What counts as an achievement
An achievement is a result you caused, not a duty you had. Employee awards, targets beaten, a project delivered, a scholarship, a sports or music grade, a Duke of Edinburgh's Award or a promotion can all count when they show a skill the job asks for.
Written well
Each fictional example names the achievement, who recognised it and what it shows.
Cut late supplier renewals from 18 to 4 in six months by setting up a shared tracker.
Colleague of the Quarter, Northgate Home Store, spring 2025, for the most loyalty sign-ups.
Dean's List, BSc Environmental Science, 2024 (top 10% of the year).
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award, 2025: planned and completed a two-day expedition with four others.
Promoted from sales assistant to supervisor after 14 months.
Where to put them
Do not repeat the same achievement in two places. If it is your strongest evidence, mention it in your profile and keep the detail in one entry.
- Results at work: as bullets under the job where they happened.
- Awards and prizes: a short “Achievements” section after experience, or under education for academic ones.
- For a first CV: an “Achievements” or “Activities” section can sit above work experience.
What to leave out
Old school prizes once you have years of work, awards you cannot explain, and anything that only you would recognise. If an award needs a long explanation, it is probably not worth the space.