Keep a running list of what you did at work

You open your resume to add the last job and cannot say what you did there. The duties from the job ad are somewhere, but they are the employer’s wording, not your work. Some people describe exactly this: forgetting what they did in earlier jobs and needing it later. Some people also say managers forget what you did by the time a review comes round.

Keep a short running list of what you actually do at work, and write what came of each thing beside it. Add to it every week or month, so the resume, the review and the interview are built from notes made at the time, not from memory.

If your employer forbids notes about your work, or your work is confidential, read the last section before you start.

What goes on the list

Many people say a resume should show what you achieved and what it led to, not copy the tasks listed in a job description, because hiring managers want results more than duties. Some people add that recruiters recognise their own wording when a resume copies it. So each line on your list is a thing you did and its effect: what you changed, finished, fixed or sold, and a number if you have one. One person gives sales increases as an example of a figure worth keeping.

A number needs care. One person points out that a large revenue figure says little by itself, because revenue is not income and the size of the department matters; the figure worth keeping is how much of the growth was yours. Some people raise a related objection, that results depend on the team and the company as well, and suggest wording that frames your part in the larger success instead of claiming all of it.

Add the things you were not asked to do. One person suggests noting every time you went beyond the task. One person also suggests writing down observations and ideas in your first weeks, because it is easy to stop noticing once you are used to a place.

How often, and how much

Some people suggest a running log kept daily or weekly. One person suggests a weekly list; another suggests a document updated monthly. One person warns that very detailed daily logging, with constant meetings, can make you forget to keep the summary file at all.

One person worries that tracking your work this closely makes work too big a part of your life. Another says it is a small chore that saves time later, not an obsession.

One person says to start on your first day in a job and keep adding, not to wait until you are leaving. One person points out that an updated resume matters even if you are staying, because some companies ask for yearly updates for internal moves.

Save the job ad when you apply

Some people say employers often take a job ad down once candidates reach the interview stage, so a copy saved when you applied lets you re-read the requirements and prepare answers. This is a separate thing from the list. The ad shows what they asked for; the list shows what you did.

Using the list to ask for more

Some people say that comparing the description you were hired against with what you do now gives you evidence for a raise or promotion when the job has grown beyond it. They do not agree on how well it works. One person says they have never seen citing the job description lead to more than a minimal raise. One person says refusing extra tasks on the strength of the description is a way never to be promoted. Some people point out that descriptions often end with “other duties as necessary”, which weakens the list as a bargaining point. One person answers that the clause is common but fair game for employers, and another suggests using the list to ask when an extra duty was formally given to you.

One person says that when you take on extra work, let your manager see what you are taking on, because a good manager may respond with more staff or with recognition. This page cannot tell you which of these will be true at your employer.

Who this page is not for

If your employer forbids keeping personal records of your work, or your work is confidential, this page does not cover what to do; one person warns against breaking a non-disclosure agreement or a security policy, so keep to your own words and check your contract first.

If you must send a resume tonight and have no list, this page cannot rebuild the past. It helps from today on.

If you need a layout or template for the resume itself, this page does not cover that; the page on the file’s name and format is a start.

If your problem is a raise that is too small, rather than not remembering what you did, the page on pay below inflation is closer to what you need.