Keep a Career Success Journal to Remember Achievements
by Kathy Sweeney
As a professional resume writer, I often find the toughest area for my clients to clarify is their career achievements. However, it is the most important part of a resume, as employers believe that past performance equals future success. While working as a hiring manager for two Fortune 500 companies, I would review resumes and select individuals for interviews based upon the contributions they had made at their current or former employers.
To make it easier for my clients, I suggest they keep a “Career Success Journal.” It does not have to be anything fancy; just a notebook that you keep with you at all times. You must adopt a habit of completing your success journal at least once per week. When making entries into your career success journal, think about the contributions you have made and the impact on the department or the entire organization.
When thinking in terms of “success,” you can consider these areas:
Did you sign on a new account that contributed either a significant dollar amount or percentage of overall business to the company? Be sure to write down the dollar amount or percentage of business, as numbers are very important to employers.
Did you develop and implement a process which increased productivity, improved accuracy or eliminated a step in the overall process? This can be measured by percentages, cost savings, customer satisfaction or a reduction in the time it took to complete a process, such as 14 days previously to 7 days currently.
Did you source a vendor or negotiate a contract that saved the company money? Once again, actual percentages or dollars saved are critical in this area.
Did you help increase your company’s brand awareness through an innovative marketing campaign? The measurement for this area would be customers gained in the process or coverage of your company in the press.
Were you part of a team that worked on a major project for the company? Team contributions and achievements are just as important as individual successes.
Did you receive an award for your contributions (either individual or team award)? Be sure to detail why the award was received.
If you cannot think in these terms, consider using a STAR, CAR or PAR process:
STAR – Situation, Task, Action, Result
CAR – Challenge, Action, Result
PAR – Problem, Action, Result
The basic premise of any of these acronyms is:
What was the problem?
What were the actions taken to solve the problem?
What were the results of the actions taken?
The above formats are also used when employers conduct behavioral interviews. The type of questions asked usually start out with “Tell me about a time when.” The questions asked could also begin with, “Have you ever.” By keeping your career success journal current, you will be prepared to quickly formulate stories which address the employer’s requirements.
It does not matter what industry you work in. There are quantifiable achievements which can be garnered from your daily work experience. No matter how insignificant you might think an achievement is, chances are, an employer will find value in your contributions.
Kathy Sweeney, NCRW, CPRW, CEIC, CCM is the president of The Write Résumé, a global resume writing, interview coaching, and career consulting firm established in 1987. Ms. Sweeney holds designations as a Nationally Certified Resume Writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Employment Interview Consultant, and Credentialed Career Master. She specializes in preparing job seekers at every level to maximize their ability to gain employment through the composition of effective career marketing documents and conducting personalized interview coaching sessions. To contact Ms. Sweeney, call 866-726-9052 or visit her website at www.awriteresume.com
