How to Write CV Achievements When You Don't Have KPIs or Hard Numbers
By Dai Jones, Eich Dyn Career Services Ltd · Published
The short answer
If you lack KPIs, evidence achievements through observable consequences: a decision that was adopted, a standard or process others now use, a risk removed, a problem solved that others could not, people you developed, or recognition from a credible body. Describe what changed because of you, and be specific about context.
Why many strong professionals have no KPIs
Researchers, safety specialists, design engineers, public-sector staff and people in support functions are often not measured on numerical targets. Their value is real but harder to count. Forcing invented numbers onto that work damages credibility; leaving it as a list of duties hides it.
There is a middle path: evidence of consequence.
Six types of evidence that do not need KPIs
1. Decisions adopted
Illustrative: "Recommended moving from a bonded to a riveted joint on a battery enclosure; the recommendation was adopted for the production design after peer review."
2. Standards and processes others use
Illustrative: "Wrote the team's first design-verification procedure for thermal testing, now used across three product lines."
3. Risks removed
Illustrative: "Identified an unassessed hazard in a test-rig interlock during commissioning; redesign was completed before first operation."
4. Problems solved that others could not
Illustrative: "Diagnosed an intermittent field fault that had remained open for six months by correlating vibration logs with assembly batch data."
5. People developed
Illustrative: "Mentored four graduate engineers through their first project cycle; two have since achieved IEng registration."
6. External recognition
Illustrative: "Paper on composite fatigue modelling accepted for presentation at an international conference." Recognition from credible bodies — journals, professional institutions, customers — is evidence in its own right.
A simple test: "So what changed?"
For each responsibility on your CV, ask so what changed because I did this? If the honest answer is "nothing anyone would notice", it may not belong in your top achievements. If something did change — a decision, a capability, a risk profile, a person's career — write that down.
Add scale and context instead of results
Even without outcome metrics, you can usually state scale: the size of the system, the number of stakeholders, the budget, the regulatory environment. Context helps the reader judge significance. "Safety case for a nuclear-licensed facility" says something about the standard of rigour you work to, without any KPI.
Language that keeps it credible
Use verbs that reflect your actual role. "Proposed", "recommended", "designed", "authored", "diagnosed", "introduced" are honest and specific. Avoid inflating your involvement — referencing and interviews will test it.
For the cases where you can find numbers, combine this approach with how to quantify CV achievements. For researchers specifically, see academic research to industry CV.
An evidence-first mindset
Eich Dyn's editorial viewpoint is simple: your career is not a list of responsibilities. It is a body of evidence demonstrating the problems you have solved, the decisions you have influenced and the value you can create again. That principle underpins the evidence stages of the Career OS™ methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CV be strong without any numbers?
Yes, if achievements show clear consequences — decisions adopted, risks removed, processes introduced, people developed — and give enough context for the reader to judge their significance. Most CVs benefit from at least some scale indicators, though.
Is it acceptable to estimate figures?
Reasonable, clearly signposted estimates ('around', 'over') are acceptable if you can explain how you arrived at them. Do not present estimates as precise measurements.
How do public-sector workers show achievements?
Focus on service outcomes, policies or processes implemented, risks managed, stakeholders coordinated and improvements to quality, compliance or timeliness. Scale — budget, population served, number of sites — adds context.
What verbs should I avoid?
Avoid vague verbs such as 'helped with', 'involved in' and 'responsible for' as the main verb. Use specific verbs that describe your actual contribution.
Sources and further reading
Examples on this page are illustrative and are not client results. Practice observations reflect Eich Dyn's experience, not statistical research.
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