How Do I Say…?
Use accomplishments! Think back to your past jobs, internships, volunteering, class projects, student
organizations, or other experiences where you went above and beyond, increased the
value of the organization, or demonstrated success. You could have improved an event,
corrected a problem, increased sales, obtained new information, streamlined a process,
or de-escalated an issue. All of these are achievements or accomplishments!
Responsibility statements more closely resemble job descriptions that tell a potential employer what you do. These are not as effective for your resume.
Accomplishment statements tell an employer on your resume how well you do what you do using strong action verbs, quantifying and qualifying your experience and skills, and showcasing results or purpose in ways that are tailored to your industry.Accomplishment statements are bullets that go under the job, activity, volunteer program, or other experience on your resume. These are very effective for your resume.
How to Write an Accomplishment Statement
Accomplishment statements are written as brief bullets using the formula above. Start each accomplishment statement with a strong, power verb. You can scroll to the bottom of the page to see lots of examples of these statements for your resume. Accomplishment statements on resumes can help employers understand your experience by:
- Qualifying and quantifying experience with numerical values (How much? How often?
How many?) - Highlighting the career competencies desired by employers in every industry
- Translating your experience toward your field of interest
Examples of Responsibility vs. Accomplishment Statements
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Add these accomplishment statements as bullets to describe your jobs, volunteering,
class projects, and other experience to your resume. See these resume examples for more ideas of what your entire resume can look like.
EXAMPLES: COMMON STUDENT ROLES
Babysitter/Childcare Provider
- Ensured safety and enrichment of 4 children ages 5-11 daily after school
- Organized safe, fun, and educational activities such as visits to the park and artistic
crafts - Developed and maintained client base through establishing relationships and consistent
referrals - Educated children on concepts from homework assignments and supported independent
problem solving - Listened to and interpreted needs of children and communicated any concerns clearly
to guardians
Construction/Maintenance Worker
- Studied specifications of building plans/maintenance projects to select appropriate
materials - Outlined work completed daily and emailed 1-3 page document to update supervisor on
progress - Followed detailed procedures and regulations to ensure team safety
- Collaborated with 3-8 painters to gather supplies, paint houses, and meet specifications
of job - Examined job/tested appliances after work completion and identified any problem areas
Lawncare Provider
- Maintained lawns and landscaping for 10-14 clients weekly
- Negotiated with clients to set reasonable rates and created detailed contracts for
work completed - Developed and maintained client base through establishing relationships and consistent
referrals - Organized weekly schedule for 2 staff members and shared clearly in writing
- Promoted services through physical and digital fliers, emails, social media, phone
calls, and word-of-mouth referrals resulting in 15 new clients over 3 month period
Lifeguard
- Oversaw safety and experience of 20-40 swimmers daily
- Certified in CPR and First Aid and prepared to perform life-saving techniques for
children and adults - Coordinated with 6 staff members to ensure consistent lifeguard coverage and transition
between shifts - Demonstrated attention to detail by managing financial transactions totaling up to
$1,000 - Communicated consistently with 10-15 staff members to seat and serve guests in fast-paced
environment - Trained 4 new staff members on restaurant procedures and provided feedback on guest
service
Sales Associate
- Increased product knowledge and sales experience by working in different departments
- Processed returns and purchases of $2,000+ with cash, credit cards, and gift cards
- Responded promptly to customer questions to provide high-quality experience
- Collaborated with 5-7 staff members to quickly organize store before opening to shoppers
- Troubleshoot digital register and product inventory software to increase efficiency
with technology for staff - Identified specific needs of customers to provide product recommendations
Secretary
- Adapted Excel spreadsheet to clearly show names, locations, and numbers of physical
files in the office - Maintained physical file organization for 15 staff members with member information
- Listened and interpreted members’ needs on phone and through email to direct them
to the correct department or resolve issues quickly - Interacted with 5-10 staff members to provide support on administrative duties such
as delivering documents, typing handwritten documents, and proofreading emails - Logged items in digital and physical inventory systems, following detailed procedures
to help future customers easily locate items
Server/Host
- Effectively managed multiple tasks to serve 3-5 tables simultaneously
- Managed guest relation issues to resolve quickly and to the satisfaction of the customer
- Demonstrated attention to detail by managing financial transactions totaling up to
$1,000 - Communicated consistently with 10-15 staff members to seat and serve guests in fast-paced
environment - Trained 4 new staff members on restaurant procedures and provided feedback on guest
service
Student Assistant
- Contributed to office administrative work by communicating regularly with 5 staff
members about office needs - Analyzed current student file organization and wrote a brief proposal for supervisor
about how to manage a more efficient system - Welcomed residents and checked in guests, following housing procedures, to ensure
building safety - Built relationships with students, faculty, and staff who needed support with technical
problems across campus - Reported office interactions with students in advising system (Navigate) to provide
cross-campus communication
Student Athlete
- Selected as 1 of 20 team members after completing a 20-hour intensive training period
- Participated in 10 philanthropy events yearly to represent the university
- Dedicated 20 hours per week to training and competition while balancing 15 academic
credit hours
Student Leader
- Professionally led all bi-weekly meetings to encourage networking and workplace skill
development - Actively recruited 25 club members and appoint all 5 officer positions
- Oversaw fundraising effort with a team of 4, raising $300 in one semester
- Created and sent weekly emails to correspondence officer for distribution to 120-150
club members
EXAMPLES: EXPERIENCES BY AREA OF STUDY
Arts
Freelance Graphic Design
- Consulted with 10-20 clients to determine and address branding needs
- Created corporate branding package including logos, business cards, PowerPoint templates,
and letterhead - Used Adobe Illustrator to create designs and shared printing specifications with clients
- Consistently met deadlines to ensure quality experience for clients
Music Director
- Directed young adult choir of 10-20 vocalists for local church
- Organized and led 2 special music services annually, including auditions and rehearsals
for choir - Played piano and accompanied young adult choir
Stage Technician
- Coordinated with stage and production staff to ensure smooth coordination and implementation
of 10 productions - Inventoried all stage equipment and recorded in Excel, reporting data monthly to supervisor
- Maintained cleanliness and order of performance and rehearsal spaces for ease of use
by cast and crew - Oversaw and supported packing, loading, and transporting all equipment for off-site
performances
Business
Human Resources Internship or Job
- Screened 40+ applicants for open positions daily, paying attention to detail
- Clearly communicated job requirements with applicants to identify best candidates
to interview - Retrieved unemployment claims, collected confidential customer information, and conducted
daily log entries diligently
Management Internship or Job
- Regularly scheduled and supervised duties of 6 employees
- Conducted opening and closing procedures such as product inventory, store cleaning,
and accessing multiple security systems - Exemplified reliability and punctuality by completing all assigned tasks in a timely
manner
Sales Associate
- Consistently exceeded $2,500 sales quota through 100 calls and product demos weekly
- Identified and targeted prospects with consistent calls and emails, adding 30 new
clientsover 6 months - Handled amounts exceeding $5,000 daily while maintaining accurate balances and deposits
Shadowing
- Shadowed an insurance services professional for 2 days
- Conducted 4 informational interviews with various staff members to gain industry insight
- Accompanied a broker on a site visit and observed daily protocol, professional etiquette,
and client-company confidentiality - Attended a staff meeting to learn about current projects including expanding the division
Communication
Marketing Class Project
- Collaborated with 5-person team to develop action plan for addressing marketing strategies
for Fortune 500 company - Researched client needs and created solution-based layout to best suit functionality
requirements - Led project with confidence through organizing team meetings, tracking progress, and
providing forum for discussion
Newspaper Staff Writer
- Investigated 5+ stories each week by attending events, interviewing key individuals,
and conducting online research - Wrote and proofread 2 stories on sports, news, or arts and entertainment for weekly
publication - Consistently met deadlines to fact check up to 15 stories per week
Public Relations Class Project
- Coordinated and supervised a 6-member committee and maximized committee potential
by delegating to members’ strengths - Conducted personal outreach to various media outlets which led to first-time coverage
from 4 outlets - Wrote press releases and secured media publicity through radio, paper, and internet
sources, positively representing the brand
Education
Childcare Provider
- Ensured the safety, health, and welfare of 2 children, ages 3 and 8, everyday after
school, providing transportation home and activities - Organized fun and educational activities such as visiting the park and artistic crafts
that promoted age-appropriate development - Supported learning by explaining homework and working through problems together
Student Teaching
- Planned materials for thematic, age-appropriate units clearly and concisely for 30,
6th grade English students - Implemented positive classroom management strategies to actively engage students in
learning activities - Individually tutored students in English topics including grammar, vocabulary, and
writing - Created, collected, and organized inclusive instructional materials and resources
for classroom - Communicated with parents to schedule teacher conferences to discuss any student successes
or struggles in a professional manner
Tutoring
- Tutored students in various academic subjects including English and social studies
- Facilitated 4-person group and individual tutoring sessions, increasing students reading
comprehension by 2-3 grade levels in one academic year - Assessed student performance and progress through sessions and tracking course grades
- Collaborated with department administrator through daily meetings and planning sessions
Healthcare
Medical Surgery Clinical Rotation
- Performed basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS),
and administer blood and intravenous infusions in a 90-bed medical center - Treated patients with acute conditions: heart attacks, respiratory distress, shock,
observing advanced and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures - Educated patients on wound care, infection control, and proper usage of incentive
spirometers
Pharmacy Technician
- Developed advanced understanding of the pharmaceutical industry language
- Communicated effectively with customers, physician offices, and drug representatives
about questions regarding prescriptions and drug interactions - Supported pharmacist by productively assembling, stocking, and distributing medications
- Complied with rules, regulations, and procedures to maintain a clean and safe pharmacy
for customers - Ensured data for insurance claims was accurate, updated, and consistent
Service Volunteer and Observer
- Greeted patients, family, and visitors and directed to appropriate destinations
- Compassionately talked with patients to ease anxiety during transportation to scans
or procedures - Observed 3 physicians for 100 hours, discussing diagnostic testing and treatment plans
with physicians - Gained knowledge about surgery as a medical specialty by observing 120+ patient contacts
through making rounds and 25+ minimally invasive surgeries
Science
STEM Education Volunteer
- Educated groups of 10-30 students about DNA isolation techniques including PCR and
gel electrophoresis - Organized and coordinated 20+ volunteers to staff 30 STEM education tabling events
- Presented and explained DNA models to encourage high school students to consider STEM
majors in college - Reviewed 15 student science projects and scored according to strict rubric
Student Researcher
- Collaborated with primary investigator to outline and design experiment
- Tracked and recorded experiment progress daily, inputting data into Excel
- Designed poster and presented research at the Strong Researcher Conference
- Learned and closely followed protocol on preparing hazardous waste for disposal
Veterinary Technician/Volunteer
- Calmly greeted and communicated with pet owners to complete check in process
- Organized animals and exam rooms, providing care for animal boarded or hospitalized
- Collaborated with veterinarian to keep animals still and calm during medical exams
Technology
Electrician Assistant
- Installed electrical wiring alongside licensed electricians, adhering to job specifications
and local codes - Tested electrical systems using various devices to ensure proper functioning of system
and safety of all on-site workers - Learned and followed safety protocol when using power construction equipment, measuring
devices, power tools, and testing equipment - Maintained tools, vehicles, and equipment meticulously and kept parts and supplies
in order - Composed detailed 3-5 page safety reports outlining work tasks to be completed and
hazards associated with different roles and tasks
Robotics Club Project
- Designed robot for national competition by collaborating with 2 team members
- Programmed robot using LabView and completed 3D printing training
- Created custom wiring for control of unit during competition
- Awarded first place in Really Stellar Design Competition
Web Programming Class Project
- Directed project leader of 4-person team and developed a database to track animal
adoptions - Used Visual Basic to establish a new user interface
- Incorporated Java, HTML, and Flash for more interactive user experience