Resume Action Words
In a resume, action words can make the difference in whether your resume gets special attention or whether it gets tossed aside. When you are applying for a job, there may be dozens or even hundreds of applicants competing against you, depending on the industry. How will you make yourself stand apart from the rest, and demonstrate to an employer that you are the best candidate for the position? Before you turn in your resume, make sure that action words highlight your accomplishments . Rather than being the usual dull and boring, your resume will sizzle and draw the attention of the reader.
Your resume: Action words will get you noticed
What are these “action words?” There are literally hundreds of them, and some work best according to the specific industry or field you are applying for. Here are a few examples to help get your thought process rolling:
Accomplished
Launched
Negotiated
Participated
Optimized
Revitalized
Established
| Researched
Scheduled
Structured
Generated
Introduced
Tested
Spearheaded
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When you begin sentences describing your qualifications or accomplishments, use these types of words. To a potential employer, these types of sentences convey power, authority and action! Your goal is to impress upon the employer your ability to contribute to and benefit their company directly.
When writing your resume, action words are powerful attention grabbers
Anyone can write a resume that is blasé and dull, that hardly attracts any notice from the reader. The truth is, a potential employer may place the majority of resumes they receive in a “not too interesting” pile, which is where you do NOT want yours to land! Think about how you would react yourself to a resume that was basically dull and boring as compared to one that highlighted accomplishments with action words. Which would impress you most?
Here are a few sentences written in a passive form, followed by examples using resume action words:
Able to determine client needs. Not too exciting, is it? Now, written the correct way:
Determined client needs through assessment exercises and interviews
Which do you think impress a potential employer the most? It's easy to see. Another example:
Duties included increasing area sales by 23%. Now, let's put some action into those words!
Drove a 23% increase in area sales.
It's apparent which sentences make more of an impact. To accomplish this in your own resume, write out your accomplishments and qualifications the way you normally would. Then, go through your rough draft and strike out any sentences that are passive, replacing them with sentences that begin with action words. You can also find many samples online to help you generate more ideas.
When it comes to your resume, action words can make or break your opportunity of securing the job. Practice writing this way, and soon you will have a resume that will land on the top of the competition. Employers will be impressed not only with your professionalism, but your ability to showcase your accomplishments in such an effective manner.
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