Why the Difference Between an Accomplishment and a Responsibility Matters in a Resume

A dictionary defines a “responsibility” as an accountability: the state, fact, or position of being accountable to somebody or for something. On the other hand, an “accomplishment” is the achieving of something, the completion or fulfillment of something, and a skill or talent that has been developed.

What difference does it make? A resume that merely states responsibilities will get you nowhere, while a resume full of accomplishments will get you interviews. Interviews = job.

So, how do you go about identifying these accomplishments?

One easy guideline is “How did you make or save money for this employer?” Put a dollar sign on it.

Another frequently utilized methodology for helping you enumerate your accomplishments is called “CAR”: Challenge, Action, and Result. In other words, what challenges did you face in the job in question, what actions did you take to meet those challenges, and what results did you achieve? Take your job responsibilities, and list them down the left hand side of a sheet of paper. These were your challenges. Then, in the middle of the page, list what actions you took to meet those challenges. Finally, list on the right hand side of the page the results of your actions (these are your accomplishments!).

Here is an example for an investment banker:

Challenge

Win fee producing business from municipal transit agencies worldwide

Action

Submitted responses to requests for proposals for over 20 transactions in FY 2008

Result

Won 75% of bids submitted in response to requests for proposals and produced in excess of $20 million of fee income

Notice how the Result is specific and quantified? That is a big plus. Use it wherever possible.

Subject your current resume to the following test:

Underline every phrase or sentence in your resume in which you describe one of your job responsibilities in your current and prior jobs. Next, put a check next to each accomplishment you achieved in your jobs. If the number of check marks does not exceed the number of underlines, you need a rewrite of your resume.

Do not be humble here! This is the time to state your accomplishments proudly. Take a look at the AlphaDogResumes.com Background Analyzer that is part of our resume Packages. It will make it much easier to identify your valuable accomplishments.

It is time to Dominate Your Job Search_®.