The 4 Steps for Remembering Your Accomplishments When Writing Your Resume

Your resume should focus more on what you accomplished than what your role and responsibilities were. 4 Steps for Remembering Your Accomplishments When Writing Your Resume, will help you remember and properly frame your best accomplishments, and that is precisely what the hiring manager is looking for.

4 Steps for Remembering Your Accomplishments:

• Describe your first job.

Think back to that position. What was it you were most proud of accomplishing? Recall the story as if you were telling it to a total stranger. This person is also not familiar with the type of job. So you have to explain it in some detail. Write all this down.

(If you hate writing, make a voice recording of your story. Afterwards, play it back and make some notes.)

Some questions to help you:

• What did you achieve at the job? What impact did you make?
• Did anyone recognize what you did? What did they say about it?
• Did you win any awards or formal recognition?
• What comments did people make about you?

Take as long as you like completing this exercise. About a half-page of notes is perfect.

• Do this for each job/position in your career. 

Start with the oldest jobs first, then work your way up to the most recent.

3. Pick five to seven of your most impressive accomplishments.
Focus on those that show you are qualified for the target Job Title on the top of the resume.

4. Summarize your top seven.
Use no more than 10 words for each one. You do not have to use complete sentences. These summaries become your Silver Bullet points.

Let’s look at Shawn’s example:
Shawn worked as a high level sales manager at a large international company. Shawn managed sales people who sold high tech widgets to other high tech companies.

Here’s what Shawn wrote:

“My task was to get ABC Electric in China to start using our new high performance widget. Only problem was ABC hated our company because of some problems in the past. I was assigned to help rebuild the relationship.

I started visiting ABC once a month. That was hard because I had to fly all the way from Boston to China. On my first visit, our local sales people took me in to see ABC but they did not even invite me to sit down. They came out to the lobby and told me all the reasons they would never buy from us again.

I asked if they would like to go to lunch or dinner and tell me all about it, but they said no. They didn't ever want to see us again.

Our local sales guy was very discourage, but I was pumped up by the challenge. I told him that within the year ABC would be buying from us again. He didn’t believe me, but I could tell he wondered why I was so confident. I am very confident in my ability to build relationships with people.

On my second visit, they let us into a conference room. They verbally beat the heck out of me. Then they told me how much money my firm had cost them. I was horrified and I apologized. I agreed with them that we had treated them badly. I made a formal apology and told them I was sent by the president of my company to apologize and make things right.

I told them that I was their high level inside contact within my company. Because of my extensive relationships within my company, I could rally resources just by asking.

I’m very outgoing and friendly. I get along great with people. I love people of all kinds and they really like me.

On the third visit, they were more relaxed with me. They even offered me tea. I told them a few funny stories. I’m a great storyteller. People find me entertaining.

On the fourth visit, they accepted my invitation to lunch, and on the fifth visit, we all went to dinner.

To make a long story short, by the 7th visit, ABC had agreed to test our new high tech widget which they had been hearing about. By the 9th visit, they placed a small order.”

The highlight summary:
                                                           

• What let me succeed in this nasty position? I’m patient.
• I am very good at building relationships with people.
• People like me. People seem to want to help me and work with me.
• I’m very confident
• I have a great reputation in my company and in our industry
• I am an expert in building and repairing customer relationships

Shawn might then write his Silver Bullets as such:

• Brought customers back by repairing damaged relationships
• Turned around international customer relationships
• Provided sales training and coaching to junior sales personnel
• Grew sales at key accounts from _____ to ____.