This page is a bank of responsibility lines you can adapt, organised by sector, for people who find it easier to work from examples than from rules. Take the closest match, then substitute your own systems, numbers and details. Do not copy a line that does not describe something you actually did.
How to Use These
Each line is written at a usable standard, with a place for your own scope. Where a line contains a bracketed figure, replace it with your real number. If your number is smaller, use it anyway, since a real smaller figure is more persuasive than a borrowed larger one.
Warehouse and Logistics
- Offloaded and loaded an average of [twelve] vehicles per shift against fixed dispatch cut-offs.
- Picked and packed customer orders using RF scanning at [one hundred and twenty] order lines per hour.
- Operated [counterbalance and reach truck] forklifts under valid certification in a [twelve-metre] racking warehouse.
- Put stock away into system-directed locations and maintained location accuracy.
- Replenished pick faces from bulk storage to maintain picking flow during peak trading.
- Conducted daily cycle counts and investigated variances before escalation.
- Checked incoming deliveries against purchase orders and recorded discrepancies.
- Maintained clear aisles and reported racking damage and hazards.
Retail and Customer Service
- Processed an average of [one hundred and fifty] customer transactions daily across cash, card and mobile payments.
- Balanced the till at the end of every shift with a consistent record of accuracy.
- Handled refunds, exchanges and voids within authorisation limits and store procedure.
- Merchandised displays and maintained stock presentation to brand standard.
- Assisted customers with product queries and resolved complaints at the point of sale.
- Verified age-restricted purchases in line with legal requirements.
- Received deliveries, checked them against invoices and replenished shelves.
- Supported stock takes and assisted with shrinkage investigations.
Administration and Office
- Captured and maintained records on [Sage], processing around [two hundred] entries weekly.
- Maintained physical and electronic filing systems for a department of [thirty-five].
- Processed approximately [two hundred] supplier invoices monthly and reconciled petty cash weekly.
- Managed a shared inbox averaging [sixty] emails daily, escalating urgent matters same day.
- Coordinated diaries and meeting room bookings across [four] managers.
- Took minutes at [weekly management] meetings and tracked resulting actions to completion.
- Prepared monthly reports and supporting schedules to a working-day-[three] deadline.
- Managed stationery and consumable ordering within an agreed monthly budget.
Healthcare and Care Work
- Provided personal care to patients in a [thirty]-bed [medical] ward, maintaining dignity and privacy.
- Recorded vital signs and fluid balance and reported changes to the nurse in charge.
- Repositioned immobile patients on a [two-hourly] schedule, supporting pressure injury prevention.
- Recognised and escalated changes in patient condition promptly.
- Maintained infection control standards and handled clinical waste according to protocol.
- Prompted prescribed medication according to the dispensed schedule and recorded compliance.
- Supported clients living with [dementia] using consistent routines that reduced distress.
- Assisted patients and families in [English, isiZulu and Afrikaans].
Driving and Transport
- Completed an average of [thirty-five] multi-drop deliveries daily across [the greater Durban area].
- Operated a [Code 10] vehicle with a valid Professional Driving Permit throughout.
- Conducted daily pre-trip and post-trip inspections and reported defects before departure.
- Secured loads correctly using appropriate restraints for the freight carried.
- Obtained signed proof of delivery at every drop and recorded shortages and damages.
- Maintained an incident-free driving record across [four] years of continuous service.
- Managed delivery documentation including waybills and delivery notes.
- Communicated delays and route changes to the controller promptly.
Cleaning and Facilities
- Maintained cleanliness across a [three-floor] building of approximately [two thousand] square metres.
- Cleaned and sanitised ablutions [twice daily] and restocked consumables to schedule.
- Operated an industrial floor scrubber and polisher for weekly deep cleaning.
- Diluted and applied cleaning chemicals according to manufacturer instructions.
- Placed safety signage during wet floor work, maintaining an incident-free record.
- Followed colour-coded equipment procedures to prevent cross-contamination.
- Removed waste and separated recyclable material according to site procedure.
- Reported maintenance faults promptly, supporting timely repairs.
Supervisory and Team Leadership
- Supervised [eighteen] staff across [receiving, picking and dispatch] on a rotating shift pattern.
- Allocated daily work and reallocated resource as volumes changed through the shift.
- Conducted first-line performance and disciplinary discussions in line with company procedure.
- Trained and inducted [four] new staff on process and safety requirements.
- Monitored accuracy and addressed the root causes of recurring errors.
- Managed team attendance, timekeeping and leave planning.
- Reported daily productivity, accuracy and staffing to management.
- Led [monthly cycle counts and the annual stock take].
Finance and Stock Control
- Controlled inventory of approximately [five thousand] stock lines across [two] warehouses.
- Reconciled supplier statements for a portfolio of [forty] accounts monthly.
- Prepared and processed payment runs within agreed supplier terms.
- Investigated stock variances and traced root causes to source processes.
- Reconciled inventory records to the general ledger with the finance team.
- Prepared slow-moving and obsolete stock reports for write-off decisions.
- Processed and matched invoices to purchase orders and delivery notes.
- Supported internal and external audit with documentation and count assistance.
Adapting a Line Properly
Three checks before you use any line from this page. Does it describe something you genuinely did? Have you replaced the bracketed figures with your own? Would you be comfortable being asked about it in detail at interview? If any answer is no, change the line or drop it.
Related Pages
For more examples organised differently, see CV Duties Examples.
FAQs
Can I copy these responsibility examples onto my CV?
Adapt them rather than copying them. Replace the bracketed figures with your own numbers and adjust the wording to match what you actually did. A line describing work you did not do will not survive an interview question.
What if my numbers are smaller than the examples?
Use your real figures. A smaller genuine number is more persuasive than a borrowed larger one, and it is defensible when an interviewer asks about it. Specificity matters more than scale.
How many of these should I use per role?
Four to six for your most recent role and two or three for older positions. Choose the ones that match the advert you are answering rather than the ones that sound most impressive in isolation.
Should I use the same lines for every application?
No. Reorder them so the ones matching each advert appear first, and swap in different lines from your own history where the emphasis differs. The content stays honest; only the selection and order change.
What if my role is not listed here?
Take the closest sector and apply the same pattern: action verb, the work, then scope or outcome. The structure transfers to any role, and the sector-specific wording is easier to write once the shape is clear.