team win a competition.
- Running a campaign for the student body and winning.
- Completing or exceeding your required volunteer work hours before graduation.
- Perfect attendance record year after year.
100+ quantifiable achievements examples
Need help developing ideas for resume achievements?
These 100+ resume achievement examples for different job titles are free to copy and edit as you see fit.
- Accounting Achievements Examples
- Administrative Achievements Examples
- Customer Service Achievements Examples
- Education Achievements Examples
- Food Service Achievements Examples
- Health Care Achievements Examples
- Human Resources Achievements Examples
- Information Technology Achievements Examples
- Marketing Achievements Examples
- Nursing Achievements Examples
- Retail Achievements Examples
- Sales Achievements Examples
Accounting achievements examples
- Resolved a $50K accounting error, improving the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting.
- Reduced A/R collection period by 10 days, increasing cash flow by $100K.
- Managed successful year-end audit, saving 20% in audit-related expenses and delivering clean audit reports.
- Saved the company $1M annually through a 15% reduction in procurement costs.
- Improved forecast accuracy by 10% with a new financial model.
- Increased portfolio returns by 5%, generating $500K in additional revenue.
- Reduced payment processing time by 25%, resulting in $10K in monthly cost savings.
- Improved accuracy of vendor invoices by 15%, resulting in $5K in monthly cost savings.
- Implemented new accounting software, reducing manual data entry by 50% and saving 10 hours per week.
Administrative achievements examples
- Increased office productivity by 23% by implementing a new organizational system.
- Improved customer satisfaction by 18% through effective communication and problem-solving.
- Reduced office expenses by 10% by researching and negotiating with vendors.
- Coordinated successful board meetings, saving $14K in travel expenses through efficient planning.
- Increased CEO’s productivity by 31% by organizing and prioritizing daily schedules.
- Negotiated new vendor contracts, resulting in $56K in annual cost savings for the company.
- Increased call volume by 50% through efficient phone system management.
- Improved visitor satisfaction by 35% through courteous and professional customer service.
- Reduced office expenses by 16% by negotiating new contracts with office supply vendors.
Customer service achievements examples
Customer service representative
- Improved customer satisfaction ratings by 39% through active listening and timely problem resolution.
- Increased sales by 23% through cross-selling and upselling techniques.
- Reduced average call time by 11% through efficient call handling and accurate data entry.
Call center operations manager
- Reduced staff turnover by 36% through employee engagement initiatives.
- Improved average call handling time by 31% through process optimization and coaching.
- Increased customer satisfaction ratings by 29% through improved training and quality assurance programs.
- Improved client retention rates by 41% through proactive communication and issue resolution.
- Increased upsell revenue by 22% through cross-selling and account management strategies.
- Reduced average response time to client inquiries by 34% through process optimization and automation.
Education achievements examples
- Increased student test scores by 48% through implementation of data-driven instructional strategies.
- Improved teacher retention rates by 65% through targeted professional development and support.
- Increased school enrollment by 37% through effective community outreach and marketing efforts.
- Elevated reading scores by 28% through interactive activities and personalized learning plans.
- Fostered a positive classroom environment by implementing behavior management techniques, resulting in a 57% decrease in disciplinary incidents.
- Enhanced student engagement and understanding by incorporating multimedia resources and technology into lesson plans, leading to a 29% increase in test scores.
- Advised and guided 300+ students in course selection, resulting in a 95% graduation rate.
- Developed and implemented a peer mediation program, reducing student conflicts by 55%.
- Coordinated and facilitated 10+ college fairs, leading to a 27% increase in college applications.
Food service achievements examples
- Increased restaurant sales by 26% by implementing upselling techniques and customer satisfaction surveys.
- Reduced food and labor costs by 19% by implementing new inventory management and scheduling systems.
- Achieved a 95% rating on health department inspections by implementing new sanitation protocols and conducting regular staff training.
- Increased average tips by 20% by providing exceptional customer service and upselling menu items.
- Processed orders for over 120 guests daily with 100% accuracy, increasing customer satisfaction ratings.
- Assisted with implementing a new order-taking system that resulted in a 36% decrease in customer wait time.
- Increased daily sales by 30% by implementing a customer loyalty program and upselling techniques.
- Maintained a 100% accuracy rate in preparing and serving over 200 daily drinks, ensuring customer satisfaction.
- Reduced wait times by 26% through efficient workflow and exceptional customer service, improving ratings and repeat business.
Health care achievements examples
Medical assistant achievements
- Administered medications to over 100 patients daily with 100% accuracy, reducing medication errors by 25%.
- Successfully scheduled over 500 appointments per month, reducing wait times by 55% and increasing patient satisfaction.
- Managed medical records for over 1,000 patients, improving record-keeping accuracy by 26% and streamlining data entry processes.
- Successfully collected and processed over 200 blood specimens in a single month, meeting 100% accuracy and safety standards.
- Introduced new scheduling system resulting in 20% reduction in patient wait times.
- Trained 7 new phlebotomists on best practices, resulting in a 15% decrease in patient complaints and a 10% increase in productivity.
- Administered medication to 20+ patients with 100% accuracy and documented vital signs, assisting RNs in creating comprehensive care plans.
- Improved patient care by 30% by communicating with patients and their families, maintaining a safe and clean environment, and monitoring health changes.
- Successfully managed a caseload of 10+ patients, providing daily living assistance, grooming, and light housekeeping with a 95% satisfaction rate.
Human resources achievements examples
- Implemented a new applicant tracking system, reducing hiring time by 25% and improving candidate experience.
- Conducted company-wide compensation analysis, resulting in a 15% increase in employee retention and engagement.
- Streamlined onboarding process, reducing orientation time by 30% and ensuring compliance with HR policies and procedures.
- Streamlined hiring process by implementing applicant tracking system, reducing time-to-fill by 34%.
- Developed comprehensive recruitment strategy resulting in a 28% increase in diverse candidate hires.
- Oversaw successful onboarding of 50+ new hires in a single quarter, achieving 95% employee retention rate after six months.
- Conducted a comprehensive salary analysis, resulting in a 13% decrease in turnover and $250,000 in cost savings.
- Implemented a new employee recognition program, leading to a 23% increase in employee satisfaction survey results.
- Collaborated with HR leadership to develop and roll out a new compensation strategy, resulting in a 17% increase in employee retention rates.
Information technology achievements examples
- Implemented new cybersecurity measures resulting in a 37% reduction in data breaches.
- Successfully led a team of 12 developers to complete a software project on time and within budget.
- Reduced company IT costs by 19% by implementing a cloud-based solution for data storage and software applications.
- Reduced project delivery time by 22% by implementing agile methodologies and streamlining development processes.
- Led a team of 10 developers to successfully launch a new software product on time and within budget, resulting in a 28% increase in revenue.
- Improved customer satisfaction by 30% by collaborating with the product team to implement user feedback into software development.
- Implemented new call routing system that reduced customer wait time by 50%.
- Increased customer satisfaction by 36% through proactive troubleshooting and timely issue resolution.
- Developed and conducted training sessions resulting in a 27% increase in first-call resolution rates among team members.
Marketing achievements examples
- Achieved 125% of sales quota through targeted account management and strategic upselling techniques.
- Secured three major new clients, resulting in a 20% increase in revenue and a 15% increase in market share.
- Developed new sales strategy that increased client retention rates by 25% and generated $500,000 in additional revenue.
- Increased brand awareness by 29% through successful execution of integrated marketing campaigns.
- Successfully launched three new products resulting in a 21% increase in overall sales.
- Achieved a 30% increase in social media engagement by implementing a targeted content strategy.
- Increased social media engagement by 43% through targeted campaigns and user-generated content.
- Executed social media strategies that resulted in a 28% increase in website traffic and 14% growth in followers.
- Launched a successful influencer marketing campaign that generated over $50,000 in sales revenue within the first month.
Nursing achievements examples
- Assisted with an average of 10 daily patient activities, ensuring adherence to all care plans and treatment protocols.
- Maintained a 95% patient satisfaction rating by providing compassionate care and building strong relationships with patients and their families.
- Contributed to team efficiency by completing all charting and documentation, reducing errors and saving two hours per week in administrative time.
- Administered dermatology treatments to 50+ patients weekly, including injections and wound care, resulting in a 95% success rate.
- Conducted 100+ skin cancer screenings, identifying early-stage malignancies in 10% of cases and facilitating timely treatment.
- Collaborated with medical staff to develop individualized care plans for 50+ patients, improving outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- Reduced patient falls by 30% by implementing fall prevention measures and regular monitoring.
- Trained and mentored new nurses, improving team morale and increasing patient satisfaction scores by 15%.
- Administered complex treatments and medications with 100% accuracy, earning recognition for excellence in patient care.
Retail achievements examples
- Reduced customer wait times by 27% through efficient checkout processes, improving customer satisfaction scores by 17%.
- Successfully resolved 95% of customer complaints by providing exceptional customer service and effectively communicating with customers.
- Successfully handled an average of 75 customer transactions per hour while maintaining a 100% accuracy rate, resulting in positive customer feedback and increased store revenue.
- Increased monthly sales by 24% through effective product knowledge and customer engagement techniques.
- Maintained a 95% customer satisfaction rating by providing excellent customer service and resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
- Consistently exceeded sales goals by 16% by building solid customer relationships and providing personalized recommendations.
- Achieved 13% increase in sales by implementing new product displays and promotions strategies within first quarter of employment.
- Reduced store operating costs by 17% by implementing more efficient scheduling and inventory management systems.
- Successfully recruited and trained a team of 20 employees, leading to a 29% reduction in turnover rate within six months.
Sales achievements examples
- Boosted monthly sales revenue by 25% by developing targeted marketing campaigns to attract new customers and upselling to existing clients.
- Increased customer satisfaction ratings by 20% through exceptional communication skills and providing personalized recommendations based on customer needs.
- Achieved top salesman status three quarters in a row by consistently exceeding monthly sales goals and cultivating strong client relationships.
- Streamlined sales reporting process by implementing new data analysis software, resulting in 22% increase in data accuracy.
- Developed and implemented new sales forecasting model, resulting in 17% improvement in sales forecasting accuracy.
- Conducted comprehensive analysis of sales data and provided insights to senior management, leading to 12% increase in sales productivity.
- Increased territory sales by 34% through targeted prospecting and personalized follow-up strategies.
- Achieved 125% of annual sales quota, exceeding targets by $500,000 and earning recognition as top performer.
- Developed and implemented sales training program for new hires, resulting in 36% reduction in ramp-up time and increased productivity.
Key points to remember
- When writing your resume, include unique achievements instead of day-to-day work responsibilities.
- Always quantify your achievements with numbers, percentages or dollar amounts to capture recruiters’ attention.
- List achievements mainly on your resume summary or your work experience section.
- Think about how many people you served, how much money you saved or how you increased performance to come up with your quantifiable achievements.
- Use the XYZ formula to write your resume achievements: “Accomplished [X] by doing [Y], which resulted in [Z].”
- Ask your current or past employers for this data directly, or keep track of it during your performance reviews.
- If you’re a student, look for quantifiable achievements in your GPA, standardized testing, extracurriculars or sports.
- Find hundreds of examples of quantifiable achievements in our Resume Builder.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don’t have data?
If you don’t have the data to create accurate, quantifiable achievements, you can create your own by thinking back to your day-to-day responsibilities. For example, how many marketing calls did you make in a shift, how many beverages did you create during rush hour, and how many people did you supervise?
You can also find hundreds of examples of resume achievements in our Resume Builder! You’ll be surprised to see that you’ve accomplished a lot, you just need to know how to frame this information correctly, and that’s where we can help.
How do I collect data for achievements?
You should be collecting the data for these achievements while you’re currently employed. One option is that whenever you know you’ll have a performance review, request your supervisor to provide you with your performance data. This data is generally part of most companies’ reports, which they use to assess the company’s progress, so it should be readily available to you if you ask for it.
You can also keep track of your work by keeping a career journal. For instance, every few weeks, you can set some time apart to calculate how much work you did, how much money you made on sales, and things like that which can eventually become quantifiable achievements for your resume.
What are the best achievements?
The best achievements to put on a resume are the ones that demonstrate your skills and share numeric data validating your impact. Adding that number adds to your credibility and shows employers you’re an organized employee who cares about progress and values the importance of data. Including these quantifiable achievements is one of many ways to stand out during your job search, which you can learn more about in our resume resources blog.
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