Guide · CV writing
CV Achievements Examples: How to Write Work Experience Bullets That Stand Out
How to turn job duties into achievement bullets on your CV: the action-result formula, 30 examples across industries, and what to do when you have no numbers.
Write CV work experience as achievements, not duties. Use the formula action verb + what you did + result, with a number wherever you can: "Reduced invoice processing time by 30% by introducing a digital approval workflow." Put the most relevant achievements first in each role, keep to three to six bullets for recent jobs, and when you lack numbers, show scale, frequency or quality instead.
The formula
Formula
[Action verb] + [what you did] + [result, with a number if possible]
Duties vs achievements
| Duty | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Responsible for scheduling | Scheduled 25 staff across 3 sites, cutting overtime by 15% |
| Answered customer emails | Resolved 60+ customer emails daily with a 94% satisfaction score |
| Wrote blog posts | Wrote 40 SEO articles that grew organic traffic by 120% in a year |
| Helped with audits | Prepared audit files for 12 clients, all completed with no major findings |
30 achievement examples
Admin and operations
- Introduced a digital filing system, cutting document search time for 20 staff.
- Managed diaries for 6 directors, coordinating 40+ meetings a week.
- Reduced supply costs by 12% by consolidating vendors.
Sales and customer service
- Exceeded annual quota by 22%, ranking second of 18 reps.
- Grew key account revenue from $120K to $310K in two years.
- Cut average response time from 24 hours to 4 hours.
Marketing and creative
- Launched an email welcome sequence that increased first purchases by 18%.
- Designed a rebrand rolled out across 30 stores.
- Grew LinkedIn followers from 3,000 to 15,000 in 12 months.
Tech and engineering
- Led migration to cloud infrastructure, reducing hosting costs by 30%.
- Built an internal tool that saved the support team 10 hours a week.
- Reduced page load time by 45% through image and caching improvements.
Healthcare
- Led shifts on a 28-bed ward, coordinating 6 nurses and 4 healthcare assistants.
- Introduced a falls-prevention checklist adopted across the department.
- Mentored 5 newly qualified nurses through preceptorship.
Finance
- Produced monthly management accounts for 4 business units within 5 working days.
- Built a forecasting model that improved accuracy against actuals.
- Identified $80K in duplicate payments during a supplier review.
Hospitality
- Supervised teams of 12 across 200-cover services.
- Reduced food waste by 20% through stock rotation and prep planning.
- Achieved the highest guest review scores in the region for two quarters.
Teaching
- Raised the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in maths from 58% to 74%.
- Led the school's reading initiative across 6 classes.
- Introduced a homework platform used by 300 families.
Leadership
- Built and led a team of 15 from scratch.
- Delivered a $2M project on time and under budget.
- Reduced staff turnover by 25% with a new onboarding programme.
Examples are illustrative; use your own true figures.
When you do not have numbers
Show scale (how many people, sites, clients), frequency (daily, weekly), quality (feedback, awards, zero errors) or before-and-after changes.
Strong action verbs
Led, launched, built, grew, reduced, improved, introduced, negotiated, delivered, streamlined, trained, designed, resolved, managed, achieved.
See the full guide on how to write a CV and industry examples like the sales CV and healthcare CV.
Frequently asked questions
How many bullet points per job on a CV?
Three to six for recent roles, fewer for older or less relevant roles.
What if I do not have numbers for my achievements?
Use scale, frequency, quality or outcomes: how many people, how often, what improved, what feedback you received.
Should CV bullets start with a verb?
Yes. Starting with a strong action verb keeps bullets concise and focused on what you did.
Should I include every responsibility?
No. Choose the achievements most relevant to the job you are applying for.
Keep reading
- How to Write a CV That Gets Interviews: The Complete Guide
- CV Personal Statement: How to Write One (With 10 Examples)
- Skills to Put on a CV (And How to Present Them)
- Career Change CV: How to Write One (With Example)
- The Best CV Format: Chronological, Skills-Based or Hybrid?
- LinkedIn Profile Tips: How to Optimize Your Headline, About and Banner
- How to Write a Cover Letter in 4 Paragraphs (Template and Example)
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