Add This to Sound Exciting in Your Resume

Posted September 11, 2016

When you're writing your resume, you want to make your past sounds vibrant, even exciting, and using action verbs to describe what you've done can help you achieve that goal.

Action verbs refer to something that was done or thought, and are typically written in the past tense. On a resume, you should be using action words, like 'assisted', 'led' or 'developed'. For instance, you might write that you "developed a new method that saved workers an average of 25 minutes each day."

Some basic reasons to use action verbs

Writing out all your achievements using 'I', as in "I worked on project X," gets repetitive and tedious to read after about three items. By using action verbs, you aren't starting each sentence with the same word.

Hiring managers go through a lot of resumes when trying to fill an open position. By using action words to quickly describe your achievements, you can get on a hiring manager's good side by conveying information quickly. You can really score some points by using industry or job-specific verbs you know a hiring manager or recruiter is looking for on a resume.

Actions verbs, when used to maximum effectiveness, also help the reader to imagine you in the role. You should be trying to stir the imagination by trying to paint a picture with your words.

Using action verbs with impact

Using action verbs sounds simple, right? Well, it turns out hiring managers often see the same words over and over again. You'll have to be as creative as possible without sounding wacky, if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Heading up a project is a big responsibility, and using a word like 'led' probably won't do this responsibility justice. Instead, try using word like: coordinated, orchestrated, oversaw, chaired, and spearheaded.

If you were the one that came up with the project in the first place, try words like: founded, established, initiated, or launched.

Saving a company time or money means increased productivity and that is a rare and valuable feather in your cap that you should describe properly. Use specific numbers to quantify how much you saved, and let recruiters know how you improved efficiency with words like: diagnosed, reduced, yielded, conserved, and consolidated.

On the other hand, if you boosted productivity or added value by measurably increasing sales, revenue or customer service, you should also quantify the amount you increased and try to emphasize that achievement with words like: amplified, enhanced, gained, generated, outpaced, and sustained.

If you updated or honed a system at a current or previous employer, try to use words like: converted, integrated, merged, modified, overhauled, refocused, rehabilitated, restructured, revamped, simplified, standardized, updated, and upgraded.

Finally, if you were able to reach a major milestone, try words like: attained, awarded, demonstrated, or surpassed.

At Ambassador, we're here to help you achieve the next step in your career. If you need assistance with any part of the job seeking process, please feel free to contact us today to work with a full-service staffing agency!