Did you know you should have strong action verbs strategically placed throughout your resume?
Well, now you do!
Most importantly, you want them at the beginning of the majority of your bullet points and accomplishment-based statements. Please do yourself —and every hiring manager out there—a favor; do not start your sentences with: Responsible for… worked with… or any other opening that lacks power and punch.
These really do nothing for your resume or experience except hurt it. Hiring managers are not exactly captivated by the phrases, “responsible for” or “worked with.” They are just so boring and repetitive—and it’s because just about every job seeker out there uses them. Hiring managers want—need—words that jump off the page and captivate them. Here are a few examples of my favorite action words:
Captivated
Championed
Directed
Exceeded
Pioneered
Formulated
Generated
Intensified
Leveraged
Masterminded
Maximized
Mentored
Optimized
Orchestrated
Re-engineered
Spearheaded
Structured
Proliferate
Recaptured
Rejuvenated
Truthfully, the list could go on. Don’t believe me? Use the synonym feature in Microsoft Word or go to www.thesaurus.com. Be creative in your action verb choice, and choose strong words that convey ACTION to begin every sentence. These words communicate action, results, accomplishments, and contributions—which are all key components in creating a powerful and captivating resume.
You can read more about resume writing or view professionally written resume samples on my website.
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of Great Resumes Fast is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
 |
Write for this blog! Click here » if you're a credible career coach or business. |
7 Comments
Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
Jessica–love the post. It’s absolutely true that action verbs communicate a better message on your resume. It shows that you took initiative and succeeded in your past experience. Passive bullets don’t illustrate that “can-do” attitude in the same way. The originality of your language will also help draw attention to your resume ahead of the hundreds of other resumes a recruiter has already received.
I used your verbs in my last resume re-write. This list has helped me the most!
I would not want to work for someone that can't appreciate or is bothered by the use of “masterminded” on a resume.
I would never hire anybody who used 'masterminded' on a resume.
Yes, indeed the list should go on.
Not only should the action verbs convey exactly what you do but should be as closest to the truth as possible; sometimes the lines are blurred between exaggeration of the facts and outright untruth.
Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter if you need me)
Thank you for these, I know these will be helpful. I have one question though, how do you take these and insert them into present tense? I want to make my current job shine on a resume but do not want to mix tense since that looks bad. Thanks for the help