Résumé words · Results and numbers
Another word for “Achieved”
What it is trying to claim: That you reached a target.
Why it underperforms
It is a container verb: it announces that an accomplishment is coming and then makes the noun do all the work. Because it fits in front of anything, it carries no information itself, and the sentence would almost always be stronger starting with the verb for what you actually did.
Stronger than "Achieved"
Not ranked. Each is right for one situation, and the situation is the column that matters.
| Word | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Hit | A target, plainly. Shorter and less formal. |
| Exceeded | You went past it, which is the more useful claim. |
| Delivered | The output rather than the target. |
| Won | It was competitive. |
| Earned | A credential or a recognition with criteria behind it. |
| Reached | A milestone on a scale, like a user or revenue threshold. |
A real bullet, fixed
Before
Achieved significant improvements in customer satisfaction.
After
Took CSAT from 3.4 to 4.5 out of 5 across 18 months by giving support staff refund authority up to $200 without escalation.
The mechanism is the interesting part, and "achieved significant improvements" has no room for a mechanism.
When “Achieved” is the right word
Where there is a formal, externally defined target that the reader will recognize, such as quota, an accreditation, or a service level.
Common questions
- What can I say instead of "Achieved" on a résumé?
- Hit, Exceeded, Delivered, Won. Pick the one that matches what you actually did, then follow it with a number. The mechanism is the interesting part, and "achieved significant improvements" has no room for a mechanism.
- Is "Achieved" bad on a résumé?
- It is a container verb: it announces that an accomplishment is coming and then makes the noun do all the work. Because it fits in front of anything, it carries no information itself, and the sentence would almost always be stronger starting with the verb for what you actually did.
- When is it fine to use "Achieved"?
- Where there is a formal, externally defined target that the reader will recognize, such as quota, an accreditation, or a service level.
Fix these next
- DeliveredThat something finished and arrived.
- IncreasedThat a number went up because of something you did.
- SuccessfullyThat the thing you are describing worked.
- GeneratedThat something valuable came into being because of your work.
- Results-orientedThat you focus on outcomes rather than activity.
- Proven track recordThat you have consistently delivered before.
All 72 words are on the résumé words index. For the verbs grouped by what they claim, read résumé power verbs.
After the résumé
Fixing the words is the easy half. The applying is the slow half.
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