“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.
September 1 – What big goal or project do you want to tackle this month?
September 2 – Have you founded any organizations or working groups?
September 3 – What have you done to help your company increase sales?
September 4 – How have you helped your company be successful?
September 5 – Give an example of how you have facilitated a project, process, or task in your current role.
September 6 – What’s the best thing a customer said about you/to you recently?
September 7 – Have you guided any new employees in your company?
September 8 – How have you consolidated activities or tasks in your current role?
September 9 – What have you been honored for recently in your work?
September 10 – Have you headed up any committees or special projects?
September 11 – What new policies and procedures have you implemented in your current role?
September 12 – Which topics does your boss routinely consult with you about (in comparison to your co-workers)?
September 13 – Have you increased company revenues lately? How?
September 14 – What do you do at work better than anyone else?
September 15 – How have you inspired change in your company or co- workers?
September 16 – What have you done to eliminate waste, fraud, or inefficiency in your current role?
September 17 – Have you interviewed anyone important in your current job?
September 18 – What kind of interaction do you have with customers?
September 19 – Have you acted as a liaison between two individuals or groups in any capacity?
September 20 – What have you introduced to your current employer that didn’t exist before you worked there?
September 21 – What has been your most memorable moment of the year so far?
September 22 – Describe a time when you’ve inspired others.
September 23 – What did you today to help advance your company in the industry?
September 24 – Give an example of a project you’ve headed up recently.
September 25 – Have you kept a co-worker from making a mistake?
September 26 – Did you launch any new initiatives? What was the result?
September 27 – Have you led any special projects?
September 28 – Give an example of when you’ve used your listening skills to solve an issue.
September 29 – The last time you got kudos from your boss, what was it for?
September 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 September Accomplishment Tracker
If you missed the prior month’s accomplishment journals you can find them here:
August July June May April March February January December
