How to turn job duties into CV achievements
Most CVs list what the job was. The ones that stand out show what the person did with it. The difference is small in wording and large in effect.
In this article 8 sections
Duties versus achievements
A duty describes the role. Anyone with the same job title could say the same thing. An achievement describes something you did and what it led to.
- Duty: "Responsible for daily deliveries."
- Achievement: "Planned daily deliveries for 24 vehicles, lifting the on-time rate from 88% to 96% in a year."
The second line tells the reader how big the job was, what you actually did and that it worked.
A simple formula
For each bullet point, try this order:
- Start with a strong past-tense verb, such as led, built, reduced, trained or negotiated.
- Say what you did.
- Add the result or the scale, ideally with a number.
For example: "Reduced complaint response time from five days to two by redesigning the handling process."
The STAR method
If you are stuck, the STAR method is a handy way to dig out the detail. Think of the Situation, the Task you had, the Action you took and the Result. You rarely need all four in a bullet point, but the action and the result should always be there.
No numbers? Use scale instead
Not every job produces neat statistics. If you cannot find a percentage or a pound figure, look for another way to show size or frequency:
- how many people you looked after or trained
- how many customers, orders or cases you handled in a week
- how long a task used to take, and how long it takes now
- how many sites, vehicles or products you were responsible for
- how often you did something, such as "every week" or "for 40 clients a month"
A rough figure is better than none, as long as it is honest. If you are not sure, a careful estimate such as "around 150" is fine.
Words to use and words to drop
Start bullets with verbs that show action: led, built, introduced, improved, reduced, negotiated, trained, delivered, organised, resolved. These make a line feel active.
Phrases such as "responsible for", "duties included" and "worked on" describe the job and not your impact, so replace them where you can. Also drop the word "I". A bullet that begins "Led a team of eight" reads better than "I was in charge of a team of eight".
Show, don't claim
Words such as "team player", "hard working" and "excellent communicator" claim a quality without proving it. Employers pay more attention to an example, such as "Coached nine new starters, all of whom reached target within three months." Where you have a claim, ask what evidence sits behind it and write that down instead.
A quick checklist
- Does each bullet start with a verb?
- Do at least three bullets include a number or a clear result?
- Have you removed "responsible for" wherever you can?
- Could another person with your job title have written exactly the same line? If so, add something specific.
Want to see how your current CV measures up? Check it free and see where your points are lost.
Sources
- National Careers Service: CV sections
- Prospects: How to write a CV
- University of Reading Careers: The top 10 CV mistakes
Keep reading
- Complete guideHow to write a CV in the UK: the complete guideA step-by-step guide to writing a UK CV: what to include, the right order, how long it should be, how to word it, and the mistakes to avoid, with sources.
- How long should a CV be?The usual length for a UK CV, how many words that means, and when one page or three pages makes sense.
- What employers look for in a CVWhat UK recruiters and employers want to see when they read a CV, and the common mistakes that count against applicants.