Accomplishment Statements / Bullet Points

Accomplishment statements are written proof of your results, achievements, and successes from your past jobs, plus show prospective employers what you can do for them. They are the heart of your resume marketing campaign, so it’s important to write them thoughtfully.

• The goal is for each accomplishment statement/bullet point to highlight an achievement
• These achievements allow you to discuss your relevant skills with employers

Formula for Writing Your Accomplishment Statements

Action Verb + Object + Context + Results

• Action Verb: Use a strong verb to describe the activity you have completed/are engaging in, and to start off your bullet point with confidence. Use a variety of action verbs. For current positions, the action verb should be in the present tense, i.e., Analyze. For past positions the action verb should be in the past tense, i.e., Analyzed
  Examples: Planned, Initiated, Coordinated, etc.
• Object: Include who or what is receiving the Action Verb, i.e., what are you doing in your role?
  Examples: Planned a meeting; Initiated a program; Coordinated people
• Context: Describe the experience in concise but thorough detail to give the recruiter/reader an understanding of what you did and what was involved in this experience. Include demographic information and numerical values such as age ranges, number of people/items, who you did it for, time frame, size of budget; size of caseload, type of issues/population, etc
  Examples: Planned weekly meetings for 6-8 board members to discuss company changes in $80k budget; Initiated a financial literacy program for 100+ low-income students ages 13-18; Coordinated 100+ actors' schedules during theatre production of Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Results: The result is the most important part of an accomplishment statement, and tells the bottom-line effect of your effort. It should answer the question "Why is this experience relevant/important?" Use this to describe the type of environment created, numerical results, goals met, and problems solved.
  Examples: Planned weekly meetings for 6–8 board members to discuss company changes in $80k budget and created a new company spending plan; Initiated a financial literacy program for 100+ low-income students ages 13–18 to learn how to manage their money for future investments; Coordinated 100+ actors’ schedules during theatre production of Rocky Horror Picture Show to provide a structured and positive environment.

Examples to turn job responsibilities into accomplishment statements:

• Original statement: Managed a web page and an email distribution list
• Accomplishment statement: Designed a homepage and an email distribution list to make information on upcoming events more accessible; efforts resulted in a 20% increase in member participation at club events
• Original statement: Responsible for grant writing
• Accomplishment statement: Wrote 32-page review of existing research that formed the rationale for requesting and winning a $2,000 marine biology research grant

Questions to get you thinking about your accomplishments:

• What problems did you solve?
• Did I save the company money?
• How did I stand out among coworkers?
• Did I ever consistently exceed goals?
• What did I do above and beyond my normal job duties?
• Did I win any awards?