Resumé Tips: Summarizing Your Experiences

The primary content of your resumé consists of descriptions of your past roles. Writing this content using accomplishment statements is essential to distinguish your unique experiences.

For each application, consider:

The Job Requirements + Your Experience + Your Accomplishments

Ask yourself when you have:

  • Initiated something?
  • Achieved a goal?
  • Exceeded expectations?
  • Solved a problem?

These answers should drive the statements included under each experience on your resumé.

Accomplishment Statement Guidelines

  • Re-focus descriptions to target each job to which you are applying.
  • Draw greater attention to the relevant aspects of your experiences.
  • Be sure to use results-oriented statements.
  • Quantify when possible, with numbers, percentages, and dollar values.
  • Stress transferable skills when the job is less relevant to your experiences.
  • For jobs in the past, use the past tense; for jobs in the present, use the present tense.

Accomplishment Statement Formula

Action Verb + Relevant Information + Result (Impact, Purpose)

Sample Accomplishment Verbs

  • Achieved
  • Expanded
  • Increased
  • Launched
  • Improved
  • Enhanced
  • Initiated
  • Reduced
  • Envisioned
  • Spearheaded
  • Transformed
  • Established

For a list of over 150 sample action verbs (from analyzed, addressed and administered, to validated, visualized and verified) view the Resumé Guidebook in Navigator.


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