7 Achievements That Will Boost Your Job Search Efforts

Companies looking to hire want to find the best talent to fill open positions. One way to attract hiring managers’ attention and get a job is to highlight achievements other applicants are not likely to have. These will make you stand out from the crowd.

Achievements can be related to your education (especially for recent graduates), work experience, and volunteering efforts. They should be specific and data-oriented when possible. Here are some achievements that may boost your job search efforts. 

1. Increased key metrics that impact the bottom line. For example, “Increased sales in my department by 15% over three months.”

2. Won an award, such as:

• Employee of the month
• Academic achievement award
• Better business award
• Customer service award

3. Implemented cost-cutting measures. For example, “Cut costs in my department by 22% over a year’s time by changing to open-source software tools that automated routine tasks and saved employees up to two hours per day.”

4. Successful leadership achievements, such as “Hired six IT staff members as the department scaled up due to sales growth” or ” Led a team to implement a major IT upgrade ahead of schedule.”

5. Project completion achievements. Here are some specific examples:

• Completed multi-department project two weeks ahead of schedule and 7% under budget. 
• Planned and executed hiring event to scale up department.
• Completed audit of previous fiscal year to streamline processes and save 5% in next year’s budget. 
• Created a team to handle employee concerns and suggestions, which resulted in 6% increased retention during the following year.

6. Educational achievements like:

• GPA designations like magna cum laude
• Completion of original research
• Internships or study abroad programs related to the position
• Leadership positions, such as student government or task force leadership
• Academic awards 

7. Anything else that makes you stand out from a crowd of typical applicants. Your achievements may not fit into the usual or expected categories, but this may be a positive with the right employer. Unusual achievements are sometimes the best ones and should always be included in your CV.

If you have achievements that don’t fit into categories like “Education” or “Work History,” you can create a category on your resume called “Achievements” and list them there. You should also mention your achievements during the interview and post-interview thank you note if possible. 

For help in finding jobs seeking top talent, join our talent network. GDH wants to help you find the best employer for your skills. 

Posted on April 19, 2022, 09: 40AM