CV Accomplishments to Astound Your Interviewer

CV accomplishments are what will make a hiring manager sit up and take notice. 

Too many job seekers consider that it is enough to match the responsibilities of their previous roles with the basic demands of the job on the job description. This isn’t enough.

On one level, this does offer a particular indication of suitability, but it does not tell their future employer the most important thing: how did they perform in their previous roles? Past performance informs future potential.

Sharing your accomplishments within the framework of job responsibilities is the only way to demonstrate what difference you will make to your future employer. You won’t come to work just to do the bare minimum – you will come to excel.

But how do you share awe-inspiring accomplishments? Which examples do you choose? How do you know what is relevant? What language will impress?

Which CV accomplishments can you boast?

Firstly, here is a list of CV accomplishments that are commonly shared:

…. Increased sales or profit margins

…. Financial cost savings / improved bottom line

…. Improved productivity in terms of time spent

…. Solutions that you found to unsolved problems

…. Innovations or ideas that have led to a step-change

…. Processes improved, and procedures developed

…. Awards that you have won (with a reason why)

…. Promotion to a different role in the company

…. Impact on the development of those around you

…. Offer outstanding service to customers or clients

How do you describe your accomplishments?

Ideally, every accomplishment should include details of the task you took on, with a quantifiable financial and business context. You can quantify them in terms of timescale, magnitude and range. Each accomplishment should be your input rather than what the team achieved together.

In terms of the language of your accomplishments, powerful action verbs help elevate your achievements above what your job search rivals are describing. Avoid subjective adjectives that don’t add to a hiring manager’s understanding. They are perfectly qualified to understand whether the achievement is “market-leading” or not.

Don’t feel that your accomplishments should be confined to bullet points in your employment history section. Some of the most relevant achievements might have been a couple of jobs ago, so they may risk being lost. Don’t be afraid to elevate them to the summary section at the beginning of the CV, and you should expand on them in your cover letter and LinkedIn profile.

When you consider your “greatest hits”, you also need to consider whether each potential employer would consider them significant. Share the accomplishments that would be valued most from an employer’s point of view. This might mean that you leave out certain things that you are particularly proud of, but if they are not relevant for the role, you should cut them out of your story without hesitation. 

You have likely got much to shout about, so make sure you make the most of the opportunity. Astounding accomplishments deserve an astounding story to accompany them.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).