List It Like Groceries: Acknowledge Your Accomplishments

BY: FUNKE A.

Reading time: 3 minutes

I learned to list everything I do at a job.

I keep a draft email and type away all my accomplishments, duties, and nontraditional duties.

But, not just the everyday stuff. The boring stuff, the exciting stuff. List it all.

Why?

It's easier to refer to a list when writing and revising your resume. Skip the brainstorming session. Have you ever asked yourself "What exactly do I do?" Sometimes we can get lost in the sauce of what we have done because of our usual everyday tasks. There have been countless times when I've sat down and realized that I could not think of the significant accomplishments that I have done. But, when I pull up the list, it serves as a great reminder.
You would find it less challenging answering performance based interview questions. Ever get that question, "When have you ever...?" Those really make you dig deep into those work situations or tasks that were perhaps, out of the ordinary. You can get that "ah ha" moment when you review what you have done in the past. Then, you can give the interviewer that STAR answer.
It's an excellent reminder for performance reviews. Trust and believe performance reviews can be nerve-racking. Sometimes you do not know how you are performing compared to your peers. Stand out on performance reviews by having the opportunity to state your accomplishments and tasks that went the extra mile. It shows your boss or manager that you are a great employee and are probably owed a raise or bonus.

Ask Yourself These Questions

Did I go the extra mile to assist anyone or a department?
Did I solve any problems?
Did I earn an award or was congratulated because of an accomplishment?
Did I learn a new skill?
Did I improve on anything?

Answering these questions can surely help with knowing what you want to list.

Not only should you list your tasks/accomplishments, but list them right after you've done them. You don't want to brainstorm a month before and try to remember the tasks you completed.

An Example of How I List My Non-Traditional Tasks/Accomplishments

December 2017

Assisted John with producing the marketing materials for the STOP campaign.

January 2018

Worked with and communicated with the HR Dept. to aid in finding new candidates for the vacant Associate position.

March 2018

Volunteered at the company's booth at career fairs at local universities.
Praised for reducing the February backlog by 30%.

April 2018

Completed an online records management training.

It's that easy. It doesn't have to be fancy or stated properly.

All of these tasks/accomplishments are little things that can stand out on a resume, especially if you want to dive into a new career field.

Author originally posted on LinkedIn

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