How to Write Resume Accomplishments Using ChatGPT - Quick Guide

If you’ve recently written (or plan to) write a resume, you’ve probably heard that you should include achievements as well as responsibilities under each job description.

That’s because hiring managers want to know not just what you were hired to do, but how you personally took that job and made an impact on the organization. As past performance is a good indicator of future performance, this tells them how you could potentially benefit them as well.

The easiest way to showcase this for recruiters is by including at least 2-3 accomplishments you achieved in your most recent jobs.

What is an achievement?

An achievement (synonym: accomplishment) is something you personally did successfully by drawing on your skills, talents, or other abilities.

For example, these might include particularly successful projects, portfolio values you managed, sales targets you smashed, a complex problem you overcame, new processes you introduced, significant cost savings you effected, how many accounts you oversaw, or the growth of a team that you steered.

Perhaps you led a difficult project with many problems, yet you managed to complete it on time and within budget by leveraging your ability to set clear targets, mentor a remote cross-functional team, and build strong client relationships to facilitate more effective collaboration.

Maybe you noticed that multiple departments were inputting related data into separate Excel spreadsheets when one would have been more effective (and would enable faster data analysis). You suggested this to leadership, merged the spreadsheets, checked everything carried over accurately, and communicated the changes to relevant colleagues.

These are examples of achievements you can include in your resume (and later on, interviews).

How do I write achievements?

Achievements are presented in bullet point format in your resume, taking up 1-2 lines per point.

• Supervised team of 12 multilingual engineers across 6 locations and 5 time zones
• Drove development of cloud infrastructure supporting Embolden´s online electronic design tools
• Developed microservice architecture supporting 7 products
• Migrated 4 key apps to cloud across 3 continents ahead of schedule with 0 errors or delay

The most common approach is to list several job responsibilities for that role, followed by 2-3 (or more, depending on the role / seniority) accomplishments. The reason for this order is that firstly you introduce the reader to what you were hired to do (to give them context), then to what you achieved.

There’s no need to include achievements for roles 8-10 years+ ago, unless they are particularly powerful. Potential employers will be more interested in your recent abilities.

Whichever achievements you decide to include, ensure these are relevant to the job you’re applying for, and that they clearly demonstrate your impact on the organization.

That said, many people find it hard to think about and quantify their accomplishments. So let’s walk through the process together.

Step 1: Identifying Accomplishments

Let’s start with the ‘what’. What did you achieve in your most recent roles? Here are some questions to help jog your memory:

1. What projects have you successfully completed in your current or previous roles?
2. Have you increased productivity or efficiency in any specific tasks or processes? How much improvement did you achieve?
3. Have you exceeded any targets, goals, or quotas? How did you achieve those results?
4. Have you received any awards, recognition, or promotions? What were the reasons behind them?
5. Have you successfully solved any challenging problems? How did you approach and resolve them?
6. Have you contributed to cost savings or revenue generation? How much money did you save or generate?
7. Have you implemented any new strategies, systems, or initiatives that positively impacted your team or organization?
8. Have you mentored or trained colleagues to improve their skills or performance? What was the outcome?
9. Have you contributed to improving customer satisfaction or feedback ratings? How did you achieve this?
10. Have you played a significant role in securing new clients or retaining existing ones?
11. Have you collaborated on cross-functional projects that resulted in successful outcomes?
12. Have you published any articles, reports, or research that added value to your organization or industry?
13. Have you successfully managed a team, project, or event from planning to execution?
14. Have you played a key role in the implementation of new technologies or software that improved workflows?
15. Have you demonstrated leadership skills by taking on additional responsibilities or initiatives?

Grab a pen and paper, or open a blank document on your device. Now think: for each job you’ve held in the past 8 years, try to identify at least 2-3 achievements inspired by these questions. Write down notes for each. If you come up with more, great! You’ll have more to choose from when whittling them down to a manageable number of points (up to 6) per role.

It might help to use the STAR Technique (Situation you were in, Task you had to do, Action/s you took, Results you achieved) in each scenario to help you hone in on the most important details. Also ask yourself: who, when, where, why, and how to recall as much as possible.

As you make notes, remember to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible, using specific numbers, percentages, or timeframes to showcase the impact of your contributions. This will make your accomplishment statements more compelling and provide concrete evidence of your capabilities to potential employers.

Step 2: Creating accomplishment bullet points using ChatGPT

When it comes to writing accomplishment points, that’s where AI tools such as ChatGPT can really help. Not only do they help you craft the bullet points, but they can do it in seconds (versus minutes or longer without it).

Example 1

Here are the notes that a senior job seeker wrote down after going through the above questions.

I led the acquisition of StellarGlobal as a project partner to create a joint venture worth $146m. That’s still running strong today. I helped de-risk $73m in global assets by driving repositioning, refurbishment, and the negotiation of many leases. I also got development approval for a 25-level tower in Dubai with a GFA of 68,000m2. I also led the sale negotiation, which led to the asset on-selling for $35m. Another thing I did was to firstly identify and then acquire an existing retail centre in Czechia, which I then repositioned to include fuel stations, which is unusual there. This earned us an extra $12m each year in extra revenue.

Using this example, let’s ask ChatGPT to turn these into accomplishment bullet points. We asked it:

Please create accomplishment bullet points for my resume based on these notes: [Paste notes].

ChatGPT:

• Spearheaded the acquisition of StellarGlobal as a project partner, successfully establishing a joint venture worth $146m that fostered strategic growth and expanded market presence.
• Mitigated global asset risks valued at $73m by driving repositioning and refurbishment initiatives, resulting in improved property value and enhanced profitability for the company.
• Negotiated numerous leases to secure favorable terms and conditions, contributing to increased revenue streams and strengthened tenant relationships.
• Played a pivotal role in obtaining development approval for a prestigious 25-level tower in Dubai, spanning an impressive Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 68,000m2, showcasing exemplary project management and regulatory compliance skills.
• Led the intricate negotiation process for the sale of this asset, resulting in a remarkable on-selling price of $35m, highlighting exceptional negotiation expertise and maximizing returns for stakeholders.
• Demonstrated astute market analysis and strategic vision by identifying and acquiring an existing retail center in Czechia, effectively tapping into an unconventional opportunity.
• Successfully repositioned the acquired retail center to incorporate fuel stations, a unique addition in the Czech market, effectively diversifying revenue streams and solidifying the center’s competitive edge. It created an additional $12m annually in extra revenue.

Example 2

Here are the notes that a recent Global Economics and Business graduate (with internship experience) created after going through the questions above:

Well, I was asked to do a Risk & Performance of Non-Performing Exposures (NPE) portfolio analysis for credit management client. I got great feedback about that NPE. I remember that they also asked me to monitor and analyse and then synthesise a whole bunch of corporate and financial info, then I had to create statistical exhibits from that to analyse comparative financial performance. I built models to illustrate the projected financial results/value I also drafted a client presentation, some internal presentations (like revenue updates and forecasts), as well as some investor communications They trusted me to act as a liaison between the Europe-wide project team and a bunch of client stakeholders. That was pretty cool.

Let’s again ask ChatGPT to turn these into accomplishment bullet points.

Please create accomplishment bullet points for my resume based on these notes: [Paste notes].

ChatGPT:

• Conducted a comprehensive Risk & Performance analysis of the Non-Performing Exposures (NPE) portfolio for a credit management client, receiving outstanding feedback for the quality and insights of the NPE analysis.
• Successfully monitored, analyzed, and synthesized complex corporate and financial information, leading to the creation of detailed statistical exhibits to analyze and compare financial performance among various entities.
• Developed sophisticated financial models to illustrate projected financial results and value, aiding in informed decision-making by the stakeholders.
• Authored a compelling and informative client presentation, as well as several internal presentations, including revenue updates and forecasts, showcasing expertise in data visualization and presentation skills.
• Proficiently handled investor communications, demonstrating clear and effective communication to instill confidence and trust among investors.
• Acted as a valued liaison between the Europe-wide project team and numerous client stakeholders, ensuring seamless communication and fostering strong collaborative relationships.
• Exhibited exceptional organizational and time-management skills while managing multiple tasks and responsibilities simultaneously, delivering high-quality results within tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated strong analytical prowess in dissecting complex financial data, providing valuable insights and recommendations to drive strategic decision-making.
• Earned a reputation for reliability, professionalism, and dedication to excellence, leading to increased responsibilities and opportunities within the organization.
• Received commendation for exceptional problem-solving abilities, contributing to innovative solutions in optimizing credit management strategies and improving overall portfolio performance.

ChatGPT has created quite a few points from these few notes! However, there are too many for an entry-level professional. So we’ll ask it to cut these down into just a handful of points:

Please reduce these accomplishments to just 4 bullet points.

ChatGPT:

• Successfully conducted Risk & Performance analysis of NPE portfolio for credit management client, earning excellent feedback.
• Created comprehensive statistical exhibits from extensive corporate and financial data, enabling informed comparative financial performance analysis.
• Developed accurate financial models illustrating projected results/value, supporting key decision-making processes.
• Acted as a trusted liaison between Europe-wide project team and client stakeholders, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration.

Much better!

Step 3: Refining ChatGPT’s content

As you can see, ChatGPT took the rough notes and generated several strong accomplishment points. However, AI isn’t perfect: some of the wording is a little long and ‘salesy’.

But that’s OK: the great thing about AI is that you can ask it to modify the text without it being offended! We asked it to:

Please remove any overly-salesy adjectives.

It then produced:

ChatGPT:

• Led the acquisition of StellarGlobal as a project partner, creating a joint venture worth $146m, which continues to thrive today
• De-risked $73m in global assets through strategic efforts, driving repositioning, refurbishment, and negotiating leases
• Obtained development approval for a 25-level tower in Dubai with a GFA of 68,000m2. Led the successful sale negotiation resulting in the asset on-selling for $35m
• Identified and acquired an existing retail center in Czechia, later repositioned to include fuel stations, an unusual addition in the local market; generated $12m/year extra revenue

The polished version is much better, you’ll agree!

As you’ve seen, in a jiffy ChatGPT took the job seeker’s notes, then created and refined these into ready-to-use bullet points that will sound great in the individual’s resume.

If you want to refine the wording still further, play around with different commands until ChatGPT produces content you’re happy with.

So - now it’s your turn. Follow the three steps above to quickly (and painlessly!) create your own accomplishment points for each of your most recent jobs.

If you’d like more support with your resume, take advantage of JobLeads’ FREE resume review service. Find out more here:

Resume Review

For more insights, tips and strategies related to this topic, be sure to read our other articles: How to Use ChatGPT to Write The Perfect Cover Letter & How to Prepare for Job Interviews with AI - Questions & Prompts & How to Address Career Gaps on Your Resume - Tips & Examples & Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills - What’s the Difference? (With Examples)

Related questions

How can ChatGPT help improve my resume writing skills?

ChatGPT can help improve your resume writing skills by generating well-structured accomplishment bullet points based on your input. It can suggest powerful action verbs, provide clear and concise phrasing, and help quantify your achievements. By offering real-time feedback, ChatGPT enables you to refine your resume content, making it more compelling and tailored to job descriptions.

What are the best practices for using AI tools in resume writing?

Best practices for using AI tools in resume writing include providing detailed and accurate input for AI to work with, reviewing and editing AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your personal style, and using the suggestions to enhance clarity and impact. Combine AI-generated content with your unique experiences to create a standout resume that effectively showcases your skills and achievements.

Can AI-generated resume content pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)?

Yes, AI-generated resume content can pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) if formatted correctly. Ensure that the AI-generated text includes relevant keywords from the job description and follows a simple, clean layout without complex formatting. This increases the chances of your resume being accurately parsed and ranked highly by ATS software.

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