“Past performance is the best predictor of future success.”
Recruiters and hiring managers assessing candidates are looking for proof that you can do the job. One of the best ways to assess that is by reviewing your accomplishments from similar roles. However, it can be difficult to remember what you’ve done!
That’s where keeping a journal comes in. Each month for the next year, I will post a summary of daily prompts to help you identify and track your accomplishments throughout the year. You can either write down a specific accomplishment from that day or use the prompt to help you think of a recent accomplishment. You don’t have to use the specific prompt for that day — but they are there to help give you some inspiration.
Keep the journal somewhere you’ll refer to it each day. Taking a few minutes to complete the prompts will make it easier for you to update your résumé and LinkedIn profile.
When possible, quantify your accomplishments: specify numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts. Be as detailed as possible with your responses
| December 1 | What big goal or project do you want to tackle this month? |
| December 2 | Have you rescued a damaged relationship with a customer? |
| December 3 | Describe a time when you have been asked to staff a specific project, program, or event. |
| December 4 | Have you standardized a previously random program or process? |
| December 5 | What project have you accomplished recently that helped the company make more money? |
| December 6 | Give an example of a time when you have streamlined a complex process. |
| December 7 | What are you best known for at work? |
| December 8 | How did your work today add to the value the company offers its customers? |
| December 9 | What have you done to strengthen your organization’s connection with its customers? |
| December 10 | Have you taken a stressful solution and made it less so? |
| December 11 | What do you consider your most successful project at work? |
| December 12 | Describe a time when you have stretched limited resources. |
| December 13 | Give an example of something you’ve revamped in your company. |
| December 14 | When has a suggestion you made been implemented successfully? |
| December 15 | Have you taught a new employee something? |
| December 16 | Describe a project that you personally spearheaded. |
| December 17 | Are you responsible for testing or tracking anything? |
| December 18 | Give an example of a result that would not have been attained if you had not been determined to solve a persistent problem. |
| December 19 | Have you taken complex information and summarized it in a way that it makes decision-making easier? |
| December 20 | Describe a time when you have used your supervisory skills effectively. |
| December 21 | Did you achieve any new certifications recently? |
| December 22 | In what ways have you been able to boost co-worker morale? |
| December 23 | How have you demonstrated leadership in your current job? |
| December 24 | Have you been entrusted to handle a sensitive or delicate situation? |
| December 25 | Describe a goal you met recently. |
| December 26 | Have you traveled anywhere to represent the company? |
| December 27 | Give an example of a time when you have had to turn around a bad situation. |
| December 28 | How have you applied knowledge from another area of your life into your current job? |
| December 29 | Give an example of a time when your opinion was validated by someone you admire. |
| December 30 | What is your biggest professional achievement in the past month? |
| December 31 | What is your most significant achievement in the past year? |
When turning your prompts into actual accomplishment statements, create a structure to tell a story. The most common format is the CAR statement:
C = What was the challenge?
A = What action did you take?
R = What was the result?
An example of a CAR statement is:
Recruited to tackle an underperforming sales territory characterized by significant account attrition (challenge). Developed contact list for lapsed accounts and initiated contact with decision-makers at each company (action). Reacquired 22% of former customers, resulting in $872,000 in revenue (result).
For a downloadable copy of December’s accomplishment journal click Here
