In simple layman terms, a duty in a resume refers to the responsibilities and tasks that were assigned to you to complete in your past roles, while accomplishments in a resume refers to your past performance or the achievements or successes or impact you have attained while performing those duties.
Duties typically describe your day-to-day tasks, activities and responsibilities associated with a particular job or position. On the other hand, accomplishments highlight specific achievements or successes that you have had in your previous roles. Accomplishments are often quantifiable and measurable and can demonstrate your skills and abilities to potential employers.
Both are important to include in a resume but by strategically placing them to help provide a comprehensive overview of your skills and experience.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ACHIEVEMENT-BASED RESUME STATEMENTS
Here are some examples to ponder upon:
➡️Duty:
Describes the responsibilities and tasks associated with a job
Focuses on what you were supposed to do in a role
Often uses verbs such as “managed,” “coordinated,” or “performed”.
Example:
❎Managed a team of 40 customer service representatives.
❎Coordinated weekly meetings with cross-functional teams to ensure project progress.
❎Performed routine maintenance and repairs on machinery.
➡️Accomplishment:
Highlights specific successes and achievements in a job.
Demonstrates your skills and abilities to potential employers.
Often uses verbs such as “increased,” “reduced,” or “awarded”.
Example:
✅Increased sales by 15% through the implementation of a new marketing campaign
✅Reduced expenses by 10% through the negotiation of new vendor contracts
✅Awarded Employee of the Month for outstanding customer service with 100% satisfaction.
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE RESUME ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT SAMPLES
Differentiating between a duty and an accomplishment in a resume can be done by considering the following factors:
- Description: Duties typically describe the responsibilities and tasks you were assigned in a role, while accomplishments highlight specific achievements or successes.
- Focus: Duties focus on the actions you were expected to perform, while accomplishments focus on the results and impact of those actions.
- Verbs: Duties often use action verbs such as “managed,” “coordinated,” or “performed,” while accomplishments use action verbs that emphasize achievement, such as “increased,” “implemented,” or “awarded.”
- Quantifiability: Accomplishments are often measurable and quantifiable, while duties are usually more general and don’t necessarily have specific metrics associated with them.
- Impact: Accomplishments demonstrate how your actions positively affected the organization or project, whereas duties provide a general overview of your responsibilities.
- A duty is a task or responsibility that is expected of you in a job. An accomplishment is something that you have achieved as a result of your work.
- Duties are typically general and routine, while accomplishments are specific and measurable. For example, a duty might be “answered customer questions,” while an accomplishment might be “increased customer satisfaction by 10%.”
- Duties are typically focused on the tasks that you performed, while accomplishments are focused on the results that you achieved. For example, a duty might be “created marketing materials,” while an accomplishment might be “increased website traffic by 20%.”
- Duties are typically expected of everyone in a particular role, while accomplishments are not. For example, a duty might be “attended all staff meetings,” while an accomplishment might be “received the company’s Employee of the Year award.”
By considering these factors, you can differentiate between duties and accomplishments and effectively present both in your resume to showcase your skills, experience, and achievements to potential employers.
Stay tuned and follow me for more such actionable #careerinsights
✍️ Connect with me to get a professionally written resume, cover letter & LinkedIn profile optimised.