Accomplishments vs Duties

Whether you are filling out a job application, building your resume or in a job interview, at some point you have to communicate what you did in your previous jobs. Accomplishments are the points that really help sell yourself to an employer (see you ARE a salesperson!) and carry more weight than everyday job duties.

Accomplishments can leverage your your job-searching success at every stage of your job search; the introductory letter. your resume and application and especially in the face-to-face interview.

Companies don't care what your duties or responsibilities were in your previous job, they want to know what you accomplished with those duties or responsibilities. Can't think of anything to brag about? You're in trouble...but there is help. Think about these things:

In each job, what special things did you do to set yourself apart?

How did you take the initiative? How did you go above and beyond what was asked of you in your job description?

How did you leave your employers better off than before you worked for them?

Have you received any complimentary memos or letters from employers or customers?

What tangible evidence do you have of accomplishments -- publications you've produced, products you've developed or awards you have won?

Quantify. Employers love numbers. Examples might be:

• Increased sales by 50 percent over the previous year.
• Produced total meal sales 20 percent higher than those of the other servers in the restaurant.
• Supervised staff of 25.
• Served a customer base of 150, the largest on firm's customer-service team.

To separate yourself from the 300 other people going after the same job you are, you need to highlight "how well" you did in your previous jobs...not just "what" you did.

Happy Selling!