← Résumés, Interviews, and the Job Search
Lesson
Lesson 2: Achievements, not duties: the formula with a number
The learner rewrites a duty as a measurable achievement using the formula “action verb + result + number.”
Why achievements beat duties
The formula for a measurable achievement
Most candidates list duties on their résumé: “responsible for sales,” “negotiated with clients,” “managed a team.” A recruiter sees this on every other résumé and can't tell how well you did. An achievement answers the question “so what came of it?”
The formula for a strong résumé bullet: action verb + result + measurable metric. For example: “Increased the conversion rate of inbound inquiries by 18% in six months by introducing a follow-up question script.” Here the verb is “increased,” the result is a higher conversion rate, and the number is 18% in six months.
To find a number, use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action — what you did, Result — a measurable result) or PAR (Problem, Action, Result). Ask yourself: how much did sales/speed/quality grow? How many people did you train? How much shorter did a process get? If there's no exact number, use a range (“from 10% to 15%”), a relative figure (“twice as fast”), or a volume (“handled about 200 inquiries a month”).
The honesty rule: the number must be real and something you can defend in an interview. Don't exaggerate — lies are easy to check.
Lesson notes
The formula for a measurable achievement
Most candidates list duties on their résumé: “responsible for sales,” “negotiated with clients,” “managed a team.” A recruiter sees this on every other résumé and can't tell how well you did. An achievement answers the question “so what came of it?”
The formula for a strong résumé bullet: action verb + result + measurable metric. For example: “Increased the conversion rate of inbound inquiries by 18% in six months by introducing a follow-up question script.” Here the verb is “increased,” the result is a higher conversion rate, and the number is 18% in six months.
To find a number, use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action — what you did, Result — a measurable result) or PAR (Problem, Action, Result). Ask yourself: how much did sales/speed/quality grow? How many people did you train? How much shorter did a process get? If there's no exact number, use a range (“from 10% to 15%”), a relative figure (“twice as fast”), or a volume (“handled about 200 inquiries a month”).
The honesty rule: the number must be real and something you can defend in an interview. Don't exaggerate — lies are easy to check.