This excerpt is exactly copied from WBG for self-educative purposes
Introduction
The résumé is a career marketing document that takes time and attention to create. The main goal of the résumé is to get invited for a personal interview. This guide is a self-directed resource to get you started, as well as to complement what you learn in one of our workshops. It can also help you prepare for a meeting with a career advisor so you can have a more productive session. It contains a number of resources to help you create and revise your résumé in order to align it with the targeted position and highlights relevant skills, accomplishments, and qualifications.
How to Write Accomplishment Statements
When viewing your CV/résumé, employers look for accomplishments rather than a description of your responsibilities. Accomplishment statements appear at the top paragraph on your résumé and they demonstrate your proven ability to summarize what you have achieved in former positions.
One suggested format is to begin your description of each position with an overview of the job, i.e., what you helped do, figure out, or answer in your role; who you served; your budget; the region you were responsible for; the number and kind of staff you managed or were a part of; product or service lines, etc.
After this brief overview, what employers want to see is what you achieved on the job – and this is where accomplishment statements have value. Accomplishments refer to actions you have taken that show results or impact as opposed to tasks or effort. In other words, employers want you to differentiate
yourself by showing why your actions have mattered and what difference you were able to make. The following examples show the impact of using accomplishment-driven statements.
> Relocated office over one weekend, planning and coordinating the logistics. (good)
> Relocated corporate office of 130 staff members over one weekend, planning and coordinating
the logistics to result in zero disruption to operational schedules and productivity. (better)
> Managed international development conference, coordinating all aspects from planning through
implementation. (good)
> Managed a 2-day sustainability conference for 175 professionals from 6 regional offices. Planned and coordinated event logistics. Communicated with all participants and presenters. Result: ratings of “outstanding” by 95% of participants regarding event logistics, communication, and materials. (better)
> Developed new presentation methods for annual meetings to make presentations more interesting to participants. (good)
> Developed innovative presentation methods for annual meetings using visual effects technology. Increased viewer interest through video imagery and creative visual effects, resulting in specific feedback on improved presentation methods by more than 85% of participants. (better)
To write accomplishment statements, follow this two-step process:
• Before you start writing your résumé, think about each position you have held and create a list of accomplishments that are related to the kind of work you are pursuing. Always use results, measurable impact and metrics when describing accomplishments.
• To help you to develop this list, ask yourself if you:
> increased efficiency or effectiveness
> accomplished more with fewer resources
> initiated or implemented something that went
above and beyond what was in your job
description
> designed and implemented a technique, strategy,
innovation, or improvement
> solved a challenging problem
> did something that improved client relations or
resulted in greater stakeholder engagement
> improved a process
> saved money, time, or other resources
> implemented a policy, procedure, system, or best
practice
> were recognized informally by clients
> Authored or co-authored a published article or
book
> improved profitability
> enhanced productivity
> contributed something that was above and
beyond
Sometimes, looking at past performance reviews will
help to jog your memory of accomplishments.
Also, consider feedback you have received from
managers, colleagues and clients.
> Use the STAR model to write your accomplishment statement. STAR stands for:
S = Situation solved or opportunity created
T = Tasks that needed to be done
A = Actions you took
R = Results achieved
For each accomplishment statement, briefly tell:
> What was the SITUATION: What was the problem, need, or issue?
> What TASKS needed to be done: Describe the challenge and expectations.
> What ACTION did you take: What was your role? What did you do? What challenges did you
overcome? What steps did you take? What
techniques did you use?
> What were the RESULTS? What was the impact of the actions you took? What were the benefits:
Quantify the results whenever you can, using metrics such as numbers, $, %. When you cannot
quantify, show the impact of your action (i.e., saving time, increasing efficiency, strengthening communication, streamlining operations, building relationships with external stakeholders, expanding product lines).
Key success concepts in writing STARs are:
- Start each with an action verb. (Use past tense for
completed accomplishments).
- Be specific.
- Quantify, using metrics whenever possible (and
when it is helpful).
- Show concrete results or the impact of your
actions.
How to Identify and Use Keywords
When you align your CV/résumé content with an employer’s requirements for a position or TOR, it makes it easier for an employer to shortlist you. Alignment is not about copying the job posting and placing the exact contents into your CV/résumé. (Yes, we have seen it happen!). It’s about making a list of keywords and key phrases that are common to job postings for your field that show what employers are typically looking for and making sure that, when true, these are represented in your CV/résumé.
Keywords and key phrases are what recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (software used by organizations to do an initial screening of incoming résumés) search for when reviewing your CV/résumé. They are the nouns and phrases that describe the skills and qualifications employers typically search for as they identify qualified candidates for your field. They can include skills, experience, knowledge, areas of expertise, certifications or special training, education, and personal qualities that are core to the kind of position you are seeking.
A good exercise before updating your résumé is to identify the keywords and key phrases that show up most frequently for your field. Sources for identifying keywords and key phrases for your field include:
> job postings: Review 5-7 job postings (e.g. on Compass) and make a list of keywords and key phrases that come up most often in job postings for your role.
> employer websites and mission statements
> social media profiles of others in your field
> colleagues
> professional associations
How to Write a Career Profile (also known as a Career Summary or Executive Summary)
Placed at the top of your résumé underneath your contact information, this is prime real estate in a CV/résumé. Its purpose is to show an overview of your core qualifications and the value you bring to an employer. It can be a paragraph overview or it can be a paragraph followed by a bullet listing of core qualifications, special skills, certifications, or areas of expertise.
The summary can include:
> How much and kinds of relevant experience you have
> Key qualifications and skills (These are the keywords
and key phrases that are most important to your
field and to the position)
> Specialty area of expertise and experience
> Differentiators (what makes you unique when
compared to other candidates)
One model to use for developing your Career Profile is that each sentence answers a different question for the reader.
> 1st sentence: Define yourself in terms of your career. This can be by position, title, field, or a specialized functional area or area of expertise within your field.
> 2nd sentence: Identify the strengths you are promoting about yourself.
> 3rd sentence: Provide additional depth or breadth. Can also define the kinds of activities you would like to do that are required for the positions you are seeking.
> 4th sentence: Define unique traits as they relate to the position and organization. Here’s a chance to showcase soft skills (personal qualities or strengths that support the job). Think about what others say about you, what you are known for, what people come to you for when asking for your help, etc.
Phrases that may be helpful to you as you develop your Career Profile:
> Over X years of experience in..., Extensive experience in…, Expertise in…
> Proven strengths in…, Major strengths include…, Skilled in…, Core strengths include…
> Proven ability to…, Proven success in…, Proven record of …, Excellent track record of…, Demonstrated X capabilities with…
> Strong background in…, Background includes…
> Recognized for…, Recognized as a…, Consistently
acknowledged as a…
> Country experience includes…
> Regional experience includes…
> Sectors include…
> Languages...
Examples:
#1: CAREER SUMMARY
Skilled learning specialist, with over 10 years of experience in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Proven strengths in needs assessment, program design and delivery, and program evaluation. Strong background in working with all levels of management and staff, consistently improving organizational performance through classroom and virtual programs. Recognized for facilitating active learning and incorporating innovative learning strategies to motivate others to achieve their personal best.
#2: PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Extensive experience in environmental policy and strategy development for global development organizations, with expertise in carbon finance. Proven background in carbon fund operations in the South Asia, East Asia and Pacific regions. Field experience includes land use, land-use change, and forestry. Recognized for developing highly effective partnerships with stakeholders to establish and implement carbon fund programs.
> REDD + Readiness
> Capacity building
> BioCarbon Fund (BioCF)
> Portfolio management
> Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)
> Carbon finance training
> ERPA
> Development finance
#3: PROFILE
Over 10 years of experience leading administrative support staff to provide comprehensive program support services. Proven organizational and time management skills, prioritizing and delegating work to ensure that tight deadlines are met. Recognized for applying strong research and analytical skills to manage and track data, produce reports, and strategically respond to client issues. Committed to demonstrating sensitivity in handling confidential information.
#4 SKILLS
Microsoft Office (Advanced Proficiency) | SAP | TRS | LARS | LMS | Adobe Acrobat | SharePoint
Action Verbs
Powerful action verbs help your achievements to come out clearly, emphasize the contributions you have made in former positions and increase your chances to be found and shortlisted if an employer uses software support. Here is a list of ACTION VERBS you can use.
accelerated, accepted, accomplished, achieved, acquired, adapted, added, addressed, adjusted, administered, advanced, advised, allocated, analyzed, announced, answered, anticipated, applied, appointed, appraised, approved, arranged, assessed, assigned, assisted, assumed, attained, audited, augmented, authorized, awarded,
balanced, bargained, bolstered, boosted, bought, briefed, brought, budgeted, built,
cataloged, caused, certified, chaired, changed, clarified, classified, closed, coached, collaborated, collected, combined, communicated, compared, compiled, completed, composed, computed
conceived, conceptualized, concluded, conducted, confirmed, constructed, consulted, contacted, contracted, controlled, converted, conveyed, convinced, cooperated, coordinated, corrected, counseled, created, critiqued, cut,
decided, decreased, defined, delegated, delivered, demonstrated, described, designated, designed, detected, determined, developed, devised, diagnosed, directed, discovered, discussed, disseminated, distributed, documented, earned,
edited, educated, eliminated, employed, enabled, encouraged, endorsed, engineered, enhanced, enlarged, enlisted, enriched, ensured, equipped, established, estimated, evaluated, examined, exceeded, executed, exhibited, expanded, expedited, experienced, experimented, explained, explored, expressed,
facilitated, filed, filmed, financed, finished, forecast, formulated, fostered, found, founded, fulfilled, furthered,
gathered, generated, guaranteed, guided,
handled, helped, hired,
identified, illustrated, implemented, improved, improvised, incorporated, increased, indexed, indicated, influenced, informed, initiated, insisted, inspected, inspired, installed, instituted, instructed, insured, integrated, interacted, interpreted, interviewed, introduced, invented, investigated, involved, issued
joined, justified,
kept,
launched, learned, leased, led, leveraged, licensed, linked, located, logged,
maintained, managed, mandated, matched, measured, mediated, mentioned, mentored, met, modified, monitored, motivated, moved, multiplied,
named, negotiated,
observed, obtained, opened, operated, ordered, organized, outlined, oversaw,
paid, participated, partnered, perceived, performed, persuaded, pioneered, placed, planned, prepared, presented, prevented, priced, prioritized, processed, procured, produced, programmed, projected, promoted, prompted, proposed, provided, published, purchased, pursued,
qualified, quantified,
ranked, rated, received, recognized, recommended, reconciled, recovered, recruited, reduced, referred, refined, regulated, related, released, renegotiated, reorganized, replaced, replied, reported, represented, requested, researched, resolved, responded, reevaluated, retained, revamped, reversed, reviewed, revised,
salvaged, saved, scheduled, screened, secured, selected, serviced, set, settled, shaped, simplified, solved, sorted, sought, specified, spoke, staffed, stimulated, strategized, streamlined, strengthened, structured, studied, submitted, substituted, succeeded, suggested, summarized, supervised, supported, surveyed, synthesized,
tackled, targeted, taught, tested, trained, translated, transported, traveled, treated, troubleshot, turned,
uncovered, unified, updated, upgraded, used,
validated, visited,
worked, wrote
Tips for Preparing a Statement of Interest (SOI)
> The Statement of Interest (SOI) is similar to a cover letter but it can be longer (2 pages maximum) and does not use business format.
> Read the announcement carefully and highlight or underline all of the items in both the Duties and
Accountabilities and Selection Criteria sections that match your experiences, skills, and education.
> Prepare statements describing your qualifications for each of the items you have highlighted or underlined. What examples can you provide? You can showcase a few specific details from your résumé. Select and describe relevant experiences, showing their significance to the position. Make the connection for the reader in an interesting way.
> The SOI does not need to be chronological. Lead with the most relevant information or an impactful
statement or story.
> Avoid using general terms such as several, numerous, various, or familiar with.
> Limit self-reported behaviors/skills, such as “excellent communicator” or “good people skills.” Instead, describe an experience that validates the skills and/or behaviors.
> Keep the information in your application relevant to the vacancy announcement. Information not related to the vacancy can cause the reader to wonder if you read the announcement.
> It is not necessary to describe the issues related to the position. The readers should be aware of them.
> Limit your text. Two pages are sufficient.
> Proofread carefully to eliminate any grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. Do not rely on spell
check to catch grammar and spelling errors!
Statement of Interest Format
> 1st paragraph:
Begin with interest statement that emphasizes why you are interested in this position and the value you will bring. Ask yourself and address: Why are you interested in this specific position? What draws you to this position? Avoid describing how you will benefit from the position if selected. The reader wants to know your motivations.
> Following paragraphs:
Use a 2-page maximum length: Use your prepared statements describing your qualifications for the Duties and Accountabilities, Selection Criteria, and Competencies of the announcement. Include specific accomplishments or experiences that are of greatest interest and relevance to this position and unit.
> Closing paragraph:
Thank the reader for his/her consideration and review of your attached CV and indicate you look forward to the opportunity to meet to further discuss how you can meet their needs.
CV/Résumé and Statement of Interest Checklist
Layout and Appearance
- Name is at top of page and in bold and larger font.
- Address, phone number, and email (LinkedIn URL optional) are easy to read.
- Résumé is appropriate length (generally 2 pages for experienced professionals).
- There are 1” (1/2” minimum) margins all the way around.
- Font size is clearly legible (usually 11 or 12 pt; 10 is minimum, depending on font style).
- Formatting is consistent throughout (font size, bullet sizes, heading sizes).
- Verb tenses are in the present for current jobs, unless an accomplishment stated has been completed. Verb tenses are in the past for previous jobs.
- Weight and balance are clear: positions at the WBG and those with greatest relevance to the job you are seeking have greater length and description.
- The most important information is on the top half of the résumé.
- Headings (Name and Page Number) are placed on Page 2 and subsequent pages.
- You have not overused bullets.
- In about a 10-second scan of your document, the reader's eye is drawn to your most important points.
Content
- Summary statement at top shows direction, focus, an overview of your strengths, and the
value you bring.
- Relevant jobs and experiences are included that show you are qualified for the position.
- Keywords are used in the summary and throughout the résumé.
- Statements demonstrate accomplishments rather than routine tasks and duties.
- Each statement begins with an action verb. Responsible for is not an action verb!
- Metrics are included, when possible, and/or the impact/results of your actions. A model to use is: Action verb + action taken on your part + results.
- Statements support and demonstrate the summary at the top of the résumé.
- There are no complete sentences. There are no I statements.
- Descriptions are clear, concise, compelling, and confident.
- The résumé is free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
Statement of Interest
- It is two pages or less.
- It addresses the key elements in the job announcement.
- It begins with an interest statement that shows why you are interested in the position and the
value you will bring.
- It follows with an unfolding of your background as it relates to the position. It has paragraphs
that describe your relevant experience and qualifications.
- It includes accomplishments that are of greatest interest and relevance to the position.
- It is free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
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