Quantifying Achievements: Resume Examples & Action Verbs

A weak resume describes duties. A strong resume describes achievements. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know the tangible business results of your actions, not just what was on your daily to-do list.

1. Use Google's X-Y-Z Formula

Google famously recommends writing bullet points using this structure: "Accomplished [X], as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]."

Instead of writing: "Responsible for company website and social media profiles."

Write: "Increased website traffic by 34% (X) as measured by Google Analytics (Y) by redesigning page layouts and optimizing search engine visibility (Z)."

2. Quantify Even if You Don't Have Big Sales Numbers

Many job seekers think they can't quantify their work because they don't work in sales or directly manage revenue. However, you can always measure:

• Time: How many hours did you save? How much faster was the system after you optimized it?
• Scale: How many users, clients, or files did you support? What was the size of the codebase or team?
• Quality: Did you reduce bug reports? Did user ratings go up?

3. Lead with Strong Action Verbs

Start every bullet point with a powerful, active verb. Avoid weak phrases like "Assisted with...", "Participated in...", or "Helped to...". Use verbs that imply leadership and execution:

• Designed, Engineered, Developed: Great for builders and technical experts.
• Accelerated, Decreased, Optimized: Demonstrates process improvement.
• Authored, Mentored, Directed: Highlights communications and leadership.