How to Showcase Achievements on Your Resume to Stand Out

Listing achievements on your resume highlights your professional value. After all, there’s no better indicator of the future than the past. If you can show the hiring manager what you’ve achieved in the previous roles, they’ll have a good idea of what you can do in your next role. But how do you get it right?

Naturally weaving your top achievements through your resume is the answer. In the following guide, we’ll be looking at the type of accomplishments you should include, how to list them, and the best way to make them stand out from the crowd.

Why are achievements important on a resume?

First up, let’s talk about why having achievements on your resume is a must. If you want to elevate your resume and catch the hiring manager’s eye, adding these into the mix is the way to go.

Let’s break down the main benefits here.

Failing to include achievements on your resume is a real mistake. Sharing the right accomplishments will make you unique, pique the hiring manager’s interest, and get you noticed for the right reasons.

Where should you place achievements on a resume?

Now you understand the importance of having achievements on your resume, but where should you put them? There’s more than one right answer. To properly highlight your many accolades, you need to weave them through various resume sections. Let’s, look at the main options you have.

Summary section

At the top of your resume, you’ll find your Summary section. This is a short paragraph that explains what they can expect from you. Including achievements is a great way to make a strong first impression. So, if there’s an accomplishment you’re particularly proud of, you can slide it in here.

Take a look at our example below for some inspiration:

Work experience section

In your Work Experience section, you’ll add bullet points below each job title. These can include your duties, but you also want to list impressive achievements here. Remember, you need to show the hiring manager what impact your work had on the wider company, for the best results.

Check out our example work experience section here:

Dedicated achievements section

Do you have a selection of highly impactful achievements? If so, you can create a dedicated Achievement section on your resume. This is an optional resume section but can provide real value to your application. Only pick out accomplishments likely to impress the hiring manager for this part of your resume.  

Look at the below Achievements section to understand how this works:

Awards section

If you’re an award-winning professional, it’s time to shout about it. You can create an Awards section on your resume where you can write down these achievements. Adding these to your resume is a snappy way to catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Here’s an example of how to get it right:

What types of achievements should you include?

There are many different types of achievements you might have gained along the way. Getting clued up on them means you can decide which you have and which to share with the employer.  

Luckily, we’ve split the main accomplishments into four categories to help you along the way. While reading the below, think about which ones you have under your belt.

Professional milestones

As you move through your career, chances are you’ll hit a selection of professional milestones. For example, you may get a promotion or an award from your employer. These feats are worth mentioning on your resume. The hiring manager will likely want to interview you and find out more.

Let’s take a look at how you can share a professional milestone in a dedicated Awards section:

Quantifiable successes

Quantifiable successes are any achievements that you can put a number on. Often enough, these include targets you’ve reached or exceeded in your role. The key here isn’t simply to list your achievement, but also to add color by talking about the exact impact it had.

Here’s an example of how to display quantifiable success in your Work Experience section:

Skills-based achievements

Your resume needs to detail the strengths you have. You can do this by including skills-based achievements in your Work Experience or Summary sections. Add some much-needed context by explaining how you used it to succeed in previous roles.

Check out our example of how to do this in a Resume Summary section:

Academic and training achievements

Education on a resume is vital to many successful applications. If you’ve continued your training throughout your career, now is the time to emphasize it. You can list this in your Education or Certification section or even create a dedicated Achievements segment.

Let’s take a look at how you might include this in an Achievements section:

How to quantify and describe achievements

Adding context to the achievements you share is essential. But how do you get started? In this part of the guide, we delve into the best ways to quantify and describe the achievements on your resume.

Add metrics (such as numbers and statistics)

Detail is everything when putting achievements on your resume. Adding impressive metrics will quickly boost the impact of your accomplishment.

For example, rather than saying you “exceeded sales targets,”  you should be more thorough. Writing that you “exceeded sales targets by 14% each quarter” is far more likely to get you noticed.

Write in clear language and include action verbs

The last thing you want to do is confuse the hiring manager. Make sure you use clear language when writing about achievements on your resume.

Action verbs will give your achievements more oomph. Some examples include analyzed, delivered, enhanced, exceeded, succeeded, implemented, facilitated, and transformed. Using these will let the hiring manager know you were in control when gaining these achievements.

Use the ATR (Action + Task + Result) method

Every achievement needs to ooze value. Using the ATR method can help you along the way. That means illustrating an Action you took, the Task you were completing, and the Result you achieved.

Let’s take a look at how you can use this method.

Examples of achievements for different industries

Of course, the achievements you include on your resume will largely depend on your industry. Different fields have different demands and, therefore, different accomplishments. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the examples of achievements you might want to highlight based on your industry.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing is all about the bottom line. For that reason, you need to use clear metrics when sharing your achievements. Always back up your claims with numbers and statistics.

Customer service

As the name suggests, customer service is a client-facing role. So, you should emphasize your ability to understand customers’ needs, communicate well, and ensure overall client satisfaction.

Information Technology (IT)

If you work in IT, your job is all about performance and finding quick solutions. When including achievements on your resume, be sure to highlight these talents to the hiring manager.

Education and training

Believe it or not, education and training can be similar to sales and marketing. It’s all about results. When talking about your achievements, detail the impact each of them had clearly.

Common mistakes to avoid when listing achievements

Conclusion

With the right achievements on your resume, you’re sure to go far. Follow the advice in this guide to help you get started. If possible, add defined metrics and action verbs to your achievements to give them more of an impact. Take a look at your resume now and check that your existing achievements measure up.

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