Achievements
Accomplishments, feedback and examples of your work
It is likely that most students applying for Apprenticeship schemes will have similar grades (as entry requirements are stipulated in the advert). As well as your employability skills, your achievements will help you stand out above the rest. By listing them all in one place you can refer to them quickly when needed, rather than spending hours trying to remember what you did!
As you move on through your education / employment career you will gain more skills and achievements. Keep adding them to your list so when it comes to updating your CV it is easy to find the information.
Using a template
Going back through the last 5 years of your life may seem like an exhausting task, but as you start to identify and evidence the things you have done, you will grow confidence and pride in how much you have already accomplished!
This template will help remind you of some of the things in the past you have achieved but forgotten about, or maybe you think they don’t count as an achievement!
The structure
An achievement consists of three components:
- Using a particular skill
- Carrying out a particular activity
- Getting a result / benefit
Academic achievements are simple to list. What exam, when and what grade.
Non-academic achievements are not so simple, but for each one just follow the ‘what / so what’ approach:
- What did I do?
- So what? What was the result
Lots of things can show achievements as well as you writing them.
- Newspaper cuttings
- School or community newsletters
- Feedback you have received
- Social media recognition
- Certificates
- Your name on an award list
If you are getting really stuck, just go through these questions and see if you have an examples – it will be there……..you just need to think HARD!
- Re-organised something to make it work better?
- Identified a problem and solved it?
- Come up with a new idea that improved things?
- Worked on a special event?
- Received an award?
- Been complimented by someone?
- Saved time or money for someone?
