How To Write Achievements in Your Resume (+ Examples)

Your resume offers a quick snapshot of your work history and relevant skills. But what can make it stand out and grab the attention of a hiring manager? Short answer: Effectively communicating your professional accomplishments. 

Most job seekers make the mistake of simply listing duties or tasks you’d find in their current job description. But that doesn’t tell potential employers why you’re right for their role. Listing achievements in your resume and job application can help you cut through the noise by offering a more complete picture of what you’ve done.

Here’s the good news—you don’t have to figure this out alone. You can use the AI Resume Builder feature to write your achievements for you, so you’re never starting from scratch. Plus, this guide breaks down how to write achievements in a resume, if you’d prefer not to use AI. 

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What are resume achievements?

Resume achievements are the accomplishments featured on a resume. They should focus on how you’ve contributed to a particular role, department, or business using concrete and measurable business outcomes.

That means including any awards and specific metrics that typically include numbers or other KPIs to illustrate the point.

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Types of achievements

When showcasing your accomplishments on a resume, you can highlight achievements from various aspects of your life—as long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Whether personal, professional, or academic, each type of achievement helps paint a fuller picture of your qualifications and strengths. Here’s a breakdown of the main categories of achievements you can include.

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Personal achievements

Personal achievements are milestones or accomplishments outside of your job. These could include volunteer work, personal development projects, or even relevant hobbies that demonstrate skills like leadership, creativity, or perseverance. While these may not be directly related to your current job, they can highlight traits and qualities that set you apart.

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Professional achievements

Professional achievements are directly tied to your career and showcase the impact you’ve made in previous roles. 

These accomplishments often focus on measurable outcomes, like increased revenue, process improvements, or successful project management. Highlighting these on your resume demonstrates your ability to drive results and contribute meaningfully to an organization.

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Academic achievements

Academic achievements reflect your educational background and accomplishments in school or university settings. This could include awards, scholarships, high GPAs, or research projects. 

These achievements are especially important for those early in their career (think: focusing on an entry-level job) or transitioning into new industries where education is a key component of the job.

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Struggling to write resume achievements? Write them faster with Teal’s AI Resume Builder now.

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Achievement examples

Achievement examples are key highlights of your career that demonstrate the ability to contribute effectively to a company or project. Below are achievement examples covering how to to solve problems, drive growth, or achieve specific goals. Use this range of examples of achievements to inspire your own.

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Personal achievements examples

• Organized charity event that raised $10,000 
• Completed an advanced Excel course improving data skills and efficiency by 20%
• Led a team of 15 volunteers for a community garden project
• Attracted 5,000 monthly readers through a personal blog on digital marketing
• Reduced waste by 30% through a neighborhood recycling initiative,
• Grew a local networking group to 50 members
• Won a public speaking award after completing a course
• Mentored five junior colleagues, improving their performance and productivity by 15%.
• Completed a self-paced Python course, improving task automation by 25%.

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Professional achievements

• Increased website traffic by 52% in 12 months
• Implemented cost-saving measures and reduced expenses by 30%
• Streamlined bookkeeping protocols, reducing errors by 15%
• Managed a team of 10 employees and increased customer retention rates by 7%
• Consolidated vendors, saving the company $35,000 annually
• Exceeded sales targets by 25% in Q1
• Led the DEI committee, leading to a 91% company approval rating on workplace inclusivity
• Secured five major partnerships for a media campaign

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Academic achievements examples

• Graduated with a 3.9 GPA in Computer Science
• Completed research project published in peer-reviewed journal, attracting a $25,000 grant
• Received a full academic scholarship for outstanding academic performance
• Led a team of 6 to win a national business case competition, resulting in internship offers for all team members
• Earned Dean’s List honors for six consecutive semesters

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How to write resume achievements

Writing an effective achievement statement is pretty simple. Here’s the framework to help turn any work accomplishment into an eye-catching resume achievement:

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Resume achievement formula

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Here’s the step-by-step breakdown of this achievement formula:

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Action Verb
Start each achievement with a strong action verb that highlights what you did. Examples include "led," "designed," "increased," or "improved." This creates an active and engaging statement that clearly defines your role.

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Noun
The noun describes what you worked on or influenced. It could be a process, project, team, or product. This provides context for your action and connects it to something tangible in the workplace.

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Metric
The metric demonstrates the impact of your achievement. It can be a percentage, dollar amount, or any quantifiable data that shows the significance of your work. Including metrics makes your achievements more concrete and impressive.

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Strategy Optional
If applicable, you can add details on the strategy, method, or skills used to achieve the result. This is optional but can provide extra depth and relevance to a specific job.

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Outcome
Finally, state the positive result or impact of your action. What was achieved or improved? Focus on outcomes that align with the role you’re applying for, whether it’s cost savings, productivity increases, or other business outcomes.

Example
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Led a team (Action Verb + Noun) to redesign the company’s website (Noun), improving user engagement by 25% (Metric) and increasing sales conversions by 10% (Outcome).

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Step 1: Identify your achievements

One common question many job seekers have is, “How should I write my achievements in my resume?” Figuring out how to showcase your achievements on a resume can feel challenging, but breaking it down into the right questions can make the process easier. 

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Career coach Annette Garsteck offers some simple career advice to get started, suggesting you ask yourself these questions:

• What did I improve?
• Did I help reduce company costs?
• How did I contribute to increased efficiency?
• Where did I exceed a goal or KPI?
• Was I recognized with an award or honor?

“After answering the above questions, go a bit deeper and add a quantifier. Demonstrating the outcome you achieved on your resume will help you stand apart from the competition,” says Garsteck. Numerical metrics, she says, are one of the best ways to showcase professional results:

“I format accomplishments on a resume with numbers that demonstrate the scope of the responsibility, the percent improvement, savings, time savings in hours or full-time equivalents, how much a goal or target was exceeded, and the name of the award or honor given.”

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When listing your accomplishments, you can combine personal and professional achievements. For those with less work experience, personal achievements, like academic awards or significant hobbies, can be valuable. If they’re relevant to the role, make sure to include them.

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Write resume achievements faster with Teal

To make it even easier to identify, write, and refine your achievements, try Teal's AI Resume Bullet Point Generator. 

Teal pulls from your career history as well as a specific job to tailor each accomplishment to JD requirements while ensuring that relevant keywords and your metrics are included. You can also customize the output with a specific prompt or keywords—without toggling between an additional program and your resume.

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Step 2: Choose an action verb

An action verb, as you can probably guess, is a verb that demonstrates a particular action. As Eva Steortz, an ICF-certified executive coach at Vita Creativa explains:

“Writing your resume is no time to be modest. You have to tell interesting stories about what you are most proud of achieving in your career. Pick the scenarios where your actions led to a significant result. Be concise and specific using interesting action verbs like increased, elevated, created, and revamped. Use numbers when applicable, but a description of the impact your actions had works, too.”

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With that in mind, some action verbs you can consider using in your resume include:

• Analyzed
• Directed
• Integrated
• Conducted
• Produced
• Generated
• Administered
• Organized
• Facilitated
• Evaluated
• Coordinated
• Demonstrated
• Tested
• Developed
• Communicated
• Overhauled
• Taught
• Guided
• Collaborated
• Trained

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Related: Check out 250+ more examples of action verbs for your resume.

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Step 3: Quantify your achievements with metrics

Metrics provide measurable evidence of your success. Instead of a vague statement like "Saved the company money," you would specify, "Saved the company $75,000 by reducing the operating budget." Quantifying your accomplishments helps potential employers understand the concrete impact you've had.

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Common resume achievement metrics

• Annual revenue
• Profit
• Conversion rates
• Retention rates
• Project completion time
• Customer satisfaction
• Sales

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Different professions may focus on other metrics as well. Research common OKRs and KPIs for your industry to craft compelling and relevant achievements.

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Resume achievement metric examples

• Increased follower count by 100,000 across social media accounts
• Implemented a new SEO strategy, boosting website traffic by 52% in the past year
• Analyzed hundreds of online reviews to develop a strategy to increase customer satisfaction
• Created a new curriculum, raising test scores by 23% from the previous school year

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The metrics you end up using depend on your industry and your role. What you’re measuring can be expressed as a percentage, dollar amount, or time saved. Which one should you use when writing resume accomplishments? The one that sounds the most impressive.

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Going back to the “Saved the company $75,000, reducing the operating budget” as one of the accomplishments examples, whether you use a dollar amount or percentage will depend on the overall budget.

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Let’s say the operating budget is one million dollars. As a percentage, that would be “Reduced the operating budget by 7.5%” Which one sounds better? Obviously, the achievement example about saving the company $75,000. On its own, that sounds like a good chunk of change, even if it’s a small percentage of the total budget.

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Step 4: Include your strategy and skills

It’s optional, but adding the strategy you used and the skills that contributed to your achievements can provide more depth to your resume. Including how you accomplished something gives hiring managers insight into your problem-solving abilities, thought process, and specific expertise. 

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Examples of achievements with strategy and skills:

• Increased open rate by 31% for company newsletter in 4 weeks by implementing A/B testing and email segmentation.
• Developed a training program using cross-functional collaboration tools that helped onboard 10 new employees in three months.
• Created and executed a sales strategy focused on customer retention, increasing revenue by 65% in two years.

By showcasing the strategy and skills involved, you give potential employers a fuller picture of your capabilities.

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Step 5: Focus on the outcome

When writing achievements for your resume, the outcome is what truly matters. It shows the direct impact of your actions and helps employers understand the value you brought to your previous roles. 

A measurable outcome, such as a timeframe or specific result, can make your achievements stand out even more. Demonstrating that you achieved something within a specific period or delivered a tangible result offers concrete proof of your capabilities.

Examples of outcome-focused achievements include:

• Increased open rate by 31% for company newsletter in 4 weeks by implementing a new strategy.
• Trained 10 new employees over three months, improving onboarding efficiency and reducing ramp-up time.
• Developed a sales system that increased revenue by 65% in two years, contributing to the company’s overall growth.

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Achievements to put on resume

When crafting your resume, consider including these different types of achievements to showcase your diverse capabilities and impact:

• Revenue & Sales: Meeting or exceeding sales targets, increasing revenue, or improving profit margins
• Process Improvements: Streamlining workflows, reducing costs, or implementing new systems
• Leadership & Team Management: Growing and managing teams, improving team performance, or successful project leadership
• Customer Success: Improving satisfaction rates, reducing complaints, or expanding client base
• Technical Innovations: Implementing new technologies, developing solutions, or improving systems
• Training & Development: Creating training programs, mentoring colleagues, or improving team skills
• Cost Savings: Reducing expenses, negotiating better contracts, or optimizing budgets
• Awards & Recognition: Industry awards, company recognition, or professional certifications

Remember to quantify these achievements whenever possible with specific metrics or percentages to demonstrate your concrete impact.

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Achievements examples for resume

Below, you'll find examples of achievements that can be included on your resume. 

These achievement examples will help you understand how to highlight your contributions in a way that resonates with potential employers. Whether it's professional accomplishments, personal successes, or academic achievements, the following resume achievements will give you a clear idea of how to present your impact.

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Achievements examples for students

When you’re a student, you may have limited work experience—or none at all—because you’re focusing on your education. And that’s okay! That’s perfectly appropriate for this time of your life.

There are still ways to highlight your professional accomplishments, such as including GPA, academic awards, and volunteering opportunities.

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Student achievement examples

• Maintained a 3.8 GPA over four years
• Received Best Innovative Scientist award
• Volunteered at Memorial Hospital, reading to sick children
• Created a short film used at new student orientation
• Learned X,Y,Z programming languages
• Completed a year abroad in Spain, becoming fluent in Spanish

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Achievement examples for new graduates

Graduating is such an exciting milestone. It’s the end of one chapter and the start of another. But it can also be daunting to join the so-called real world and jump head-first into the job market. Especially if you haven’t had many jobs. Here are some pre-career achievements worth considering:

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Recent graduate resume achievement examples

• Graduated with honors
• Contributed to a successful launch of a new product during a marketing internship for [employer]
• Organized the end-of-year fundraising drive for the Arts Department, leading to $20,000 in donations
• Presented original research at the Future of Biology conference
• Completed training to become a certified crisis counselor at the Crisis Text Line
• Worked part-time at the Office of Student Affairs supporting students, while attending school full-time and maintaining a 3.9 GPA

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Achievement examples for management

Experienced managers likely have a range of achievements to consider adding to their resume. The key is to choose the most potent ones that relate to the job description for the role you want.

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Resume achievement examples for managers 

• Identified new revenue streams and increased profits by 40% in 18 months
• Increased retention rates by 50% in two years after implementing new employee programs
• Reduced $500,000 budget by 15% by streamlining vendor relationships
• Managed a team of 23 agents working collaboratively with other departments
• Elevated new employees’ skills through career development initiatives, reducing project completion time by 30%
• Maintained a roster of clients with an average of 93% customer satisfaction for five years

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Achievements examples for sales

If you’re in sales, you likely know how to sell products. But with resume accomplishments, you need to sell yourself. It may not feel comfortable, but the good news is sales is a metric-heavy industry, so you have recorded data in your CRM to pull from. 

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Resume achievements examples for sales

• Generated $600,000 in revenue over the past year for a new product
• Created upselling protocols, increasing the average transaction by 23% in six months
• Trained five new sales consultants in three months, resulting in a 200% increase in sales
• Transitioned to a new CRM, reducing reporting errors by 20%
• Established major partnerships, increasing brand visibility and boosting sales by 37%
• Increased closing rate by 41% in two years

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Achievement examples for nonprofits

Nonprofit employees work in a range of industries. It’s key to list achievements to score your next nonprofit role or to help you transition to the private sector.

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Resume achievement examples for nonprofits

• Increased volunteer participation by 60% in two years
• Developed new educational programs, serving 2,000 low-income community members
• Managed various grants from 20+ funding partners over three years
• Led a team of 10 teaching artists providing free art classes to 500 students over the school year
• Organized gala, resulting in $250,000 in donations in one night
• Improved community outreach, resulting in 28% higher participation in six months

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Achievement examples for Human Resources (HR)

HR professionals are often the backbone of a company, wearing many hats along the way. When it comes to how to write achievements in resume, HR pros should include their diverse range of experiences and accomplishments.

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Resume achievement examples for HR

• Implemented a new employee wellness program reducing healthcare costs by 27% in one year
• Facilitated sexual harassment training among all employees every two years to comply with local laws
• Mediated employee conflicts and disputes, reducing complaints by 42% in two years
• Managed 10+ vendor relationships as part of the employee benefits package
• Redesigned employee training program, saving the company $10,000
• Developed a new system for employee reviews, increasing satisfaction by 33% in one year

Related: Browse 75+ more examples of resume achievement examples.

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How to use AI to write achievements in your resume

Don’t see achievement examples for your field? Teal’s AI Resume Bullet Point Generator can help. To get started, create an account or log in to your Teal account. This will help you test the software to see if it's right for you.

Navigate to the Resume Builder icon from the homepage. From there, you can either import an existing resume or submit your LinkedIn profile URL to generate a resume.

In the Work Experience section, under each role, you can click on the plus sign next to “Add an achievement.”

From there, type in an achievement or click “Write with AI” to generate three suggestions that you can edit and customize to match your experience. 

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Teal will present three achievements options to choose from. Select the one that is the best fit for the job you’re tailoring your resume to. 

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After making a selection, you can customize the resume accomplishment in several ways. You can add keywords to help hiring managers find you in an applicant tracking system, attach a job description to match to, or use a custom prompt to help you craft the best version. 

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Note: You get five free AI generations as a Teal user (unlimited as a Teal+ user).

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How to list achievements on a resume

Now that you know how to write achievements in resumes, it’s time to order them appropriately on your resume.

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Where do I list achievements on a resume?

While you can highlight some achievements in your resume summary and cover letter, the bulk will be resume bullet points within the work experience section. This makes it easier for a hiring manager to scan and focus on your past experiences and accomplishments.Here’s a breakdown of what you need for each section:

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Professional summary

Your professional summary should include 1-2 of your top accomplishments with impact. Focus on those that have driven results in the way the company is looking for.

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Work experience

When it comes to work experience, your most recent position should have three to five bullet points. Older positions, or ones that aren’t as relevant, may only have a couple or none at all. This can help draw the most attention to your most recent, relevant roles and avoid lengthy, wordy resumes. 

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Pro Tip: Teal's Resume Bullet Point Generator can help arrange achievements easily and effectively in an order that makes sense for the job you’re applying to.

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Cover letter

While not part of your resume, your cover letter is part of your application package. Here, you don’t want to just repeat everything in your resume. Instead, focus on highlighting one or two key achievements that demonstrate why you're the best fit for a specific role. 

Be sure to use your cover letter to provide context, explaining how these accomplishments align with the company's needs and the JD.

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Including awards in your resume achievements

Your resume achievements section should convey how you’ve tangibly contributed to the company. But should you include awards on a resume?

If you’re a recent graduate or have taken a break it can make sense to include awards on a resume. Additionally, if the award is related to your career, it can add more credibility and prestige to your work experience.

Add an awards section to your resume and include relevant information. Teal’s Resume Builder lets users incorporate awards into a resume with an easy-to-use template.

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Simply add the award, organization, and the date received. Then hit “Save” to complete the process and add to your resume. 

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Why resume achievements matter

One of the most common resume mistakes is not being specific. The vast majority of job seekers who simply repeat the duties on their job description won’t move forward. But you can make moves to stand out to hiring managers by highlighting the specific things you’ve done. 

Speaking to your achievements in your resume summary and work experience sections can bring your job duties to life and show more of your characteristics, skills, and abilities. It not only shows that you did your job, but also that you did some parts of it very well.

To get started, use Teal's AI-powered Resume Builder to help you write, format, and arrange your achievements and better tailor your resume to specific job descriptions.