ATS CV

Quantifying Your Achievements: How to Show, Not Just Tell

Learn how to transform your job duties into compelling, quantified achievements using the STAR method. Show recruiters your true impact and value.

July 23, 2024

cv-writing
achievements
star-method

Stop Listing Duties, Start Showcasing Impact

One of the most common CV mistakes is simply listing job responsibilities. "Responsible for sales" or "Managed social media accounts" tells a recruiter what you were supposed to do, but it doesn't tell them how well you did it. To stand out, you need to show your impact. The best way to do this is by quantifying your achievements.

What Does "Quantify" Mean?

Quantifying means adding numbers, percentages, or other metrics to your accomplishments to give them scale and context. Numbers are powerful because they are concrete and specific. They provide proof of your abilities and help a recruiter understand the value you can bring to their company.

Before (Passive Duty):

  • Increased website traffic.

After (Quantified Achievement):

  • Grew organic website traffic by 45% over six months by implementing a comprehensive SEO strategy.

The second example is far more compelling. It demonstrates not only what you did, but how you did it and the impressive result.

The STAR Method: Your Framework for Impact

The STAR method is a simple yet powerful technique for structuring your achievements. It ensures you provide a complete and compelling story for each of your accomplishments.

  • S (Situation): Briefly describe the context. What was the challenge or situation you were facing?
  • T (Task): What was your specific goal or task in this situation?
  • A (Action): What specific actions did you take to address the task? Use strong action verbs.
  • R (Result): What was the outcome of your actions? This is where you quantify your success.

You don't need to label each part in your CV. Instead, weave them together into a single, powerful bullet point.

Examples in Action

Let's break down a few examples across different roles.

For a Sales Professional:

  • Before: Responsible for generating new leads.
  • STAR Breakdown:
    • S: The company needed to expand into a new market segment.
    • T: My goal was to generate qualified leads in the tech startup sector.
    • A: I developed and executed a targeted cold outreach campaign using LinkedIn and email automation.
    • R: Generated 50+ new qualified leads in Q3, leading to $250,000 in new business and exceeding my target by 30%.
  • After: Generated over 50 qualified leads in the tech startup sector by developing a targeted outreach campaign, resulting in $250,000 in new business (a 30% increase over target).

For a Software Engineer:

  • Before: Worked on improving application performance.
  • STAR Breakdown:
    • S: The main web application was experiencing slow load times during peak traffic.
    • T: I was tasked with identifying and fixing the performance bottlenecks.
    • A: I analyzed the codebase, optimized database queries, and implemented a caching layer for frequently accessed data.
    • R: Reduced average page load time by 60%, from 2.5 seconds to under 1 second, improving user satisfaction scores by 25%.
  • After: Reduced average application page load time by 60% (from 2.5s to <1s) by optimizing database queries and implementing a new caching strategy, improving user satisfaction scores by 25%.

Quantifying your achievements is the single most effective way to elevate your CV. It transforms your resume from a passive list of duties into a powerful testament to your skills and value.