How to talk about your achievements in your resume

Anyone that has applied for a job in Australia within the last year knows how competitive the market is. From hundreds of candidates applying for basic, entry-level jobs to the pandemic making career choices limited, getting your foot in the door is 80% of the battle.

Hindrances aside, how can you go about making your resume stick out from the pile of other potential candidates? If you’re ready to start a career, here’s how you can carefully craft a resume to highlight your achievements and ‘go-getter’ attitude to the hiring manager.

Bragging the Proper Way

In its simplest form, a resume is a subtle form of describing your past achievements in a way that would be attractive to employers. Volunteer work, helping a small business owner and internships are wonderful anecdotes to put on your CV. However, how can you describe what you achieved in these areas without coming across as pretentious or full of yourself? Enter the subtle art of bragging!

From an employer’s perspective, they’re looking for elements of your character that would be a good fit for the job you’re applying for and the company. Instead of saying, “I did this, then I completed this, then I surpassed all my peers and did this.” communicate how you grew, adapted, learned and succeeded in the end. If this sounds a bit confusing, use these examples as a reference:

• I was given a task that I did not know how to complete, so I studied in my spare time, and when I wasn’t working. The skills I learned from studying were applied directly to my job, and in the end, I was successful in helping the company grow.
• My boss gave me a sales quota that I needed to meet every month, but it was right outside of my comfort zone. Being a competitive individual, I took the challenge as a means to improve my current skill set. Not only did I meet my quota, but I also surpassed expectations and learned a lot about myself.
• Learning is a passion of mine; I can read books and articles for hours. If given the job, I will make sure to understand the role of my job and do my best to perform at a high level.
• When facing conflict in the office, I do my best to extend myself to the individual and hear their side of the story. To be a great employee means to understand the needs and wants of your co-workers.

These fabricated instances allow you to demonstrate your achievements and mindset in a way that does not come across as arrogant or conceited.

Demonstrate Efficiency

Another way that successful people highlight their achievements and the winner’s mindset is by showcasing their ability to improve the company. When speaking to a potential employer or recruiter, be sure to discuss ways in which you affected the bottom line in your previous place of work.

Tasks such as assisting with the hiring process, optimising code inside of the company’s website, reaching out to potential contractors and helping your co-workers finish their projects on time are great ways of expressing your worth. To a hiring manager, this says that you’re willing to go above and beyond to not only complete your work but to move the business forward.

Although these are just a few ideas that can help you talk about your achievements on your resume or CV, they give you the creative tools to talk about yourself. Remember to demonstrate value on your resume, and you can’t go wrong.