“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.
June 1 – What big goal or project do you want to tackle this month?
June 2 – Have you been invited to participate in any special projects?
June 3 – What have you done to contribute to your company’s profitability — such as through increasing sales?
June 4 – Have you authored any publications as part of your work?
June 5 – Describe a time when you achieved a result by being open and receptive to new ideas.
June 6 – Have you uncovered evidence of something fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading in your career?
June 7 – How did you take initiative today at work?
June 8 – What accomplishment best illustrates your ability to lead or motivate others?
June 9 – Which skill have you mastered?
June 10 – What’s the nicest thing a customer has ever said about you?
June 11 – Have you helped the company meet its budget? How?
June 12 – What have you done recently to broaden your experience?
June 13 – Give a specific example of how you applied your knowledge to solve a problem today.
June 14 – Describe an example of how you have gone beyond the scope of your job responsibilities to carry out a task.
June 15 – What problem at work does everyone come to you to solve?
June 16 – Have you been able to consistently achieve something that previously was only done periodically?
June 17 – What have you done recently that has made your boss look good?
June 18 – Describe something you have built (work-related).
June 19 – What have you done that has changed your job, your company, or your industry?
June 20 – Have you developed any new skills recently?
June 21 – Give an example of how you’ve demonstrated your value to your boss/company recently.
June 22 – Have you tackled a project or program that no one else has?
June 23 – What did you do today that positively affected others?
June 24 – Give an example of something that you changed at work to achieve a better business result.
June 25 – How have you modernized your role?
June 26 – Describe a project that utilizes your unique skills and abilities.
June 27 – How did you help a customer today?
June 28 – What did you create or build today?
June 29 – How does the work you do alleviate stress on your co-workers? (When you do your job well, it helps them do what)
June 30 – 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 June Accomplishment Tracker
If you missed the prior month’s accomplishment journals you can find them here:
May April March February January December
