If I Am Looking for a "Doer" Job, Why Do I Need an "Achiever" Resume?

Nabila Ikram
Posted by in Career Advice


You’re in the market for a hands-on, “doer” job, but all the advice you receive says that your resume should be an “achiever” one- a resume that discusses your technical and people skills (hard and soft skills), facts and figures, and requires some creative thinking on how to word job postings such as, “know how to work a copier”.  So why does your resume have to be an analytical piece? Can’t I just simply list my past experiences; that’s all employers want to know, right? We’ll chat more during the interview…

Let’s first think about the terms “Doer” and “Achiever”. What is a “Doer”? A “Doer” is someone who is in a technical, hands-on position that is, assumedly, in a “follower” role rather than a “leader” role. Examples of doer jobs are therapists, technicians, and cleaners.  

An “Achiever” is someone who is in a position that requires high analytical, or “thinking” and “leading” skills. Examples of such positions include, doctors and CEOs.

Now, let’s think about the workplace, or a company. What is it? It’s a system of teams focused on particular outcomes. Each team is responsible for certain tasks or “sub”-outcomes that contribute to the company’s progress towards its ultimate goals. Therefore, whether you’re a “doer” or an “achiever”, you’re contributing to the in-sync progression of the company. Employers want to see candidates who have the overall success of the company in mind; otherwise, if you’re not interested in the success of the company (as well as yourself), why would, and should, they consider hiring you?

Hiring managers want to see someone who is results-oriented. May be you do some mundane tasks as an administrative assistant, but the tasks you’ve been assigned exist because they are contributing to the success of the company…how?

“How?” is the question a candidate should focus on when writing his or her resume and listing out job tasks and responsibilities. Yes, I did this in previous work experience. It was an important and essential function for the company. So, how well did I do it? Being able to answer this question is the reason why there is an increasing emphasis on rewriting the general tasks often presented in resumes as quantifiable pieces of data. The best way to prove to hiring managers you can do a job well-done is by handing them the numbers and a concise, yet informative description. Take a look at the before and after comparison of some rewritten job tasks for an administrative assistant:

Before:

Answered and routed several calls throughout the day.

After:

Answered and routed over 50 calls daily.

Before:

Experienced in working with various office equipment.

After:

Experienced in maintaining and basic troubleshooting of office equipment, specifically printers, copiers and fax machines.

Before:

Scheduled appointments for accounting executives.

After:

Scheduled 1-2 appointments weekly with potential clients for accounting executives.

The above statements, when quantified and/or written concisely, indicate to hiring managers the level of success they can at least expect from you, since you’ve already achieved it, and how much more they can hope to see from you. Presenting such information in an easy-to-visualize way, in and of itself, proves that you can do work in an efficient and effective manner and allows them to make an informed decision.

Your resume is not only a record of your past experience, it’s also a sample of your writing, communication, and analytical skills. Again, a carpenter is most likely not going to write a manuscript, but by having a streamlined resume with data and numbers and concise writing, he or she demonstrates his/her overall professionalism and capability as a representative of the company who would have the company’s best interest at hand.  

Essentially, even if a position may be classified as a “doer”, all positions are “achiever” ones, focused on the smooth operation of a company. Write an achiever resume and you’ll achieve the outcome you’re seeking (like that interview!).

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Steve S thanks for your comments. Showing numbers is a good way to show "achiever" rather than "doer". We are all doers or we wouldn't have jobs. Employers know that. They want to know what you did over and above "doing" the job - something you can quantify and measure. But also something you can back up to show that you are not just throwing numbers or percentages on your resume but that you actually "achieved" what you are saying.

  • Steve S.
    Steve S.

    For example, instead of writing "traveled to Texas in 2016 to help seal 2000-copy product adoption, I should write "traveled to Texas 4 times in 2016 to help seal 2000-copy product adoption in the amount of $180,000.

  • Steve S.
    Steve S.

    Useful, Nabila Ikram. Thank you. A Top Resume analysis (that I had not deliberately solicited) through nexxt opined that my resume showed I was more of a "doer" than an "achiever." A query about the difference was ignored. It's good to know that all I have to do to become an "achiever" is to stick in more numbers. Although, frankly, there are plenty of numbers in my resume--number of people managed, sales numbers, profit numbers, number of products signed and developed, etc

  • MICHAEL U.
    MICHAEL U.

    Good advice, as I am at that cross roads with my resume

  • Marline L.
    Marline L.

    Very informative and useful information

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Abdullah M. thanks for your comments. Sorry to see you go but you can certainly come back any time you are ready. We do try to make things as easy as possible. We know how trying it can be to find a job and not be bombarded with emails. We updated our "Manage Alerts & Emails" section on your account so that you can have total control of emails also. Look forward to seeing you back and thanks for passing the word!

  • ABDULLAH M.
    ABDULLAH M.

    Very useful, nice templates and I really like the fact you make it easy to cancel. Sometimes more often than not, companies make this a difficult process. It's nice to see My Perfect CV works transparently. Because of this fact, I will be back should I ever need to work on my CV again.”

  • ABDULLAH M.
    ABDULLAH M.

    I found your site very easy to use and brilliant in the options I could choose to suit the type of CV I needed to create. The CV I created was professional and the advice I chose to use made it a winning CV. I also really appreciated the lack of hard sell and the ease with which I have been able to cancel the account until I need it again. I will definitely use this site again in the future and will recommend it to friends and family.”

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Eileen A thank you ever so much for that! It's great to hear from someone in HR. Helps those seeking a job to understand the process a bit better. HR always gets blamed when things go wrong. I think it's nice to folks to hear that you are totally human - overworked and underpaid - just like the rest of us. Personally, I did a short stint in HR and it's a crazy world. I would have stacks of resumes on my desk each morning. This was in the days before ATS. The issue, as always, comes down to money. Companies don't want to dish out more money to hire more help for HR. They expect you to do a bang-up job with the people you have. Maybe if more HR folks spoke up? We can only hope things change!

  • Eileen A.
    Eileen A.

    Lynn, Being a career HR Manager and past recruiter, I understand how you feel. I know that most of us try our best. Human Resources have always been known as money burners, yet we are always under staffed and overworked. At one time or another we all find ourselves out of work and seeking a viable position; we all get the same treatment. We all know how it feels even the unemployed HR Managers and Recruiters. Unless HR receives more help, we can only always try our best. I am currently in the same position as you and hope 2020 brings all of us a job that we will enjoy.

  • LYNN THOMPSON RN
    LYNN THOMPSON RN

    It’s a Byzantine world out there. I see jobs I’ve applied for months ago, And the ad is active, and I’ve heard from no- one. Ive been on several interviews where I never heard back from anyone. Remember manners?

  • Rich M.
    Rich M.

    Even if you do all that, you don't really know what to say or do. They(the interviewer) change the game constantly leaving you to wonder what to say or do next. I have taken assessment test online through Indeed and have done quite well with some of them. But that doesn't seem to help. In the end, they will choose who they want and sometimes that isn't you.

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