“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.
March 1 – What big goal or project do you want to tackle this month?
March 2 – When have you worked with a team to strategize a solution to a specific problem?
March 3 – What is the most important thing you did in your job recently?
March 4 – Did you develop any partnerships or strategic alliances that have helped your company’s success? What were the results?
March 5 – Have you mentored anyone in your current position?
March 6 – Describe a time when you met a goal recently.
March 7 – Have you received any new certifications recently?
March 8 – Did you design any new systems or processes? If so, what were the results?
March 9 – Have you brought a project in under budget? How did you make this happen?
March 10 – Give an example of when you’ve demonstrated your time management skills.
March 11 – Have you ever won an award? What was it, and what was it for?
March 12 – What have you produced that has made an impact?
March 13 – Have you generated any new business for your company?
March 14 – What makes you good at your job?
March 15 – Have you increased company sales or profits? How?
March 16 – Give an example of a time when you have gone above and beyond what was asked of you in your job description.
March 17 – Have you ever successfully thwarted a bad decision from being made?
March 18 – Is there an area where you are better at something than other people?
March 19 – Did you create and/or help launch a new product, service, or program? How successful was it? What were the results?
March 20 – Have you shepherded a specific project through difficult circumstances?
March 21 – How does your work contribute to your employer’s bottom line?
March 22 – Give an example of a time when you persuaded someone (inside or outside of the company) to do something.
March 23 – What part of your job do you like best?
March 24 – Give an example of how you’ve improved your work environment.
March 25 – What tangible products have you created, or contributed to?
March 26 – Which part of your job makes you want to get out of bed in the morning and go to work?
March 27 – What role do you play in helping your co-workers and/or customers achieve the results they are seeking?
March 28 – How have you demonstrated leadership in your volunteer work?
March 29 – What has been your biggest personal achievement recently?
March 30 – If you could change one thing about today, what would you change — and why?
March 31 – What is your biggest professional achievement in the past month?
When possible, quantify your accomplishments: specify numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts. Be as detailed as possible with your responses
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 this month’s accomplishment journal Click Here
If you missed February’s accomplishment journal Click Here
If you missed January’s accomplishment journal Click Here
If you missed December’s accomplishment journal Click Here
