Resume Accomplishments with Eye-Catching & Differentiating Examples

Author:

Advantis Global

Published:

December 7, 2022

Updated:

Want to create the perfect stand-out resume in a cluttered seat of applicants? It can be easily done by adding well-worded accomplishments on your resume. The average job posting receives hundreds of applications, so it’s critical that candidates’ resumes not only offer the basic information a hiring manager needs to see but also differentiate them from the rest.

Sometimes, a basic resume with no unique color can be boring to read, and it’ll get a candidate’s application moved to “rejected” fairly quickly. Especially in the competitive tech world, expectations and standards are high. It’s not even uncommon for crazy news stories to pop up about a candidate who sent her resume on a cake to Nike to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Hiring managers read a resume for 6 to 7 seconds, so candidates only have a few moments to grab their attention. Choose a stylistic format that’s easy to read and highlights the most important accomplishments. We’ll share some examples of key accomplishments that candidates can draw attention to on their resumes.

Infographic fact: Did you know? Hiring managers read a resume for 6 to 7 seconds, making it important to highlight any accomplishments quickly.

Top Resume Accomplishments to Highlight

1. Field-Specific Certifications

One of the best resume accomplishments is field-specific certifications. Especially in tech fields, certifications can demonstrate a unique skill set, a continued devotion to learning, and ambition to advance your career. For example, Product Marketing roles often require a Product Marketing Certification because there is no formal education in that specific field. Also, for developers and software engineers, certifications can show a mastery of coding languages, methodologies, and more. More than hard skills, certifications often demonstrate a willingness to keep upleveling skills, which is highly attractive to most employers. Especially for tech and IT contract jobs, certifications might even be a clincher.

Details to include when listing certifications on your resume:

Name of Certification
Name of Certifying Agency or Body
Dates of Obtainment
Location (If the certification is location-specific)
Expiration date (If applicable and not expired)
In Progress (If applicable)

Here are a few examples of certification accomplishments for resumes:

Tech Marketing: Google Adwords for brands (DFP) Certificate, Google Marketing University, 2022
Developers and Engineers: Java Intermediate Certificate, National Coding School in Louisiana, 2023
Tech Project Managers: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Institute (PMI), In Progress to be completed February 2023

2. Unique Project Accomplishments

Projects are another excellent resume accomplishment to highlight. They help demonstrate capabilities, showcase contributions in a storytelling format, and give more color to a candidate’s background. Especially for major projects like launching a new product or opening up a new business stream, it can showcase unique work that maybe not every candidate has, especially for highly in-demand roles. Candidates should make sure they also show how their work contributed to key outcomes and results. Utilize the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goal framework to illustrate this. For example, avoid simply writing “contributed to 10 product releases.” Instead, say, “contributed to 10 product releases that led to 30% increased customer adoption in Q3.”

Here are a few key accomplishments examples for resumes:

Product Marketing Manager: Led go-to-market strategy for new product launch, resulting in a 25% faster sales cycle and a 10% increase in retention
Systems Engineer: Built a new data collection system from scratch that reduced ~3 hours of manual labor per day
IT Lead: Migrated the company to an entirely new cloud environment; responsible for planning, execution, migration, and reporting

3. Workplace Promotion Accomplishments

If a candidate has been at a company for a while, chances are they’ve received a promotion! Be careful not to gloss over this accomplishment on your resume, and instead, highlight this internal promotion to a new role. This demonstrates a strong work ethic and good working relationships; plus, it usually means candidates are probably thought of as a leader in their organization. Organizations want candidates who are highly thought-of within their current role.

Here are a few examples of highlighting a promotion on your resume:

IT Technical Writer: After being promoted to Senior IT technical writer, I led a team of 5 Junior Technical writers responsible for creating and maintaining all key documentation.
Tech Program Manager: Within four months, I was promoted to Manager after successfully launching multiple products and programs in a cross-functional role.
IT Manager: Implemented a new CRM system across the organization that led to a 30% increase in sales, a 40% reduction in waste, and a 25% increase in efficiency, resulting in promotion to IT Manager

4. Hard Skills & Soft Skills

Candidates should make sure they include important keywords for their field. Job seekers can comb through ideal job descriptions and reword their resumes to match the job requirements. This helps flag the resume on applicant tracking software and helps recruiters clearly see matching skills and experience. It also provides candidates with inspiration for how to start their resume if they're starting from scratch. Take notice of the job descriptions when looking for keywords to include on your resume.

Infographic venn diagram chart of soft skills vs hard skills to add as a tech resume accomplishment.

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are abilities and knowledge you need to complete projects within your job.

Examples of tech hard skills to list on your resume:

Java
Python
Kubernetes
NoSQL

What are soft skills?

Soft skills increase teamwork and help you interact with customers and colleagues more effectively.

Examples of tech soft skills to list on your resume:

Presentation skills
Verbal communication
Constructive feedback
Conflict management
Collaboration
Self-motivation

5. Outside-of-Work Interests

When jobs are receiving hundreds of applications, reading through them can get dull for recruiters. To create an eye-catching resume, add a small section on personal interests outside of work. It shouldn't be the focus of the resume, but it can add unique color and differentiation. It can help grab a recruiter's interest and provide insight for the hiring manager as well. For example, if the candidate and hiring manager are both interested in skiing, this can create a unique connection. Bonus points if the outside-of-work interests on your resume include an accomplishment or award!