CAREER TIP SHEET

CAREER
TIP SHEET
ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS CONSIDER ENDORSEMENTS AND FEEDBACK

Contemporary CVs are achievement-focused. Whereas Doing a great job and receiving positive feedback is an
responsibilities are what you are supposed to do, achievements achievement in itself eg:
are what you have actually delivered, over and above what was • The improvement was rolled out nationally and I was commended
required. You sell yourself to a prospective employer by including by the CEO for my innovation.
powerful achievements in your CV. • Received consistent positive feedback.
Many CVs used to contain long lists of responsibilities then a • Rated ‘outstanding’ in my performance reviews.
few achievements. Increasingly now there is less emphasis on
the responsibilities so that more space can be dedicated to COMBINING ACHIEVEMENTS
achievements. Consider combining similar achievements under an overarching
One approach is to contain a couple of broad sentences theme. This can save repetition, increase impact and provide an
explaining your responsibilities then launch into the achievements opportunity to list specific examples eg:
in dot points. You do not then need to explain the dot points as • Appointed to various positions of responsibility:
“achievements”. - WHS Committee member
Each achievement should start with strong verb in the past - Diversity champion
tense. You can even disguise responsibilities to read like - SAP Subject Matter Expert
achievements by writing them this way (eg Instead of saying that • Implemented several significant process improvements. Examples
one responsibility was “Managing a team of four”, you can say included:
“Managed a team of four”. - Introducing staff debit cards with spending limits. These saved
We have included in this flyer a long list of suggestions for staff waiting for travel expenses to be reimbursed and reduced
different verbs to inspire you to sell yourself better. processing times considerably for the staff member and accounts.

SUBSTANTIATING ACHIEVEMENTS - Automating the payment system of recurring invoices. This freed
up the Accounts Payable team half a day per week.
The ultimate result of an achievement is usually to make
the employer organisation money or save it money. In many - Investigated and gained approval for a new overdraft facility. This
government and administrative positions, however, there can saved up to $10,000 per year in unnecessary interest payments.
be other less obvious advantages such as making a system more FLATTERING LANGUAGE
robust or compliant.
It is possible, rather than just “undertaking” a secondment, you
Some roles are easy to substantiate achievements. These usually were “selected” for it or “invited”? Consider using language that
have tangible outcomes as part of the job. For example, meeting paints your achievement in the strongest possible light. Other
sales targets, delivering projects or producing other set results. examples are “appointed”, “elected”, “nominated” and “promoted”.
Even if your role tends to be more ongoing, try to avoid the
mistake of making your CV read like a reproduction of your job STRUCTURING ACHIEVEMENTS
description - this offers the reader no real insight into what you The general formats used are:
did or are capable of. • Result from action - List the result first then explain how you
QUANTIFYING YOUR IMPACT got there (our preference).

If you have trouble identifying achievements, ask yourself: • Action leading to a result - Specify the action first and link it to
the result.
• What have I done to change this job from when I arrived to
Many achievement statements include a “challenge” component
when I left? or
that if included, may be positioned at the beginning or end of the
• How is the job different from when I started? sentence. Some examples may include “within tight timeframes”
The gap in both cases represents your achievements. Keep asking or “during a time where staff levels were at 50%” or “in a fast-
yourself “resulting in what?” to prompt you to dig further into the paced, constantly changing environment”.
benefit you have delivered.

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 CAREER TIP SHEET

CAREER
TIP SHEET
ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS

IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS • Increased Consumer Markets Division’s revenue from $54m
• Good: Conducted many training programs in several offices that to $125m over three years with no increase in personnel. Built
reduced problems. pre-tax profit from a loss of $3m to returns of $11m.

• Better: Conducted more than 45 service technician training • Established and directed manufacturing task forces that
programs throughout eight offices reducing customer reduced waste by 20% in plastic processes and increased
complaints by 22% in a six-month period. productivity by over 10% in forming and printing processes.

• Best: Reduced customer complaints by 22% in a six- month • Identified excess investment in manufacturing and warehousing
period by conducting more than 45 service technician training facilities. Negotiated sales of assets which generated over $4m
programs through eight offices. and reduced fixed costs by approximately $1m annually.

SAMPLE ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS HELP

• Received a customer satisfaction rating of 99.9% by developing Your Careers Consultant is here to help you. Please make an
a high level of proficiency on a new software during a two- appointment for a review of your CV. Consider emailing your CV
month system conversion. in advance so that your consultant can work on it with you in the
• Developed a promotional fundraising campaign that provided session.
contributions exceeding $30,000, three times the previous
record.

USEFUL VERBS
The cumulative effect of all these “action words” is to paint a picture of a person that makes a difference, goes over and above and/or
gets things done. If you are stuck for a word to sell your achievements, here are some options:

Accelerated Delegated Generated Met Recruited Superseded

Accomplished Delivered Handled Negotiated Redesigned Supervised
Achieved Demonstrated Headed Organised Reduced Systematised
Administered Designed Implemented Operated Reinvigorated Terminated
Analysed Developed Improved Oversaw Reorganised Traced
Approved Devised Improvised Persuaded Researched Tracked
Awarded Directed Increased Planned Retained Traded
Budgeted Drafted Influenced Presented Revised Trained
Built Established Initiated Processed Rewrote Transferred
Championed Evaluated Innovated Produced Scheduled Transformed
Completed Event-managed Installed Programmed Saved Translated
Conceived Exceeded Instigated Program-managed Serviced Trimmed
Conducted Expanded Instituted Project-managed Simplified Tripled
Consolidated Filled Introduced Promoted Sold Uncovered
Controlled Financed Invented Proposed Spearheaded Unified
Converted Forecast Launched Provided Streamlined Updated
Convinced Formulated Led (note spelling) Purchased Stressed Wrote
Coordinated Founded Maintained Quantified Stretched
Created Fulfilled Managed Received Structured
Cut Gathered Mentored Recommended Summarised

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MORE 0800 666 367 (New Zealand)*
INFORMATION +613 8620 5300 (International)
or visit convergeinternational.com.au
 CAREER TIP SHEET

CAREER
TIP SHEET
ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS

Accelerated Developed Initiated Project-managed Stressed

Accomplished Devised Innovated Promoted Stretched
Achieved Directed Installed Proposed Structured
Administered Drafted Instigated Provided Summarised
Analysed Established Instituted Purchased Superseded
Approved Evaluated Introduced Quantified Supervised
Awarded Event-managed Invented Received Systematised
Budgeted Exceeded Launched Recommended Terminated
Built Expanded Led (note spelling) Recruited Traced
Championed Filled Maintained Redesigned Tracked
Completed Financed Managed Reduced Traded
Conceived Forecast Mentored Reinvigorated Trained
Conducted Formulated Met Reorganised Transferred
Consolidated Founded Negotiated Researched Transformed
Controlled Fulfilled Organised Retained Translated
Converted Gathered Operated Revised Trimmed
Convinced Generated Oversaw Rewrote Tripled
Coordinated Handled Persuaded Scheduled Uncovered
Created Headed Planned Saved Unified
Cut Implemented Presented Serviced Updated
Delegated Improved Processed Simplified Wrote
Delivered Improvised Produced Sold
Demonstrated Increased Programmed Spearheaded
Designed Influenced Program-managed Streamlined

HELP
Your Careers Consultant is here to help you. Please make an appointment for a review of your CV. Consider emailing your CV in
advance so that your consultant can work on it with you in the session.

1300 687 327 (Australia)

MORE 0800 666 367 (New Zealand)*
INFORMATION +613 8620 5300 (International)
or visit convergeinternational.com.au